The Ratcatcher's Daughter

by E. Bradley

Not long ago, in Vestminstier,
There liv'd a ratcatcher's daughter, -
But she didn't quite live in Vestminstier,
'Cause she liv'd t'other side of the vater; -
Her father caught rats, and she sold sprats,
All round and about that quarter;
And the gentlefolks all took off their hats,
To the putty little ratcatcher's daughter.
Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

She vore no 'at upon her 'ead,
No cap nor dandy bonnet,
The 'air of 'er 'ead all 'ung down her back,
Like a bunch of carrots upon it;
Ven she cried 'Sprats!' in Vestminstier,
She 'ad such a sweet loud woice, sir,
You could hear her all down Parliament Street,
As far as Charing Cross, sir.
Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

Now, rich and poor, both far and near,
In matrimony sought her;
But at friends and foes she turn'd up her nose,
Did the putty little ratcatcher's daughter.
For there was a man, sold lily-vite sand,
In Cupid's net had caught her;
And right over head and ears in love
Vent the putty little ratcatcher's daughter!
Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

Now lily-vite sand so ran in'er 'ead,
As she vent along the Strand, oh!
She forgot as she'd got sprats on her 'ead,
And cried, 'D'ye vant any lily-vite sand, oh,'
The folks, amaz'd, all thought her craz'd,
As she vent along the Strand, oh!
To see a gal vith sprats on 'er 'ead
Cry, 'D'ye vant any lily-vite sand, oh!'
Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

Now ratcatcher's daughter so ran in his 'ead,
He couldn't tell vat he was arter,
So, instead of crying 'D'ye vant any sand?'
He cried, 'D'ye vant any ratcatcher's darter?'
His donkey cock'd his ears and laughed,
And couldn't think vat 'e was arter,
Ven he heard his lily-vite sandman cry,
'D'ye vant any ratcatcher's darter?'
Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

They both agreed to married be
Upon next Easter Sunday,
But Ratcatcher's daughter she had a dream
That she wouldn't be alive on Monday;
She vent vunce more to buy some sprats,
And she tumbled into the vater,
And down to the bottom, all kiver'd up with mud,
Vent the putty little ratcatcher's daughter!
Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

Ven Lily-vite Sand 'e 'eard the news,
His eyes ran down with vater,
Said 'e, 'In love I'll constiant prove;
And - blow me if I'll live long arter.'
So he cut 'is throat vith a pane of glass,
And stabb'd 'is donkey arter!
So 'ere is an end of Lily-vite Sand,
Donkey, and the ratcatcher's daughter.
Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

The neighbours all, both great and small,
They flocked unto 'er berrein',
And vept that a gal who'd cried out sprats,
Sould be dead as any herrein'.
The Corioner's Inquest on her sot,
At the sign of the Jack i' the Vater,
To find vat made life's sand run out
Of the putty little ratcatcher's daughter!
Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

The verdict vas that too much vet
This poor young voman died on;
For she made an ole in the Riviere Thames,
Vot the penny steamers ride on!
'Twas a haccident they all agreed,
And nuffink like self-slaughter;
So not guiltee o' fell in the sea,
They brought in the ratcatcher's daughter!
*Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!

*Well, ladies and gentlemen, - arter the two bodies was resusticated - they buried them both in one seminary - and the epigram which they writ upon the tombstone went as follows - Doodle dee! doodle dum! di dum doodle da!