Where"s your father going to lie?
Lie on the footman"s bed.
Where"s the footman going to lie?
Lie in the cowshed.
Where"s the cows going to lie?
Lie in the pig-sty.
Where"s the pig going to lie?
Lie in the dolly-tub.
And what am I to wash in?
Wash in a thimble.
A thimble wunna hold a cap.
Wash in an egg-sh.e.l.l.
An egg-sh.e.l.l wunna hold a shirt.
Wash by the river-side.
Suppose the clothes should float away?
Get a boat and fetch them back.
Suppose the boat should overthrow?
Serve you right for going after them!
-Berrington, Oswestry, Chirbury (Burne"s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p.
515).
IV. Mother, will you buy me a milking-can, A milking-can, a milking-can?
Mother, will you buy me a milking-can, To me, I, O, OM?
Where"s the money to buy it with, To buy it with, to buy it with, Where"s the money to buy it with, To me, I, O, OM?
[Then the following verses-]
Sell my father"s feather bed.
Where will your father sleep?
My father can sleep in the boys" bed.
Where will the boys sleep?
The boys can sleep in the pig-sty.
Where will the pigs sleep?
The pigs can sleep in the wash-tub.
Where shall I wash my clothes?
You can wash them in a thimble.
A thimble is not large enough.
You can wash them in an egg-sh.e.l.l.
An egg-sh.e.l.l would not hold them.
You can wash them by the river side.
But what if I should fall in?
We"ll get a rope and pull you out, To me, I, O, OM.
-Sheffield (S. O. Addy).
V. Mother, come buy me two milking-pails, Two milking-pails, two milking-pails, Mother, come buy me two milking-pails, O sweet mother o" mine.
[Then verses beginning with the following lines-]
Where shall I get my money from, O sweet daughter o" mine?
Sell my father"s feather beds.
Where shall your father sleep?
Sleep in the servant"s bed.
Where shall the servant sleep?
Sleep in the washing-tub.
Where shall I wash the clothes?
Wash them in the river.
Suppose the clothes float away?
Take a boat and go after them.
Suppose the boat upsets?
Then you will be drownded.
-London (Miss Dendy).
VI. Mother, come buy me a milking-can, Milking-can, milking-can, Mother, come buy me a milking-can, O mother o" mine.
Where can I have my money from, O daughter o" mine?
Sell my father"s bedsteads.
Where must your father sleep?
Sleep in the pig-sty.
Where must the pig sleep?
Sleep in the washing-tub.
What must I wash in?
Wash in your thimble.
What must I sew with?
Sew with your finger.
What will you say if I p.r.i.c.k me?
Serve you right, serve you right.
-Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
VII. Mother, will you buy me a pair of milking-cans, Milking-cans, milking-cans, Mother, will you buy me a pair of milking-cans, O gentle mother of mine?
But where shall I get the money from?
Sell my father"s feather bed.
But where, O where, will your father lie?
Father can lie in the girls" bed.
But where, O where, shall the girls then lie?
The girls can lie in the boys" bed.
But where, O where, shall the boys lie?
The boys may lie in the pig-sty.
Then where, O where, will the pigs lie?
The pigs may lie in the washing-tub.
Then where, O where, shall we wash our clothes?
We can wash by the river side.
The tide will wash the clothes away.