Maelgwyn,

The version I remember (or partly remember) is slightly different:

A great many gentlemen take great delight
In hunting bold Reynard the Fox,
For the very best food he does eat of the night
And lives upon fat geese and ducks.
In Ashendon Copse I did dwell
And I lived an extraordinary rate,
A-cracking the bones in young lambs down.
The farmers they all did me hate.

Oh, for My Lord's horses and hounds they did send
And the huntsmen they swore I must die,
Which made all the hair on my coat stand on end
And caused me from my young ones to fly.
All down Stony Lane they did run me,
And I gave 'em a very good race.
When I entered the woods, I did rest then.
The hounds they ran forward and bayed.

All through the wild woods they gave chase and gave ?
And the gameskeeper saw me go by.
He chased me out onto the wide-open plain.
It was then that he fired at my thigh.
All on ? fields they did chase me
And bloodthirsty dogs did me follow.
They tore me old coat all in pieces
Which caused the glad huntsmen to hollow.

Oh pardon, dear huntsmen, for I've spoiled your game,
And ???
But I leave many brothers and sisters behind,
Who love little else better than I.
And now that bold Reynard is dead,
We'll go to the Dolphin and dine.
We'll dip his fore-foot in a bumper
And drink up his health in good wine.

Again, I've had to leave some blanks and I've swiped one part from you ("fat geese and ducks" sounds more likely than "puppies and ducks").

I don't know if the spacing will come out right this time.

Regards

Walrus