Gave a loud knock and gave a loud call.
“Pray, Missus Mousie, air you within?”
“Yes, kind sir, I set and spin.”
He tuk Miss Mousie on his knee,
An’ sez, “Miss Mousie, will ya marry me??”
Miss Mousie blushed an’ hung her head,
“You’ll have t’ask Uncle Rat,” she said.
Uncle Rat jumped up an’ shuck his fat side,
To think his niece would be Bill Frog’s bride.
Nex’ day Uncle Rat went to town,
To git his niece a weddin’ gown.
Whar shall the the weddin’ supper be?
‘Way down yander in a holler tree.
First come in was a Bumble-bee,
Who danced a jig with Captain Flea.
Next come in was a Butterfly,
Sellin’ butter very high.
An’ when they all set down to sup,
A big gray goose come an’ gobbled ‘em all up.
An’ this is the end of one, two, three,
The Rat an’ the Mouse an’ the little Froggie.
what?! I never did no such thing! It’s a slander, I tell ya!
Here’s an Old World version of the tale. I think it is the older of the two, since it says “sword and buckler” (a small shield) rather than “sword and pistol”. Also, I really like the song. And the ending is better. But the characters are less clear.
Don’t try to make sense of the refrain [to me cax ma carry duck in a dill, kitty alone and I]. It means about as much as tra-la-la.