THE THREE HUNTSmEN
There were three jolly huntsmen, As I have heard them say,And they would go a-hunting Upon St. David"s Day.
All the day they hunted,
And nothing could they find But a ship a-sailing,A-sailing with the wind.
One said it was a ship, Another he said nay;
The third said it was a house With the chimney blown away.
And all night they hunted, And nothing could they findBut the moon a-gliding,
A-gliding with the wind.
One said it was the moon, Another he said nay;The third said it was a cheese, With half of it cut away.
And all day they hunted,
And nothing could they find
But a hedgehog in a bramble bush, And that they left behind.
The first said "twas a hedgehog, The second he said nay;The third said "twas a pincushion, With the pins stuck in wrong way.
And all night they hunted, And nothing could they findBut a hare in a turnip field, And that they left behind.
The first said it was a hare, The second he said nay; The third said it was a calf,And the cow had run away.
And all day they hunted,
And nothing could they find But an owl in a holly tree,And that they left behind.
The first said it was an owl, The second he said nay;The third said "twas an old man, And his beard was growing grey.