And I stops, and sez in a 'opeful way, "Why, you're up in yer sterrups, old chap." (_A bold metapher applied to a bird, but characteristic in the speaker._) (_Sink your voice._) Then I see by the look of his sorrowful eye he was thinkin': "Afore I go, I'd like to see one performance--for the last--of the dear old Show!" (_Note, and make your audience feel, the touch of Nature here._) And I sez, with a ketch in my voice, "You _shall_!" and I whipped the sheet off the board, I stuck up the pair o' trestles, and fastened the tightrope cord; Then I propped the Gineral up in a place from which he could see the 'ole, And I set the tabbies a-sparring, and the mice a-climbing the pole. (_Build up the whole scene gradually; the dreary neighbourhood, the total absence of bystanders, the lurid threatening sky, and the humble entertainment proceeding in the foreground._) I put my company through their tricks--and they made my hold eyes dim, For they never performed for no orjence like they did last night for _him_! Them tabbies sparred with a science you'd 'ardly expect from sich, And the mouse (what usually boggles) fetched flags with never no 'itch! Aye, we worked the Show in that lonely place to the sound o' the mutterin' storm, Right through till we come to the finish--the part _he_ used to perform. He was out of the cage in a minnit--egged on by puffessional pride, He pecked that incompitent siskin till he made him stand o' one side! Well, I felt like 'aving a good cry _then_--but the time 'adn't come for that, So I slipped his uniform over his 'ed, and tied on his little cock-hat. [_With great tenderness._ And he set in his tiny kerridge, and was drored along by the mice, A-looking that 'appy and pleased with hisself, I got 'em to do it twice! [_Tone of affectionate retrospection._ The very tabbies they gazed on him then with their heyes dilatin' in haw, As he 'obbled along to the cannon, with the match in his wasted claw! I never 'eard that cannon afore give sech a tremenjious pop-- (_Solemnly._) And a peal o' thunder responded, as seemed all over the shop! For a second Bob stood in the lightning, so noble, and bold, and big;-- Then ... a stagger ... a flutter ... a broken chirp--(_you can add immensely to the effect here by a little appropriate action. Pause,and give time for a solemn hush to fall upon the audience, then, with a forced calm, as if you were doing violence to your own feelings_)--he was orf, Sir,--(_a slight gulp_)--he'd 'opped the twig! (_Second Pause: then more briskly, but still with strong emotion to the close_) So now you've the hexplanation of the crape round the tabbies' necks, And kin understand why we close to-day "in token of our respecks."