Kitty Rhymes by Alice Byrne - Illustrated by Eric Pape

Mrs. Tabby Tip-Tail and Small Teddy 

In Purrville, on a winding street,
There stands a little cottage neat
With stately hollyhocks a nodding o'er.

Each day at half past o'clock,
In flowered poke and ruffled frock,
A pussy cat comes out and locks the door.

And with this pussy cat appears
A kitten, small, with pointed ears.
Then down the little pathway to the gate.

And 'long the winding street they go,
She walks with him to school, you know,
For otherwise he'd loiter and be late.

Sooty Sam and Toto Skitters

I see you, mouse, as plain as day.
That orange jacket gives you away.
Now go along home. What's that? You won't? 

Oh, very well, but if you don't
I'll grab this 'barrow on the ground
And chase you round and round and round.

The missus always says to me,
"Sam, pounce at every mouse you see."
So just watch out or you'll get hurt.

How come you dare to act so pert?
Now go along home. Go along, I say!
A cat's backyard is no place to play.

The Purrville Post Office

In Purrville, mail is given out
At ten o'clock, or thereabout,
And thither flock the pussies everyday.

There's Mrs. Fuzzy Wuzzy Fur,
And Mrs. Betty Buttons Purr,
The latter clad in calico so gay.

And Mr. Peter Whiffet who
Affects a walking stick 'tis true;
And Pansy Pink Pat always very sweet.

And others whom I can not name.
They get their letters just the same,
And idly saunter back into the street.

 

The Home of Toto Skitters

A mouse named Toto Skitters from his window one night spied
A dainty kitten coming up the pathway just outside.
Wee Toto hid behind a chair and crouched upon the floor,
And soon he heard small Patty Paw a tapping at the door.

She rapped and rapped and shook the latch, but Toto paid no heed;
She peered in at the windows, which was very rude indeed;
At last, receiving no response, she vanished in the night;
But tiny Toto trembled 'most an hour or two with fright.

The reason he was all alone within the pumpkin house
Was 'cause his mummy'd gone to call upon a neighbor mouse.

 

Prints are available here: Eric Pape Prints 

This collection of cat themed poems are written by Alice Byrne (1891-?) and illustrated by Eric Pape (1870-1938). The husband and wife team collaborated for the 1920 publication year of The Delineator, an American women's magazine; the same year they were married. Grammar changes were made to 'Sooty Sam and Toto Skitters' to exclude racial slang.