The gingham dog and the calico cat side by side on the table sat;

‘Twas half-past twelve, and(what do you think?) 

Nor one nor t’other had slept a wink!

The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate.

Appeared to know as sure as fate.

There was going to be a terrible spat, a terrible spat,

 (I wasn’t there; I simply state What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)

 

The gingham dog went,

“Bow-wow”And the calico cat replied,

“Meeow!”

The air was littered, an hour or so,

With bits of gingham and calico,

While the old Dutch clock in the chimney place

Up with its hands before its face,

For it always dreaded a family row!

 (Now mind: I’m only telling you What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)

 

The Chinese plate looked very blue,

And wailed, “Oh, dear! what shall we do! ”

But the gingham dog the calico cat

Wallowed this way and tumbled that,

Employing every tooth and claw in the awfullest way you ever saw, you ever saw,

And oh, how the gingham and the calico flew,

(Don’t fancy I exaggerate I got my news from the Chinese plate!)

 

Next morning, where the two had sat

They found no trace of dog or cat;

And some folks think unto this day

That burglars stole that pair away!

But the truth about the cat and pup

Is this: they ate each other up!

Now what do you really think of that?

(The old Dutch clock, it told me so,

And that is how I came to know.)

 

餐布格狗與印花布貓 牠倆肩並肩坐在桌上

午夜才剛過十二點半 你以為大家都睡了？

當然沒半個人闔上眼

老荷蘭掛鐘以及中國餐盤

好似肯定知道些什麼

曾經發生嚴重的爭執 嚴重的爭執

（我當時不在現場 只是轉述中國餐盤所說的） 

 

餐布格狗咆哮：「汪！」

印花布貓大喊：「喵！」

布碎片飛呀飛 長達一小時

餐布格與印花布的小碎片 在空中激烈飛揚

老荷蘭掛鐘舉起雙手

遮住眼前的混亂不堪

懼怕家庭紛爭的掛鐘

（注意了：老荷蘭掛鐘說的 可都是千真萬確！）

 

中國餐盤看來挺沮喪

嚎啕大哭著：「噢天哪！我們該怎麼辦！」

餐布格狗與印花布貓

掙扎打滾 跌跌撞撞

無不使出嚇人的招式 張牙虎爪十分兇殘

餐布格狗與印花布貓 甚至在空中飛呀飛

（可別以為我誇大其詞 全是中國餐盤給的消息）

 

隔日一早 那張桌上

貓狗蹤影 早就消散

有人至今仍堅信著

是夜賊偷走了貓狗

然而事情的真相是

牠倆將彼此吞下肚

你覺得呢？

（荷蘭掛鐘是這麼說的

而我是這樣被告知的）