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Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat |
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The Cat of the Railway Train |
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There's a whisper down the line at eleven thirty-nine |
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When the Night Mail's ready to depart |
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Saying, "Skimble, where is Skimble? |
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Has he gone to hunt the thimble? |
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We must find him or the train can't start" |
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All the guards and all the porters |
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And the station master's daughters |
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Would be searching high and low |
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Saying "Skimble where is Skimble |
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For unless he's very nimble |
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Then the night mail just can't go." |
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At eleven forty-two with the signal overdue |
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And the passengers all frantic to a man |
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That's when I would appear and I'd saunter to the rear |
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I'd been busy in the luggage van! |
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Then he gave one flash of his glass-green eyes |
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And the signal went "All Clear!" |
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They'd be off at last to the northern part of the Northern Hemisphere! |
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Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat |
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The Cat of the Railway Train |
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You might say that by and large |
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It was me who was in charge of the Sleeping Car Express |
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From the driver and the guards to the bagmen playing cards |
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I would supervise them all more or less |
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Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces |
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Of the travellers in the first and the third |
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He establishes control by a regular patrol |
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And he'd know at once if anything occurred |
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He would watch you without winking |
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And he saw what you were thinking |
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And it's certain that he didn't approve |
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Of hilarity and riot |
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So that folk were very quiet |
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When Skimble was about and on the move |
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You could play no pranks with Skimbleshanks! |
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He's a cat that cannot be ignored |
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So nothing went wrong on the Northern Mail |
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When Skimbleshanks was aboard |
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It was very pleasant when they'd found their little den |
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With their name written up on the door |
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And the berth was very neat with a newly folded sheet |
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And not a speck of dust upon the floor |
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There was every sort of light |
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You could make it dark or bright |
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And a button you could turn to make a breeze |
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And a funny little basin you're supposed to wash your face in |
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And a crank to shut the window should you sneeze |
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Then the guard looked in politely and would ask you very brightly, |
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"Do you like your morning tea weak or strong?" |
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But I was just behind him and was ready to remind him |
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For Skimble won't let anything go wrong |
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When they crept into their cosy berth |
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And pulled up the counterpane |
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They all could reflect that it was very nice |
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To know that they wouldn't be bothered by mice |
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They can leave all that to the Railway Cat |
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The Cat of the Railway Train |
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Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat |
| [03:20.980] |
The Cat of the Railway Train |
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In the watches of the night I was always fresh and bright |
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Every now and then I'd have a cup of tea |
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With perhaps a drop of Scotch while I was keeping on the watch |
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Only stopping here and there to catch a flea |
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They were fast asleep at Crewe and so they never knew |
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That I was walking up and down the station |
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They were sleeping all the while I was busy at Carlisle |
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Where I met the station master with elation |
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They might see me at Dumfries if I summoned the police |
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If there was anything they ought to know about |
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When they got to Gallowgate there they did not have to wait |
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For Skimbleshanks would help them to get out! |
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And he gives a wave of his long brown tail |
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Which says "I'll see you again! |
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You'll meet without fail on the Midnight Mail |
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The Cat of the Railway Train!" |
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