 | Rhymes and jingles by Mary Mapes Dodge |  |
101
The Rats
When I'm sitting
At my knitting
After tea—
Deary me!
Such commotion,—
Land o' Goshen!
And it's all
In the wall!
At my knitting
After tea—
Deary me!
Such commotion,—
Land o' Goshen!
And it's all
In the wall!
Rumble, tumble,
Flurry, scurry,
Now a rushing,
And a crushing;
Now a rattle,
And a battle;
Now a squeak
And a fall,
But the clatter,
For that matter,
And the rumble
And tumble
And scratching
And catching
Keep on
Through it all.
Flurry, scurry,
Now a rushing,
And a crushing;
Now a rattle,
And a battle;
Now a squeak
And a fall,
But the clatter,
For that matter,
And the rumble
And tumble
And scratching
And catching
Keep on
Through it all.
Rats in dozens,
With their cousins,
Or in droves,
With their loves:
Now it's raps,
Now it's taps,
Or it's crunching,
Or munching;
Or a creak,
Or a shriek.
If I knew
What to do,
Or you'd show
Where to go,
I'd be off
Like a streak.
Rats are rats,
Spite of cats
And the rest.
But—my star!—
Beginning or end
Or middle, depend
The things are a pest;
And they're all
In the wall;
So they are!
With their cousins,
Or in droves,
With their loves:
Now it's raps,
Now it's taps,
Or it's crunching,
Or munching;
Or a creak,
Or a shriek.
If I knew
What to do,
Or you'd show
Where to go,
I'd be off
Like a streak.
Rats are rats,
Spite of cats
And the rest.
But—my star!—
Beginning or end
Or middle, depend
The things are a pest;
And they're all
In the wall;
So they are!
| Rhymes and jingles by Mary Mapes Dodge | |