He led the hags to a railway train The horses were trying to drag in vain. "Now, then," says he, "you've had your fun, And here are the cars you've got to run. The driver may just unhitch his team, We don't want horses, we don't want steam You may keep your old black cats to hug, But the loaded train you've got to lug." Since then on many a car you'll see A broomstick plain as plain can be; On every stick there's a witch astride,-- The string you see to her leg is tied. She will do a mischief if she can, But the string is held by a careful man, And whenever the evil-minded witch Would cut some caper, he gives a twitch. [Illustration] As for the hag, you can't see her, But hark! you can hear her black cat's purr, And now and then, as a car goes by, You may catch a gleam from her wicked eye. Often you've looked on a rushing train, But just what moved it was not so plain. It couldn't be those wires above, For they could neither pull nor shove; Where was the motor that made it go You couldn't guess, _but now you know_. [Illustration: "Catch a gleam from her wicked eye"] Remember my rhymes when you ride again On the rattling rail by the broomstick train! [Illustration: The End] Transcriber's Note The following typographical errors were corrected. Page Error 9 one-hoss-shay changed to one-hoss shay 49 let go-- changed to let go--" End of Project Gutenberg's The One Hoss Shay, by Oliver Wendell Holmes