“THE DUET”
“O COME and listen, come!
Our Master he can strum,
And we can gaily sing
Of April and the Spring.
And if you do not like our song,
Like cats and mice, you must be wrong.
You must be, must be, must be wrong.”
[Editor’s Note: A “duet” with three singers, “strum” regarding playing the piano and other strange issues.]
Animal Antics.
Louis Wain.
S. W. Partridge & Co: London. Ca 1900-1910.
“The Rats and Mice Eating Up The King’s dinner.
“The King bought most of the ship’s cargo, and invited the Captain to dinner, which was no sooner served than out rushed a great number of rats and mice, and ate it up. “Oh!” said the Captain, “we’ll soon stop this!” and proceeded to the ship to fetch Pussy, while another dinner was being prepared. When the second meal was served, Pussy soon put an end to the troublesome visitors. This so pleased the King, that he sent Dick a chest of gold and jewels in exchange for the cat.
. . . Dick had to sleep in the garret, which was overrun with rats and mice; so, one day, as he was going on an errand for his young mistress he met a girl with a cat under her arm, and he gave her a penny for it.
All the servants were one day called into the office of the Merchant, and were told their master was going to send a ship out to the East, and that he would allow each to have a venture therein.
Each servant sent something, but poor Dick had only a cat, which was sent.
When the vessel had been some time out at sea, the Captain steered her on to the coast of Barbary.
The King bought most of the ship’s cargo, and invited the Captain to dinner, which was no sooner served than out rushed a great number of rats and mice, and ate it up. “Oh!” said the Captain, “we’ll soon stop this!” and proceeded to the ship to fetch Pussy, while another dinner was being prepared. When the second meal was served, Pussy soon put an end to the troublesome visitors. This so pleased the King, that he sent Dick a chest of gold and jewels in exchange for the cat.
From the story “Dick Whittington.”
Dot’s Picture Book
Illustrations by: F. M. Barton, E. Heatly, N. Westrup & S. Carter.
Dean & Son, Ltd.: London. Ca 1908.
Pussy & Mice
Some little mice sat in a barn to spin,
Pussy came by, and she popped her head in;
“Shall I come in and cut your threads off?”
“Oh no, kind sir, you will snap our heads off.”
Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes.
McLoughlin Brothers: New York. Ca 1900.
“THREE BLIND MICE.”
Three Blind Mice,
See how they run!
They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife;
Did ever you hear such a thing in your life
As three blind mice?
Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes.
McLoughlin Brothers: New York. Ca 1900.
Elephant's Picture Book 