The penultimate part of the tin soldier’s adventure

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Part 3

A drop of rain bounced

Off cobbles like boulders;

A raindrop exploded

On the tin soldier,

Then another,

Until it became a downpour.

Puddles formed;

Water filled the gutter.

Two street urchins with a boat

Made of newspaper

Spotted the soldier

And set him afloat.

Buffeted by waves

The paper boat

Pitched up and down,

Span around and around,

But the dizzy tin soldier

Stayed steadfast and erect,

His rifle at his shoulder.

Suddenly the boat was washed

Under a plank of wood,

Where a water rat stood,

Demanding a toll.

As the boat raced along

With the rat right

Behind – gnashing its teeth –

The tin soldier glimpsed daylight

But he also heard roaring:

Where the plank ended

The gutter

Plunged

Into a huge canal.

Image found on Pinterest