I want to talk about the Rat.

You've heard me talk of this and that.
Just for a change I'd like to speak
Some words about the Rat this week.

The Rat is different from the Cat,
He dare not sit upon the mat;
He sees with anxious eyes the feline,
And for his hole he makes a bee-line.

And yet he differs from the Bee,
He does not give us honey, see?

And then, again, he's fond of cheese,
A food that is not liked by bees.

The Rat's a rodent beast — his habits
In this respect are like the Rabbit's.

However, in a stew, I feel,
The Rabbit makes a nicer meal.

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The Rat is different from the Rhino.
You ask me why? I'm damned if I know.

He differs from the Hippo, too,
I find that very odd, don't you?

The Rat is different from the Cat…
I think I may have mentioned that.

I do not like this quadruped,
I feel that he is better dead.

It would not be a serious loss for us
If all his family dined on phosphorus.