It woke up the cat, and terrier too.
The terrier thought we were hunting the cat,
Got a grip of her tail, as she went for the rat.
Jim, with his hatchet, tumbled over a pail,
And tried to hold terrier back by the tail.
I caught Jim by the wool, but rather too late—
The table received such a bump from his pate
That teapot, plates, lamp, chairs, baby and all,
Were upset on the floor, ’mid crash and squall.
The people about shouted “Murder! Fire!”