A Book of Nursery Songs and Rhymes. Baring-Gould Sabine

plough it o'er with a horse's horn,

       Whilst every grove, etc.

       And sow it all over with one pepper-corn,

       O and then, etc.

       You must reap it, too, with a piece of leather,

       Whilst every grove, etc.

       And bind it all up with a peacock's feather,

       O and then, etc.

       You must take it up in a bottomless sack,

       Whilst every grove, etc.

       And bear it to the mill on a butterfly's back,

       O and then, etc.

       And when that these tasks are finished and done,

       Whilst every grove, etc.

       O then will I marry thee under the sun,

       And then thou shalt be a true lover of mine.

      II. A LYING TALE

       Table of Contents

      O when I was an infant young,

       To London I did go,

       Among the French and Spaniards there

       My gallantry to show.

       And when I came to the Eastern shore,

       I let my head hang down,

       I tripped along o'er banks and hills

       But never touched the ground.

       Fal-de-liddle-li-do

       Fal-de-liddle-iddle-dee.

       So when I reached the Eastern shore,

       I met a giant high,

       His little feet filled up the street,

       His head it touched the sky.

       He looked down, and with a frown

       He bid me pass his way.

       He looked up, and bid me sup

       A posset made of whey.

       He challenged me to dance and sing,

       To whistle or to pipe.

       I played every instrument

       And whipped the giant quite.

       He challenged me to jump a brook,

       He challenged me to run;

       I beat the pride out of his hide,

       And killed him when I'd done.

       The people all admiring stood,

       To see me, not afraid.

       They gave to me a salver bright,

       A hundred ton it weighed.

       I made myself a little box,

       'Twas but three acres square,

       I filled it up unto the top

       With my bright silver ware.

       When I did go from London town,

       I rode upon an ox,

       In by my thigh, in pocket I

       Did put my little box.

       And when I reached the Western shore,

       They kicked me out of door,

       They would not trust me for a pint,

       Because I looked so poor.

       I bought myself a flock of sheep,

       I thought they all were wethers.

       And some of them they gave me lambs

       And some gave only feathers.

       Methinks they were the bravest sheep

       To give such good increase,

       I cut their wool when the moon was full,

       And I had two lambs apiece.

       I bought a little poodle dog,

       A pretty dog was he,

       Where'er I went, 'twas his intent

       To run and follow me.

       His tail was but ten yards long,

       His ears but five feet wide,

       And round the world in half a day

       Upon him I might ride.

       I bought myself a coal-black hen,

       Of her I took much care,

       I set her on a mussel shell

       And out she hatched a hare.

       The hare she grew at such a pace,

       She soon was ten hands high.

       Come—if you know a better joke,

       I'm very sure you lie.

       Fal-de-liddle-li-do

       Fal-de-liddle-iddle-dee.

      III. THREE JOVIAL WELSHMEN

       Table of Contents

      There were three jovial Welshmen,

       They would go hunt a fox.

       They swore they saw sly Reynard,

       Run over yonder rocks,

       With a whoop! whoop! whoop! and halloo!

       With a blast of the bugle-horn!

       With a twang, twang, twang, taulidi, O!

       With a ting, ting, tingle, O!

       And a blast of my bugle-horn!

       And thro' the woods we'll ride, brave boys!

       With a blast of my bugle-horn.

       The first we espied was a woman

       A-combing her golden locks.

       She swore she had seen sly Reynard

       Among her geese and her ducks.

       With a whoop! etc.

       The second we espied was a parson,

       And he was dressed in black.

       He swore he had seen sly Reynard,

       A-hung on a huntman's back.

       With a whoop! etc.

       The third we espied was a miller,

       And he was grinding his mill.

       He swore he had seen sly Reynard

       A-run over yonder hill.

       With a whoop! etc.

       The fourth we espied was a blind man,

       And as blind as blind could be.

       He swore he had seen sly Reynard

       Run up in a hollow tree.

       With a whoop! etc.

       The fifth we espied was a shepherd,

       And he was watching his lambs.

       He swore that he saw sly Reynard,

       So weary he could not stand.

       With a whoop! etc.

       There never, I trow, was a Reynard

       That ran out that day at all.

       'Twas naught but a little grey Pussy

       Sat purring upon an old wall.

       With a whoop! etc.

       O then what a world 'tis o' liars

       This is as to me appears.

       I never will trust but my own eyes,