The Ratcatcher And Cats Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBAACCAADDEEFFGGHH IIAAJJ AAAAAAKKLLMM| The rats by night the mischief did | A |
| And Betty every morn was chid | A |
| The cheese was nibbled tarts were taken | B |
| And purloined were the eggs and bacon | B |
| And Betty cursed the cat whose duty | A |
| Was to protect and guard the booty | A |
| A ratcatcher of well known skill | C |
| Was called to kill or scotch the ill | C |
| And as an engineer surveyed | A |
| Their haunts and laid an ambuscade | A |
| A cat behold him and was wrath | D |
| Whilst she resolved to cross his path | D |
| Not to be beaten by such chaps | E |
| She silently removed his traps | E |
| Again he set the traps and toils | F |
| Again his cunning pussy foils | F |
| He set a trap to catch the thief | G |
| And pussy she got caught in brief | G |
| Ah said the rat catcher you scamp | H |
| You are the spy within the camp | H |
| But the cat said A sister spare | I |
| Your science is our mutual care | I |
| Science and cats the man replied | A |
| We soon that question shall decide | A |
| You are my rival interloper | J |
| A nasty sneaking crouching groper | J |
| - | |
| A sister tabby saw the cord | A |
| And interposed a happy word | A |
| In every age and clime we see | A |
| Two of a trade cannot agree | A |
| Each deems the other an encroacher | A |
| As sportsman thinks another poacher | A |
| Beauty with beauty vies in charms | K |
| And king with king in warfare's arms | K |
| But let us limit our desires | L |
| Nor war like beauties kings and squires | L |
| For though one prey we both pursue | M |
| There's prey enough for us and you | M |
John Gay
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation