The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #16718 Message #3805989
Posted By: Reinhard
20-Aug-16 - 03:23 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: The Sheepstealer
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sheepstealer
James Reeves' book "The Idiom of the People" prints the verses of "The Sheepstealer" that Cecil Sharp collected from Mrs Woodberry:
There was a sheep stole from the marsh Will Marpass was the sinner He stole the sheep last Saturday night For Sunday for his dinner So good a cook he had She was so good and clever For a very good pie we should have had If she had got the liver
A famous scratch we had With the stuff we stole just now We killed the sheep and skin 'un Upon an open bough One said he'll have the breast Another one said he'd have the chain Says Wrestling Ned to Stumpy Jack You'll tear off all the spine