The Fox

The fox went out on a starry night,

 

And prayed for the moon to give him light,

 

He had many a mile to go that night,

 

Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o

 

He had many a mile to go that night, before he reached the town-o.

 

He ran till he came to the farmer’s yard The ducks and tile geese were all a-feared

He said, a couple of you will grease my beard before I leave this town-o, etc.

 

He grabbed the grey goose by the neck, and slung the duck across his back,

Nor did he mind the quack-quack-quack and the legs all dangling down-o, etc.

 

The farmer woman jumped out of bed, ran to the window & stuck out her head

Crying, John, John, the grey goose is gone and the fox is on the town-o, etc.

 

John, he went to the top of the hill Blew his horn both loud and shrill;

The fox, he said, I better flee with my kill He'll soon be on my trail-o, etc.

 

The fox he ran till he came to his den There were the little ones, eight, nine, ten,

They said daddy better go back again, 'Cause it must be a wonderful town-o, etc.

 

The fox and his wife without any strife cut up the goose without a fork or a knife,

They never had such a feast in their life, and the little ones chewed on the bones-o,

etc.

 

 

 

*According to 'Bluegrass Picker's Tune Book' by Richard Matteson, the earliest version of this song appears

to have been a Middle English poem, dating from the fifteenth century found in the British Museum –

www.wikipedia.org.