TILE DRAINAGE. 97 



So on ran the rat 



Through the " main drain,'* for that 

 Was so straight, and so airy and big, sir. 



He could gallop or trot, 



Or lie down or " what not," 

 Or stand up and dance you jig, sir. 



" Ho, ho ! " said the rat, 

 " Here's a smaller drain that 

 Was made for a bedroom, I know sir; 

 The door is quite small, 

 But I know how to crawl, 

 So into this bedroom I'll go, sir." 



'Twas a pretty close fit, 



But he squeezed into it, 

 And crept far along for to see, sir, 



Whether, on as he went, 



Along up the ascent, 

 Any bigger this bedroom would be, sir. 



Then he lay down to dreams; 



But the rain, as it seems, 

 Grew harder the longer he slept, sir, 



And soaked through the " sile," 



And entered the tile, 

 And into his sleeping-room crept, sir. 



' Ho, ho ! " said the rat, 

 11 What is that what is that? 

 The waters ? the waters, they flow, sir ! 

 I'll turn me about, 

 And ' skedaddle ' right out, 

 For sure it is high time to go, sir ! " 



But, alas and alack ! 



He could neither go back 

 Nor forward, nor could he breathe there, sir. 



For the waters they rose 



Right over his nose, 

 Ami cut off Jiis supply of fresh air, sir ! 



(If the reason why 



When the rat vyas dry 

 He could enter the tile, you ask, sir, 



And could not turn about 



When wet, nor back out, 

 .Hut was tight as the bung in a cask, sir 



