The Marriage of the Frog and the Mouse
The Marriage of the Frog and the Mouse is the earliest version in print of A Frog He Would A-Wooin' Go. It's from 1611, from a book called Melismata: Musical Fancies. It was printed in London. Reference of the song is found even earlier in print in The Complaynt of Scotland (1549).
The Marriage of the Frog and the Mouse
Children's Song
'Twas the Frog in the well,
Humble dum, humble, dum.
And the merry Mouse in the Mill,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
The Frog he would a wooing ride,
Humble dum, humble, dum.
Sword and a buckler by his side,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
When he was upon his high horse set,
Humble dum, humble, dum,
His boots they shone as black as jet,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
When he came to a merry mill pin,
Humble dum, humble dum,
Lady Mouse been you within?
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
Then came out the dusty Mouse,
Humble dum, humble dum.
"I am Lady of this house,"
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
"Hast thou any mind of me?"
Humble dum, humble dum.
"I have e'ne great mind of thee,"
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
Who shall this marriage make?
Humble dum, humble dum.
Our Lord which is the rat,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
What shall we have to our supper?
Humble dum, humble dum.
Three beans in a pound of butter,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
When supper they were at,
Humble dum, humble dum.
The Frog, the Mouse, and even the Rat,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
Then came in gib our cat,
Humble dum, humble dum,
And catcht the mouse even by the back,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
Then did they separate,
Humble dum, humble dum,
And the frog leapt on the floor so flat,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
Then came in Dick our Drake,
Humble dum, humble dum,
And drew the frog even to the lake,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
The Rat run up the wall,
Humble dum, humble dum.
A goodly company, the devil go with all,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.
Notes
I modernized most of the English spelling above.
Comments
You can read an online version of Melismata and The Complaynt of Scotland.
