THE TRAGEDY OF TIGER 



BY WILLIAM J. LAMPTOtf. 



The sparrows residing in City Hall Park, 

 With no sort of rent to pay, 

 Cavorted and tore, 

 And chattered and swore, 

 And scrapped in a desperate way. 



They grafted the Park in a manner complete, 

 From Beersheba clean to Dan ; 



They laughed at the cops 



As they loaded their crops, 

 And they feared neither God nor man. 



They were monarchs of all they surveyed, except 

 Old Tiger, the City Hall cat. 



Whose greatest delight 



Was his big appetite 

 For sparrows from feathers to fat. 



Old Tiger was out for the birds every day 

 And never was quite satisfied 



Till he went fast asleep, 



Curled up in a heap, 

 With a fat little sparrow inside. 



For years and for years the sparrows essayed 

 To do up their feline foe ; 



But the Tiger kept on 



In the way he had gone 

 And the sparrows had no- sort of show. 



Till at last by a stroke of straight sparrow luck 

 There entered upon the scene, 



One Rags, a bull pup, 



With his visage turned up, 

 And he went for the cat on the green. 



164. 



