Where the lie leads

There once was a lady who swallowed a lie,
I don’t know why she swallowed the lie, but by and by …

so she believed a foolish word – how absurd, that foolish word!
Believed the absurd because of the lie,
I don’t know why she swallowed the lie, but by and by …

This fostered distrust, she lost her friend.
– what a sad end, to lose her friend,
she lost her friend because the absurd
word she believed because of the lie:
I don’t know why she swallowed the lie, but by and by …

Then followed a stranger into danger
led into danger because in the end,
she’d lost her wise friend.
She lost her friend because the absurd
word she believed because of the lie:
I don’t know why she swallowed the lie, but by and by …

That friend she was a friend indeed
– she saw her old friend in desperate need,
perceived the lie and foolish word
her friend had swallowed what she’d heard;
and saw her now in terrible danger
went out of her way to reach her and save her,
the lady then realised that she’d been conned,
and broken a beautiful friendship bond;
and that is why
she will no longer easily buy
a subtle lie
for she has wallowed
in the muck that flowed and followed,
from not taking care what folly she swallowed.

(cf. There was an old lady who swallowed a fly …)