A Book of Nursery Songs and Rhymes/Nursery Songs/III. THREE JOVIAL WELSHMEN
There were three jovial Welshmen,
They would go hunt a fox.
They swore they saw sly Reynard,
Run over yonder rocks,
With a whoop! whoop! whoop! and halloo!
With a blast of the bugle-horn!
With a twang, twang, twang, taulidi, O!
With a ting, ting, tingle, O!
And a blast of my bugle-horn!
And thro' the woods we'll ride, brave boys!
With a blast of my bugle-horn.
The first we espied was a woman
A-combing her golden locks.
She swore she had seen sly Reynard
Among her geese and her ducks.
With a whoop! etc.
The second we espied was a parson,
And he was dressed in black.
He swore he had seen sly Reynard,
A-hung on a huntman's back.
With a whoop! etc.
The third we espied was a miller,
And he was grinding his mill.
He swore he had seen sly Reynard
A-run over yonder hill.
With a whoop! etc.
The fourth we espied was a blind man,
And as blind as blind could be.
He swore he had seen sly Reynard
Run up in a hollow tree.
With a whoop! etc.
The fifth we espied was a shepherd,
And he was watching his lambs.
He swore that he saw sly Reynard,
So weary he could not stand.
With a whoop! etc.
There never, I trow, was a Reynard
That ran out that day at all.
'Twas naught but a little grey Pussy
Sat purring upon an old wall.
With a whoop! etc.
O then what a world 'tis o' liars
This is as to me appears.
I never will trust but my own eyes,
And only will trust my own ears.
With a whoop! etc.