There are versions of this song that mention fear of offending her kin and then the entire situation is resolved without incident by means of the threat (which might even be empty threat, as if he was skinning the wether in any case.) I like those ones alot better. Child texts A-E.

The difference is the one is a humorous cautionary tale to wives who care more about their vanity than their virtue. The other is something that seems to have come out of the "Don't hurt her too bad" wife beater camp.

With all this collecting you do, didn't you ever think some of them ought to catch a strong breeze by a window? I do. Hope I'm not being too sententious.

Nickety, nackety, NOO NOO NOO!

Because if that's the way it is then I'm going to write my own:

Whackety Willie's Misfortune

Snuck off to the Gypsy camp last night
For herbal refrain in a bottle
She said to slip a little in his ale
If he looks like he might throttle