By Other Animals

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PRISONERS’ SONGS

Habitually we offend

Against our country’s laws.

It works out better in the end

Than being good, because—

No home has a superior

Or cheerier interior

Than this old jail,

The which we hail

With constant loud applause,

For—

Be it ever so crowded

There’s no-o-o place like jail!

We raise our voices and shout,

And call the judge a good scout,

For he puts us in

And he keeps us in

And we’d rather be in than out.

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RATS’ SONG

Oh, we are the gay young rats

Who laugh at the barnyard prigs;

We can lick our weight in cats,

And double our weight in pigs.

We live wherever we like,

We do whatever we please;

An enemy’s threat can strike

No fear to such hearts as these.

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When the pig detective squeals,

When cats lash furious tails,

Our laughter comes in peals,

And our laughter comes in gales.

So, cats and pigs and men,

If you want to avoid a fuss,

Stay safely in house and pen

And don’t interfere with us.

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We’ve done as we always did,

We do as we’ve always done,

Though cats and pigs forbid,

For we take orders from none.

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