Digital Tradition Mirror
Pretty Peg

Pretty Peg

When Pretty Peg walked down the street
    Some fresh fish for to buy
The wee town clark followed after her
    And he kissed her by and by.

    With my tiddy right faladiddle daddy, etc.

Oh, how can I get to your chamber, love,
    How can I get to your bed
When your daddy goes to bed at night
    With a keen eye on his head.

Oh, go and get a ladder, love
    Of thirty steps and three
And a creel all on the top of that
    And come down in the lum to me

    (Creel = a large basket; lum = chimney)

So he's went and got a ladder
    Of thirty steps and three
***MEMORY LAPSE HERE***

No peace nor ease could the old wife get
    With dreams running through her head
"I'll lay on me life, said the gay old wife,
    There's a boy in our daughter's bed!"

The old man crept.....*ANOTHER MEMORY LAPSE HERE*
Silence reigned throughout the house

"My curse attend thee Father,
    What brought ye up so soon?
To put me through my evening prayers,
    And I just lying down."

He's gone back to his gay old wife,
    He's gone back to she
"She's got the prayer book in her hand
    And she'd prayin' for you and me."

No peace nor ease could the old wife get
    Til she's gone up to see
*****(Damn; when your memory goes, forget it)
    And into the creel went she

Oh, high I rocked her, didn't I rock her
    Didn't I rock her well?
For if any old dame begrudge me her daughter,
    I'll rock her into hell

Hope you or someone else can fill in the asterisks; look
for a similar but more detailed Scottish version called
"The Blue Blanket" which describes the lovely young daughter
hiding her boyfriend in a blue blanket while Daddy comes up
to check on her, and the boyfriend's brother/accomplice
waits on the roof for a tug on the rope to pull him back
up. When Momma falls into the basket, of course the
accomplice starts hauling, Momma starts screeching that
the Devil has her and a fun time is had by all!"

Child #281
XX
oct99^^^