I. Drop o' Wather's Childhood. II. Drop o' Wather and Pudgy-Wheezy. III. Drop o' Wather's Fasting. IV. Drop o' Wather's Friends. V. Drop o' Wather's Filching. VI. Drop o' Wather's Wooing. VII. Drop o' Wather's Wedding. VIII. The Ghost of the Star and Garter. IX. Bilking the Runners. X. Paw-Paw-Keeneyes. XI. The Hunting of Paw-Paw-Keeneyes. XII. The Fate of Queershin. XIII. Drop o' Water's Departure. In its completeness and closeness of imitation, this anonymous work is the best parody extant of the _Song of Hiawatha_. From the introduction, and the first chapter, it will be gathered that the hero is a poor little gutter child, who grows up to be a thief. The following chapters trace his career in crime, and the last describes his departure to Australia as a repentant emigrant. THE SONG OF DROP O' WATHER. INTRODUCTION. Ye who love the haunts of Town-Life, Love the kennel and the gutter, Love the doorway of the gin-shop, Love the mud about the kerb-stones, And the drippings from the houses, And the splashing of the rain-spouts Through their palisade of gratings, And the thunder of the coaches, Whose innumerable echoes, Roar like sea-waves on the shingle;-- Listen to these wild traditions, To this song of Drop o' Wather! Ye who love a nation's legends, Love the ballads of a people, That like voices from afar off Call to us to stop and listen, Speak in tones so hoarse and roopy, Scarcely can the ear distinguish Whether they are hummed or shouted;-- Listen to this London Legend, To this song of Drop o' Wather! I. DROP O' WATHER'S CHILDHOOD.