Stealing of the Dray

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are free
We'll catch one
We'll snatch one
We'll have one home for tea

Run across the scratchy grass
Run like the wind in the trees
Let's find those pesky squirrels now
and have one home for tea

So pick up your heels
And pick up you toes
And lift your ankles high

For a little further on you find
A leaf which you can spy?

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are free
We'll catch one
We'll snatch one
We'll have one home for tea

See the scratched up roots about
All littered on the ground
When nuts are nibbled in this fashion
Squirrels can always be found

So lets search about
For his twitchy snout

So pick up your heels
And pick up you toes
And lift your ankles high

For a little further on you find
A stick which you can spy?

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are free
We'll catch them
We'll snatch them
We'll have a them home for tea

Where is his flicky tail
With colours of red and sand
Perhaps he's in his dray so high
A knotted nest so grand

So lets search about
For his twitchy snout

So pick up your heels
And pick up you toes
And lift your ankles high

For a little further on you find
A burrow which you can spy?

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are free
We'll catch one
We'll snatch one
We'll have one home for tea

You skitter across the baking earth
And search beneath the sky
Where are his twitchy whiskers
and flicky tails so high?

So lets search about
For his twitchy snout

So pick up your heels
And pick up you toes
And lift your ankles high

For a little further on you find
A pebble which you can spy?

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are free
We'll catch one
We'll snatch one
Come along now you'll see

Look up quickly
now can you see
In the topper-most fork of the fever tree
Above a nook in a curving branch
Almost out go sight
We catch a glimpse of our prey
In his fabulous dray so tight

So pick up your heels
And pick up you toes
And lift your ankles high

For a little further on you see
The dray with the squirrel inside

The Squirrels are coming,
The Squirrels are free,
We'll catch one,
We'll snatch one,
Come along now you'll see.

Oh No, Oh Dear!
He's hopping off his branch!
He has his squirrel eye on you
He's bored with nuts for lunch!

Down the trunk he scurries
In his skittish way
Making quick advances on you
I don't think we should stay

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are free
They'll catch you
And snatch you
And have you for their tea!

So pick up your heels
And pick up your toes
and lift your ankles high
Now quickly back
Along the track
Pebble which you had spied

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are free
He'll catch you
And snatch you
And have you for his tea!

Back across the ground so hard
To home beneath the sky
Those twitching whiskers are pursuing
and more come down from high

A scurry of Squirrels come sithering fast
As they swoop and curl along
They close the gap between you and them
Now less than a furlong

So pick up your heels
And pick up your toes
And lift your ankles high
Now quickly back
Along the track
To the burrow which you had spied

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are free
They'll catch you
And snatch you
and take you to their tree

Red Squirrels here grey Squirrels there
Squirrels above and below
With flicky tails and scratchy nails
and teeth that grow and grow

A hundred beady eyes on you
And fifty swishy tails
A hundred paws with nut cracking claws
And schemes to curtail

So pick up your heels
And pick up your toes
And lift your ankles high
Now quickly back
Along the track
To the stick which you had spied

The Squirrels are coming
The Squirrels are here
Will they prod you
and nibble you
and pull your hair and ears?

Stay very still stay very calm
And do not make a sound
Squirrels totally surround us now
They cover all the ground

So take a breath and say out loud
With clarity and charm
Then with luck and oodles of pluck
We won't come to any harm

'Excuse me Sir
I do beg you pardon
Perhaps you will grant us
Safe passage through this garden?'

And like a miracle from an ancient book
The sea of squirrels parts
And through this path you tip toe through
To the beating of tiny hearts

Now quietly back
Along the track
To the leaf which you had spied

The Squirrels have come
The Squirrels are here
Will they prod you
and nibble you
and pull your hair and ears?

And just before you slip away
A tiny thing you've missed
Squirrels have brought from their drays on high
A fresh and simple gift

A single nut
Un chewed
Un cut
On a platter of a perfect leaf
As Squirrels are often generous
Contrary to popular belief

Their flicky tails and unblinking eyes
Unnerve us all to be sure
But here they've come for a little high tea
With their friends who like the floor

Now quietly back
Along the track
To the place where our journey began

The Squirrels have come
The Squirrels have been here
they've shared their nuts
and leaves with you
and song and dance and cheer

And when the high tea is done
And all you guests are away
And every last little Squirrel
Has stolen back to his dray

You can wander home and dream tonight
From your humble feather nest
Of all the guests to have high tea
The Squirrels are amongst the best