The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #127487   Message #4223256
Posted By: Jack Horntip
26-May-25 - 07:51 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Pretty Polly (Knife in the Window)
Subject: RE: Origins: Pretty Polly (Knife in the Window)
ONE NIGHT, LATE IN AUGUST. [[ hand written in backets "a creeping and crawling"]

One night, late in August,
Mary lay a-sleeping                 (repeat couplet)
When along came a corp'ral on his hands and knees acreeping.
With his long funny-doodle dangling
Way down to his knees.

When there months were over,
May fell aweeping (repeat)
She wept for the corp'ral on his hands and knees a creeping
With his long funny-doodle dangling
Way down to his knees.

When six months were over
Mary grew fatter        (repeat)
And everyone wonder whothehell had been at her
With his long etc. etc.

When nine months were over
Mary burst asunder        (repeat)
And out jumped a kid with a regimental number
And his long funny-doodle         etc. etc.

c1926. Hubert L. Canfield Collection. pp.211. Superlative
bawdy songs and poem MS collection collected by Hubert L. Canfield,
Pittsford, New York. Dated 1925-1926, this extensive collection is
comparable to Gordon "Inferno" Collection at the Library of Congress.


See here: https://archive.org/details/1926canfieldcollection/page/60/mode/1up?q=creeping