I've got it written, signed and sealed, so you be careful what you do!'
I promised her, upon my oath, that I would neither curse nor swear,
And I have kept my word, and I will keep my word to her, so there!
She lent to me a cockatoo, and cautioned me, I must not lack,
To treat him well; he's in the room I occupy, till she comes back."
"Ah, that, indeed. Well, here's a tip: when in the morning you get up,
Keep cursing all the time you dress, and swear at night, before you sup,
By this no human ear will catch the oathings that will make you light,
And take a load from off your mind, and you will win the race—good night."
That very night when he went home, he slyly locked the bedroom door,