Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat

the Cat of the Railway Train

There's a whisper down the line

at eleven thirty-nine

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 station master's daughters

Would be searching high and low

Saying "Skimble where is Skimble

For unless he's very nimble

Then the night mail just won't go"

At eleven forty-two

with the signal overdue

And the passengers all frantic to a man

That's when I would appear

and I'd saunter to the rear

I'd been busy in the luggage van!

Then he gave one flash

of his glass-green eyes

And the signal went "All Clear!"

They'd be off at last

to the northern part

of the Northern Hemisphere!

Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat

The Cat of the Railway Train

You could say that by and large

It was me who was in charge

Of the Sleeping Car Express

From the driver and the guards

to the bagmen playing cards

I would supervise them all more or less

Down the corridor he paces

and examines all the faces

Of the travellers in the first and the third

He established control

by a regular patrol

And he'd know at once if anything occurred

He would watch you without winking

and he knows what you were thinking

And it's certain that he didn't approve

Of hilarity and riot

so that folk were very quiet

When Skimble was about and on the move

You could play no pranks

with Skimbleshanks!

He's a cat that can not be ignored

So nothing went wrong

on the Northern Mail

When Skimbleshanks was aboard

It was very pleasant

when they'd found their little den

With their name written up on the door

And the berth was very neat

with a newly folded sheet

And not a speck of dust upon the floor

There was every sort of light

You could make it dark or bright

And a button you could 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 should you sneeze

Then the guard looked in politely

and would ask you very brightly,

"Do you like your morning tea weak or strong?"

But I was just behind him

and was ready to remind him

For Skimble won't let anything go wrong

When they crept into

their cosy berth

and pulled up the counterpane

They all could reflect

that it was very nice

To know that they wouldn't be bothered by mice

They could leave all that

to the Railway Cat

The Cat of the Railway Train

Skimbleshanks 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'd have a cup of tea

With perhaps a drop of scotch

while I was 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 station master with elation

They might see me at Dumfries

if I summoned the police

There was anything they ought to know about

When they got to Gallowgate

there they did not have to wait

For Skimbleshanks would help them to get out!

And he gives you a wave

of his long brown tail

Which says "I'll see you again!

You'll meet without fail

on the Midnight Mail

The Cat of the Railway Train!