The Root of Bol-weevil.

But who wants to make History? History is a dead language, the patter of the Past. We prefer a hysterical present to a historical past. Unlike the birds who have “got the bird,” we prefer to stick to our egotism and refuse to sacrifice “am” for ambition. Ambition is the root of bol-weevil, and man is the only animal whose wisdom has put his knowledge in balk. You never see a sparrow losing its pin-feathers because it can't lay an ostrich egg. The platypus is one of the few examples of physiological piece-work, and look what a nasty job it's made of itself.

“The dog who makes to-day his day, has his day every day.”

page 15 Its physiology is so involved that it never knows whether to order bird-seed or bacon, it being a duck fore and aft and a mammal in the middle. The platypus may go down in History, but it will never go up in Happiness. It's time to tootle the tonsilitis:

Birds and beasts both wild and tame
Never hanker after fame,
Never care a tinker's cuss
For posterity, like us.
Birds and beasts and insects too,
Never try Success to woo.
While the grass and grubs are fat
They are quite content with that.
Birds and beasts—from coot to cow—
Know that Happiness is Now.
Past and Future don't exist
On their psychologic list,
And they're always quite content
Lapping up the nutri-ment.
Caterpillars, cattle too,
Conger eel and kangaroo,
Cassowary, auk and sprat,
Whale and whelk and tittlebat,
Elephant and alligator,
Know that life is their “pertater.”
Though their minds they can't express,
They are full of happiness.
Every hour and every action
Seems to give them satisfaction
Unlike Man who thinks he must
Leave his mark behind—or bust.
Better bust to-day than after,
Do it now—And Bust With Laughter.