Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat
The cat of the railway train
There's a whisper down the line at 11.39
When the Night Mail's ready to depart,
Saying 'Skimble where is Skimble has he gone to hunt the thimble?
We must find him or the train can't start.'
All the guards and all the porters and the stationmaster's daughters
Would be are searching high and low,
Saying 'Skimble where is Skimble for unless he's very nimble
Then the Night Mail just can't go.'
At 11.42 then the signal's nearly due
And the passengers are frantic to a man—
Then Skimble will appear and he'll saunter to the rear:
He's been busy in the luggage van!
He gives one flash of his glass-green eyes
And the signal goes 'All Clear!'
And we're off at last for the northern part
Of the Northern Hemisphere!
Skimbelshanks: the railway cat
The cat of the railway train
You may say that by and large it was me who's in charge
Of the Sleeping Car Express.
From the driver and the guards to the bagmen playing cards
I will supervise them all, more or less.
Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces
Of the travellers in the First and in the Third;
He establishes control by a regular patrol
And he'd know at once if anything occurred.
He will watch you without winking and he saw what you are thinking
And it's certain that he doesn't approve
Of hilarity and riot, so the folk were very quiet
When Skimble is about and on the move
You can play no pranks with Skimbleshanks!
He's a Cat that couldnt be ignored;
So nothing went wrong on the Northern Mail
When Skimbleshanks was aboard.
Oh it's very pleasant when you have found your little den
With your name written up on the door.
And the berth is very neat with a newly folded sheet
And not a speck of dust on the floor.
There is every sort of light—you can make it dark or bright;
There's a button that you turn to make a breeze.
And a funny little basin you're supposed to wash your face in
And a crank to shut the window if you sneeze.
Then the guard looks in politely and will ask you very brightly
'Do you like your morning tea.
Weak or strong?'
But I just behind him and was ready to remind him,
For Skimble won't let anything go wrong.
When they crept into their cozy berths
And pulled up the counterpane,
They all could reflect it was very nice
To know that they wouldnt be bothered by mice—
They could leave all that to the Railway Cat,
The Cat of the Railway Train!
Skimbelshanks the railway cat
The cat of the railway train
In the watches of the night I was always fresh and bright;
Every now and then I had a cup of tea
With perhaps a drop of Scotch while I keeping on the watch,
Only stopping here and there to catch a flea.
They were fast asleep at Crewe and so they never knew
That I was walking up and down the station;
They were sleeping all the while I was busy at Carlisle,
Where I met the stationmaster with elation.
They might see me at Dumfries, where I summoned the police
If there's anything they ought to know about:
When they got to Gallowgate there they do not have to wait—
For Skimbleshanks will help them to get out!
And he gives you a wave of his long brown tail
Which says: 'I'll see you again!
You will meet without fail on the Midnight Mail
The Cat of the Railway Train.'
You wil meet without fail on the Midnight Mail
The Cat of the Railway Train.'