Telling Fortunes

Telling Fortunes written by William Henry Davies

From "The Hour of Magic", 1922

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'You'll have a son,' the old man said -
  'And then a daughter fair to meet
As any summer nights that dance
  Upon a thousand silver feet.'
'You dear old man, now can you tell
If my fair daughter'll marry well?'
The old man winked his eye and said,
  'Well, knowing men for what they are,
She'll break their hearts, because she'll not
  Be half as good as she is fair.'
The new-made wife was full of pain,
And raised her head and hoped again.
'And will my son be fine and smart
And win a noble lady's heart?'
The old man winked his other eye -
'Well, knowing women as we do,
  The kind of man they most prefer,
He'll break their hearts, because he'll be
  A fool, a coxcomb, and a cur.'

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.