BEGGARS OF COUDINGHAM FAIR

The first time that I gaed to Coudingham fair,
I there fell in with a jolly beggare;
The beggar's name, O, it was Harry,
And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Mary;
O Mary and Harry, and Harry and Mary,
And Janet and John;
That's the beggars one by one;
But now I will gie you them pair by pair,
All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair.

The next time that I gaed to Coudingham fair,
I there fell in with another beggare;
The beggar's name, O, it was Willie,
And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Lillie;
And Harry and Mary, and Willie and Lillie,
And Janet and John,
That's the beggars one by one;
Now I will gie you them pair by pair,
All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair.

The next time that I gaed to Coudingham fair,
I fell in with another beggare;
The beggar's name, O, it was Wilkin,
And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Gilkin;
And Harry and Mary, and Willie and Lillie,
And Wilkin and Gilkin, and Janet and John;
That's the beggars all one by one;
Now I will gie you them pair by pair,
All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair.
________________________________________________________

Chambers PRS (1847), 197; (1870), 40, from Tait's
Magazine, x.121; Montgomerie SNR (1946), 113 (No. 142).
Cf. Dean-Smith, s.v. Donnybrook: refs. to FSJ 1941, 77-
8; pt. 33, 132-4.

@Scottish @beggar
filename[ COUDFAIR
MS
mudcat.org

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