He was a rat, and she was a rat,

And down in one hole they did dwell

And both were as black as a witch's cat,

And they loved one another well.

He had a tail, and she had a tail,

Both long and curling and fine;

And each said, 'Yours is the finest tail

In the world, excepting mine.'

He smelt the cheese, and she smelt the cheese,

And they both pronounced it good;

And both remarked it would greatly add

To the charms of their daily food.

So he ventured out, and she ventured out,

And I saw them go with pain;

But what befell them I never can tell,

For they never came back again.