THE CHAMELEON
By James Merrick
Two travelers of conceited cast,
As o'er Arabia's wilds they passed,
And on their way, in friendly chat,
Now talked of this and then of that,
Discoursed awhile 'mongst other matter 5
Of the chameleon's form and nature.
"A stranger animal," cries one,
"Sure never lived beneath the sun;
A lizard's body, lean and long;
A fish's head; a serpent's tongue; 10
Its foot with triple claw disjoined;
And what a length of tail behind!
How slow its pace! And then its hue!—
Who ever saw so fine a blue?"
"Hold, there!" the other quick replies; 15
"'Tis green—I saw it with these eyes,
As late with open mouth it lay,
And warmed it in the sunny ray;
Stretched at its ease, the beast I viewed,
And saw it eat the air for food." 20
"I've seen it, sir, as well as you,
And must again affirm it blue.
At leisure I the beast surveyed,
Extended in the cooling shade."
"'Tis green, 'tis green, sir, I assure ye."
"Green!" cries the other in a fury;
"Why, sir, d'ye think I've lost my eyes?"
"'Twere no great loss," the friend replies,
"For if they always serve you thus, 5
You'll find them of but little use."
So high at last the contest rose,
From words they almost came to blows;
When luckily came by a third—
To him the question they referred, 10
And begged he'd tell them, if he knew,
Whether the thing was green, or blue.
"Sirs," cries the umpire, "cease your pother!
The creature's neither one nor t'other.
I caught the animal last night, 15
And viewed it o'er by candle light;
I marked it well—'twas black as jet;
You stare—but, sirs, I've got it yet,
And can produce it." "Pray, sir, do;
I'll lay my life the thing is blue." 20
"And I'll engage that when you've seen
The reptile, you'll pronounce him green."
"Well, then, at once to ease the doubt,"
Replies the man, "I'll turn him out;
And when before your eyes I've set him, 25
If you don't find him black, I'll eat him."
He said: then full before their sight
Produced the beast, and lo—'twas white!
Both stared; the man looked wondrous wise!—
"My children," the chameleon cries
(Then first the creature found a tongue),
"You all are right, and all are wrong,
When next you talk of what you view, 5
Think others see as well as you;
Nor wonder if you find that none
Prefers your eyesight to his own."
1. You should read with this poem Saxe's "The Blind Men and the Elephant." Is it like any other selection you have read?
2. Does the chameleon actually change color? Wherein does the humor of the poem lie?