While the dragon was fidgeting about, arranging and re-arranging his tail—just like a young lady with her skirts—Margaret slipped behind him to look at the music. It was the queerest music she had ever seen, for it consisted of one big, black semi-breve, after which was written, "Ad lib."—the same as saying, "Go as you please." On top of the sheet was written:
"Margaret's Tea Party.
To the tune of Michael Roy.
Decomposed by
Lobsterneck,
The Great American Snap-Dragon."
What a decomposed tune might be, Margaret did not know, though, as soon as the dragon began to sing, she saw what a simple matter it was; she felt sure she could decompose one herself. All you had to do, apparently, was to sing the right notes if you could remember them and to fill in with notes of your own when you couldn't.
By this time Lobsterneck had arranged his tail to his liking, so Margaret ran back and took her place with the others in front of him, when the dragon, with a preliminary shake to loosen his scales, began to sing:
"One day when Margaret went out
To walk upon the hill,
She saw a lovely purple duck
Who had a yellow bill.
Said Marg'ret to the purple duck,
'If you'll come home with me,
I'll give you beans and buttered toast
And sugar in your tea'."
"Chorus!" shouted the dragon; when everybody, notwithstanding the fact that they had never heard the chorus before, pitched in and sang:
"For, Oh! For, Oh!
We're out for a regular spree,
And you shall have anything else you like
If only you'll come to tea."
This chorus they sang after each pair of verses, the rest of which were as follows: