14
From
street
to
street
he
piped
advancing,
And
step
for
step
they
followed
dancing,
Until
they
came
to
the
river
Weser
Wherein
all
plunged
and
perished!
—Save
one
who,
stout
as
Julius
Caesar,
Swam
across
and
lived
to
carry
(As
he,
the
manuscript
he
cherished)
To
Rat-land
home
his
commentary:
Which
was,
“At
the
first
shrill
notes
of
the
pipe,
I
heard
a
sound
as
of
scraping
tripe,
And
putting
apples,
wondrous
ripe,
Into
a
cider-press’s
gripe:
And
a
moving
away
of
pickle-tub-boards,
And
a
leaving
ajar
of
conserve-cupboards,
And
a
drawing
the
corks
of
train-oil-flasks,
And
a
breaking
the
hoops
of
butter-casks:
And
it
seemed
as
if
a
voice
(Sweeter
far
than
by
harp
or
by
psaltery
Is
breathed)
called
out,
‘Oh
rats,
rejoice!
The
world
is
grown
to
one
vast
drysaltery!