"There'S Many a Slip 'Twixt the Cup and the Lip."

Ancaeus, king of the Leleges in Samos (an island in the Grecian Archipelago), planted a vineyard; and so heavily did he oppress his slaves, that one of them, it is said, prophesied to him that he would never live to taste the wine thereof. When the wine was made, the king sent for his slave, and said, "What do you think of your prophecy now?" The slave made answer, "There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip:" the words were scarcely uttered when Ancaeus was informed that a wild boar had broken into his vineyard, and was laying it waste. Ancaeus, setting down the cup untasted, hastened to attack and drive out the boar; but he was killed in the encounter.