The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #173572 Message #4208850
Posted By: Joe Offer
25-Sep-24 - 03:58 PM
Thread Name: Origins:A Southerly Wind and a Cloudy Sky
Subject: ADD: A-Hunting We Will Go
I didn't know about the southerly wind and cloudy sky, but I learned this as a kid:
A-hunting we will go A-hunting we will go Pull up your sox and chase the fox (or whatever) A-hunting we will go
A-hunting we will go, A-hunting we will go Heigh-ho, the derry-o, A-hunting we will go.
A-hunting we will go, A-hunting we will go We'll catch a fox and put him in a box And never let him go
(Modern versions often change the last line to “And then we’ll let him go”.)
Each consequent verse gets modified by putting in a different animal:
"...a fish and put him on a dish..." "...a bear and cut his hair..." "...a pig and dance a little jig..." "...a giraffe and make him laugh..." "...a mouse and put him in a house..." ... Earlier versions of the song switch the words "a-hunting" with "a-roving", dating back to old roving drinking songs from the 16th century.