Sometimes a child at night
Awakes from slumber sweet,
And seems to hear the step
Of fleeing elfin feet.
(_Child sings_:)
’Tis I, the merry Mouse,
The little bright-eyed Mouse
That dwells within the house!
Tis I! ’tis I! ’tis I!
(_Mother sings_:)
A rush as of a troop!
A scamper in the walls!
A scurry in the floors!
Then perfect silence falls.
(_Children, pausing, sing_:)
’Tis we, the merry Mice!
’Tis we, the frolic Mice
All scudding in a trice!
’Tis we! ’tis we! ’tis we!
(_Mother sings:_)
A merry sprite it is!
Yet children fear the Mouse,
The Mouse that joys like them
To dwell within the house!
(_Children sing, joining hands, dancing in a round:_)
We do! each merry Mouse,
Each little tricksy Mouse;
We like the cosey house,
We do! we do! we do!
[Illustration: 3. Children hippity-hop around in pairs, joyously.