[Illustration]
SAD is the tale
I have to tell,
Of what a lit-tle
mouse be-fell.
"My darl-ing child,"
His moth-er said,
"There are two things
That you must dread.
One is the mon-ster
called a cat;
And one a trap.
Ne'er go
near that,
No mat-ter how the cheese may smell:
You'll rue the day. Mark
my words well."
And mous-ey lis-tened to her say.
Had he but heed-ed! Well-a-day!
That ver-y night he smelled some cheese.
Quoth he, "What o-dors sweet are these?
I'll go and see: per-chance the cook
Has dropped a bit. Here's for a look!"
A-las! a-las! dear chil-dren all,
He dis-o-beyed. Be-hold his fall.
He saw the trap, with bits of cheese.
"I'll on-ly take just one of these,--
A sin-gle one, not an-y more."
Click went the spring; down fell the door!
How sleek looks puss-y! How well fed!
Poor mous-ey's moth-er weeps in bed.
[Illustration]