“Rats!
They fought the dogs and killed the cats”

—  Robert Browning , The Pied Piper of Hamelin

The Pied Piper of Hamelin, line 10 (1842).
Context: Rats!
They fought the dogs and killed the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,
And ate the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the cooks' own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men's Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women's chats
By drowning their speaking
With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Oct. 2, 2023. History

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Robert Browning photo
Robert Browning 179
English poet and playwright of the Victorian Era 1812–1889

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