[_Chorus._
_Third Verse._
_Wm._ He"s always cribbing coppers--which he spends on lollipops.
_Thos._ (A share of which _you_"ve never yet refused!)
_Wm._ A stone he"ll shy at frogs and toads, and anything that hops!
_Thos._ (While you look on, and seem to be amused!)
[_Chorus._
_Fourth Verse._
_Wm._ As soon as school is over, Thomas goes a hunting squirr"ls, Or b.u.t.terflies he"ll capture in his hat!
_Thos._ _You_ play at Kissing in the Ring with all the little girls!
_Wm._ (_demurely_). Well, Thomas, I can see no harm in _that_!
[_Chorus._
_Fifth Verse._
_Wm._ Ah, Thomas, if you don"t reform, you"ll come to some bad end!
_Thos._ Oh, William, put your head inside a bag!
_Wm._ No, Thomas, that I cannot--till you promise to amend!
_Thos._ Why, William, what a chap you are to nag!
[_Chorus and dance._ THOMAS _returns to road, and regards the apple-trees longingly over top of wall._
_Thos._ Hi, William, look ... what apples! there--don"t _you_ see?
And pears--my eye! just _ain"t_ they looking juicy!
_Wm._ Nay, Thomas, since you"re bent upon a sin, _I_ will walk on, and visit Benjamin!
[_Exit_ WILLIAM (L. 2 E.), _while THOMAS proceeds to scale the wall and climb the boughs of the nearest pear-tree.
Melodramatic Music._ The Monster Man-trap _stealthily emerges from long gra.s.s below, and fixes a baleful eye on the unconscious_ THOMAS.
_Thos._ I"ll fill my pockets, and on pears I"ll feast!
[_Sees_ Man-trap, _and staggers._
Oh, lor--whatever is that hugly beast!
Hi, help, here! call him off!...
_The Monster._ "Tis vain to holler-- My horders are--all trespa.s.sers to swoller!
You just come down--I"m waiting "ere to ketch you.
(_Indignantly._) You _don"t_ expect I"m coming up to fetch you!
_Thos._ (_politely._) Oh, not if it would inconvenience _you_, Sir!
(_In agonised aside._) I feel my grip grow every moment looser!
[_The_ Monster, _in a slow, uncouth manner, proceeds to scramble up the tree._
Oh, here"s a go! The horrid thing can _climb_!
Too late I do repent me of my crime!
[_Terrific sensation chase!_ The Monster Man-trap _leaps from bough to bough with horrible agility, and eventually secures his prey, and leaps with it to the ground._
_Thos._ (_in the_ Monster"s _jaws_). I"m sure you seem a kind, good-natured creature-- You will not harm me?
_Monster._ No--I"ll only eat yer!
[THOMAS _slowly vanishes down its cavernous jaws; faint yells are heard at intervals--then nothing but a dull champing sound; after which, dead silence. The_ Monster _smiles, with an air of repletion._
_Re-enter_ WILLIAM, _from_ R., _with_ BENJAMIN.
_Benjamin._ I"m very glad you came--but where is Thomas?
_Wm._ (_severely_). Tom is a wicked boy, and better from us, For on the road he stopped to scale a wall!...
[_Sees_ Man-trap, _and starts._
What"s _that_?
_Benj._ It will not hurt _good_ boys at all-- It"s only Father"s Man-trap--why so pale?
_Wm._ The self-same tree! ... the wall that Tom _would_ scale!
Where"s Thomas _now_? Ah, Tom, the wilful pride of you.
[_The_ Man-trap _affects an elaborate unconsciousness._
[Ill.u.s.tration: Up a Tree!]
_Benj._ (_with sudden enlightenment_). Man-trap, I do believe poor Tom"s inside of you!
That sort of smile"s exceedingly suspicious.
[_The_ Man-trap _endeavours to hide in the gra.s.s._
_Wm._ Ah, Monster, give him back--"tis true he"s vicious, And had no business to go making free with you!
But think, so bad a boy will disagree with you!
[WILLIAM _and_ BENJAMIN _kneel in att.i.tudes of entreaty on either side of the_ Man-trap, _which shows signs of increasing emotion as the song proceeds._