The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault by Charles Perrault - HTML preview

The Moral

To get as prize a husband rich and gay.

Of humour sweet, with many years to stay,

Is natural enough, 'tis true;

To wait for him a hundred years,

And all that while asleep, appears

A thing entirely new.

Now at this time of day,

Not one of all the sex we see

Doth sleep with such profound tranquillity:

But yet this Fable seems to let us know

That very often Hymen's blisses sweet,

Altho' some tedious obstacles they meet,

Are not less happy for approaching slow.

'Tis nature's way that ladies fair

Should yearn conjugal joys to share;

And so I've not the heart to preach

A moral that's beyond their reach.