Dickory, dickory dock.”
These same words were chanted over and over and over again, but with many changes of melody. As the chorus rang through the Great Room, Dan saw that those in the balconies were standing on very tiptoes, as if eager to be off to he knew not where. Suddenly more words were added to the song:
At the boom of “One” the mice fairly rained into the Great Room. Page [235].
“The mice ran up the clock,” sang the voices. Instantly the air seemed filled with flying mice. From every balcony they sprang—mayors, dragoons, band-mice, and all—leaping upon the great pendulum that swung across the width of the room. And, reaching it, up the great shaft they went—upward into the very tower of the Clock. There were those who missed when they jumped. But these picked themselves up in a twinkling, dashed back to the balconies and once more leaped for the pendulum. Now, all others gone, the singers followed their fellows until, at last, only Dan remained in the Great Room.
“Dickory, dickory dock,
The mice ran up the clock,”
came the far-away voices of the chorus.
“Tick-tock, tick-tock,” sang the Clock in reply.
Then it gave forth a great “bur-r-r-rr” that shook the tower to its very base.