Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE OLD MAN WHO LIVED IN A WOOD, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE OLD MAN WHO LIVED IN A WOOD, by                    
First Line: There was an old man who lived in a wood
Last Line: She should ne'er be ruled by he
Subject(s): Contentment


THERE was an old man who lived in a wood,
As you may plainly see;
He said he could do as much work in a day,
As his wife could do in three.
"With all my heart," the old woman said,
"If that you will allow,
To-morrow you'll stay at home in my stead,
And I'll go drive the plough;

"But you must milk the Tidy cow,
For fear that she go dry;
And you must feed the little pigs
That are within the sty;
And you must mind the speckled hen,
For fear she lay away;
And you must reel the spool of yarn
That I span yesterday."

The old woman took a staff in her hand,
And went to drive the plough;
The old man took a pail in his hand,
And went to milk the cow;
But Tidy hinched, and Tidy flinched,
And Tidy broke his nose,
And Tidy gave him such a blow,
That the blood ran down to his toes.

"High! Tidy! ho! Tidy! high!
Tidy, do stand still!
If ever I milk you, Tidy, again,
'T will be sore against my will."

He went to feed the little pigs,
That were within the sty;
He hit his head against the beam
And he made the blood to fly.

He went to mind the speckled hen,
For fear she'd lay astray,
And he forgot the spool of yarn
His wife spun yesterday.

So he swore by the sun, the moon, and the stars,
And the green leaves on the tree,
If his wife did n't do a day's work in her life,
She should ne'er be ruled by he.





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