Cats and pirates - please help me find this book!

[MissM]

Ok, when we were kids (in the 70s) we had a book that ended 'The cats died, the pirates died.' It became a bit of a family joke that has continued ever since, so if anything is utterly final one of us uses that phrase to sum it up (I know - family jokes are weird outside the immediate family).

Anyway, we were all together this weekend and I found myself saying 'The cats died, the pirates died', and we wondered what the hell that book was called and what it was about. I can remember the picture at the end (think the dead cats had crosses for their eyes), and I think there was poison involved, but can't for the life of me remember anything more. A Google search has thrown up nothing.

Can anyone help?

Could the ending actually be 'The pirates died. The cat died.'? In which case it could The Pirates' Tale by Janet Aitchison, illustrated by Jill McDonald, published in 1970. Apparently the full last bit is:

?One day the pirates found a ship. The ship had some gold and silver. The pirates stole the gold and silver. The gold was magic. The pirates died. The cat died.?

I've found some copies on Abebooks.co.uk.

Here's the cover

You are amazing - that is it! My brother will be so excited.

Glad I could help