The Man In The Moon

§4§l ----------§0 §f.§0§l The Man§0 §0§l In The Moon§0 §0§l Came Down§0 §f..§0§l Too Soon§0 §4§l ----------§0 §0 §0 §f.§0 §0§oby§0 §0 §0 §0 J.R.R. Tolkien§0 §0 §f..§4§l ---«✸»---§0

There is an inn,§0 §0a merry old inn§0 §0beneath an old§0 §0grey hill,§0 §0 §0And there they brew a beer so brown§0 §0That the Man in§0 §0the Moon himself§0 §0came down§0 §0one night to§0 §0drink his fill.

The ostler has a tipsy cat that plays a five-stringed fiddle;§0 §0 §0And up and down he saws his bow§0 §0Now squeaking high, now purring low,§0 §0now sawing in the middle.

The landlord keeps a little dog that is mighty fond of jokes;§0 §0 §0When there's§0 §0good cheer§0 §0among the guests,§0 §0He cocks an ear§0 §0at all the jests§0 §0and laughs until§0 §0he chokes.

They also keep a hornéd cow as proud as any queen;§0 §0 §0But music turns§0 §0her head like ale,§0 §0And makes her wave her tufted tail§0 §0and dance upon the green.

And O! the rows of silver dishes and§0 §0the store of silver spoons!§0 §0 §0For Sunday there's§0 §0a special pair,§0 §0And these they polish up with care§0 §0on Saturday afternoons.

The Man in the Moon was drinking deep, and the cat§0 §0began to wail;§0 §0 §0A dish and a spoon§0 §0on the table danced,§0 §0The cow in the garden madly pranced§0 §0and the little dog chased his tail.

The Man in the Moon took another mug,§0 §0and then rolled beneath his chair;§0 §0 §0And there he dozed and dreamed of ale,§0 §0Till in the sky the stars were pale,§0 §0and dawn was§0 §0in the air.

Then the ostler said to his tipsy cat:§0 §0'The white horses§0 §0of the Moon,§0 §0 §0They neigh and champ their silver bits;§0 §0But their master's been and drowned§0 §0his wits,§0 §0and the Sun'll§0 §0be rising soon!'

So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,§0 §0a jig that would wake the dead:§0 §0 §0He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune, While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:§0 §0'It's after three!'§0 §0he said.

They rolled the Man slowly up the hill§0 §0and bundled him§0 §0into the Moon,§0 §0 §0While his horses galloped up in rear,§0 §0And the cow came capering like a deer,§0 §0and a dish ran up§0 §0with the spoon.

Now quicker the fiddle went deedle-dum§0 §0-diddle; the dog began to roar,§0 §0 §0The cow and the horses stood on§0 §0their heads;§0 §0The guests all bounded from§0 §0their beds§0 §0and danced§0 §0upon the floor.

With a ping and a pang the fiddle-strings broke! the cow jumped over the Moon,§0 §0 §0And the little dog laughed to§0 §0see such fun,§0 §0And the Saturday dish went off at a run§0 §0with the silver§0 §0Sunday spoon.

The round Moon rolled behind the hill, as the Sun raised§0 §0up her head.§0 §0 §0She hardly believed her fiery eyes;§0 §0For though it was day, to her surprise§0 §0they all went back to bed!