Fleas

"To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be who have tried it."

"Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum. And the great fleas themselves, in turn, have greater fleas to go on; While these again have greater still, and greater still, and so on."

"I cannot raise my worth too high; Of what vast consequence am I!" "Not of the importance you suppose," Replies a Flea upon his nose; "Be humble, learn thyself to scan; Know, pride was never made for man."

"A blockhead, bit by fleas, put out the light, And chuckling cried, "Now you can't see to bite.""

"It was many and many a year ago, In a District styled E. C., That a monster dwelt whom I came to know By the name of Cannibal Flea, And the brute was possessed with no other thought Than to live — and to live on me."

"I do honour the very flea of his dog."

"Then mimick'd my voice with satyrical sneer, And sent me away with a Flea in my ear."

"Panurge auoyt la pulee en l'oreille."

"So, naturalists observe, a flea Has smaller fleas that on him prey; And these have smaller still to bite 'em, And so proceed ad infinitum. Thus every poet in his kind Is bit by him that comes behind."