To a Mouse
By David Herbison
that had cut a portion of the author's web
My curse upon you for a mouse,
You鈥檙e grown of late sae very crouse,
You never fail to range the house
Frae wa鈥� to wa鈥�,
Destroying things that are o鈥� use
When I鈥檓 awa.

鈥楾was but last night, when I was oot,
You got amang the rods your snoot,
And cut, o鈥� my guid wab, a bout 鈥�
And something mair;
Deil fill your belly fou o鈥� soot
Neist time you鈥檙e there!
While e鈥檈r you kept frae aff the loom,
I ne鈥檈r was seen to scowl or gloom;
But when you there began to toom
Your swollen bags,
I hunted you frae room to room,
Wi鈥� poison鈥檇 rags.
But, faith, you had mair wit than me 鈥�
The poison鈥檇 stuff you wadna pree;
You shunned it, as the umber bee
Shuns flower and leaf,
That we in women鈥檚 bonnets see,
In bass relief.
I know nought else you鈥檙e fit to do,
Unless to run the pantry through,
And cut and hash a鈥� things in view
Just as you please,
To satisfy your greedy mou鈥�
On beef or cheese.
And had you kept your hiding there,
While I had bread or beef to spare,
You would hae got an ample share,
Withouten fail,
Nor cat nor dog e鈥檈r touched a hair
That鈥檚 in your tail.
But there ava you wadna rest;
Whene鈥檈r the sun sank in the west,
You left behind your cozy nest,
To cut and double,
Amang the yarn that I had dressed
Wi鈥� care and trouble.
Your evil tricks you ne鈥檈r gave o鈥檈r,
Until my wab was cut and tore,
Which made my wife and weans deplore
To see it hing,
Cut up as wab was ne鈥檈r before 鈥�
Vile useless thing!
Nor did you fail my books to paw,
And tear my poems and sangs awa鈥�;
Full often I was forced to draw
Them frae your bed,
When scarce a line amang them a鈥�
Could weel be read.
But, should you e鈥檈r appear again,
To sport alang our auld hearth-stane,
By cat or trap I鈥檒l hae you taen
Before an hour!
I鈥檒l mak you sing a waeful strain
When in my power!
I see you鈥檙e anxious to get through
The twa bit threads that鈥檚 set for you;
But, cut them 鈥� and you鈥檒l never do
A deed again,
Will cause a minstrel to pursue
Sae sad a strain.
Nae doubt you think you鈥檒l get the meal,
And aff to some dark corner steal,
Where you may revel, rant, and reel,
For hours together;
But, faith, I鈥檓 sure you鈥檒l shortly feel
An endless tether!
Aye, aye! 鈥� you鈥檝e done the deed at last!
You now are held in fetters fast!
Your cares and troubles a鈥� are past 鈥�
I鈥檒l sing again,
Through a鈥� the house, the joyfu鈥� blast,
Death has you ta鈥檈n.