Intro:
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Skimbleshanks the
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Railway Cat,
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the Cat of the Railway
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Train
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There's a whisper down the line at eleven thirty nine
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When the Night Mail's ready to depart
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Saying, "Skimble, where is Skimble?
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Has he gone to hunt the thimble?
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We must find him or the train can't start"
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All the guards and all the porters
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And the station master's daughters
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Would be searching high and low
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Saying "Skimble where is Skimble for unless he's very nimble
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Then the night mail just can't go."
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At eleven forty two with the signal overdue
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And the passengers all frantic to a man
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That's when I would appear and I'd saunter to the rear
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I'd been busy in the luggage van!
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Then he gave one flash of his glass green eyes
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And the signal went "All Clear!"
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They'd be off at last for the northern part of the Northern Hemi
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{sphere
{Skimbleshanks
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the Railway
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Cat
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The Cat of the Railway Train
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You could say that by and large it was me who was in charge
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Of the Sleeping Car
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Express, from the driver and the guards to the bagmen playing cards
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I would supervise them all more or less
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Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces
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Of the travellers in the first and the third
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He establishes control by a regular patrol
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And he'd know at once if anything occurred
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He would watch you without winking and he saw what you were thinking
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And it's certain that he didn't approve
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Of hilarity and riot so the folk were very quiet
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When Skimble was about and on the move
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You could play no pranks with Skimbleshanks!
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He's a cat that cannot be ignored
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So nothing went wrong on the Northern Mail
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When Skimbleshanks was aboard
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It was very pleasant when they'd found their little den
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With their name written up on the door.
Woo! Woo!
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And the berth was very neat with a newly folded sheet
And not a speck of dust upon the floor
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There was every sort of light
You could make it dark or bright
And a button you could turn to make a breeze
Woo! Woo!
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And a funny little basin you're supposed to wash your face in
And a crank to shut the window should you sneeze
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Then the guard looked in politely and would ask you very brightly,
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"Do you like your morning tea weak or strong?"
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But I was just behind him and was ready to remind him
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For Skimble won't let anything go wrong
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When they crept into their cosy berths and pulled up the counterpane
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They all could reflect that it was very nice
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To know that they wouldn't be bothered by mice
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They could leave all that to the Railway Cat
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The Cat of the Railway Train
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Skimbleshanks
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the Railway
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Cat
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The Cat of the Railway
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Train
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In the watches of the night I was always fresh and bright
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Every now and then I'd have a cup of tea
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With perhaps a drop of scotch while I was keeping on the watch
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Only stopping here and there to catch a flea
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They were fast asleep at Crewe and so they never knew
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That I was walking up and down the station
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They were sleeping all the while I was busy at Carlisle
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Where I met the station master with elation
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They might see me at Dumfries if I summoned the police
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If there was anything they ought to know about
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When they got to Gallowgate there they did not have to wait
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For Skimbleshanks would help them to get out!
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And he
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gives you a wave of his long brown tail
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Which says "I'll see you again!
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You'll meet without fail on the Midnight Mail
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The Cat of the Railway Train!"
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The Cat of the Railway Train
