Fooling

He was a lad — a tender boy,

And she — she held him as her toy,

And when she wearied of his way

And would with other playthings play,

I heard him say beneath his breath:—

A fool am I; it is my death —

She jilted me — the little lass,—

I will not let such fooling pass

But shift at once some bitter dart

Back — back again into her heart,

But then thought he — All those who play

With fools are fools as well as they,

And so he made a living rule:—

It takes a fool to fool a fool.