Accept your lot

A wealthy man lived in the city.
An all-night watch he had to keep.
Thieves were always robbing houses
And so at night he dared not sleep.

His house had a large verandah
A shady spot with lots of air.
A passing tinker asked the rich man
If he could do his work out there.

The wealthy man gave his permission,
But wished he had not very soon.
Because he missed his sleep at night time,
He rested in the afternoon.

The banging of the tinker's hammer,
He found too terrible to bear.
He lent some money to the tinker
To start a business up elsewhere.

The tinker went off to his village
And bought some chickens and a truck.
As trade was good, he soon was wealthy.
He then began to curse his luck.

His poultry farm was often raided.
He had to buy himself a gun
To keep vigil with his watchmen.
He found that riches were not fun.

Missing all his sleep at night-time
Destroyed his peace of mind and health.
He always thought that cheats and robbers
Would try to steal his new-gained wealth.

So he resolved to pay the loan back
And soon he sold the poultry farm.
He returned the rich man's money
For it had only brought him harm.

He wanted to be just a tinker.
He had been happier before.
He asked the rich man one small favor -
That he might use the yard once more!

It does not help to envy others
However little you have got.
If you want to be contented
It pays you to accept your lot.