The Fox And The Goose

A fox roved out one very dark night,
He prayed that the moon would give him good light,
For he had a long way to travel that night
Before he'd a-reach his den, den,
Before he'd a-reach his den.

Then he travelled and he travelled till he came to a yard,
The ducks and geese they all lay abroad.
"The best one of you must grace my beard,
Before I go over the town, town,
Before I go over the town."

Then he grabbed the gray goose up by the neck,
And he slung her onto his back
As if she were a gunny sack,
And the blood came trinkling down, down,
And the blood came trinkling down.

Then old Mother Quickenquacker jumped out of bed,
She opened the window she poked out her head.
"Arise, arise, the gray goose is dead,
And the fox has gone over the town, town,
And the fox has gone over the town."

Then Johnny arose and went to the hill,
He blew his bugle loud and shrill.
"Blow on," said the fox, "till you've had your fill,
But I'm glad I got out of your town, town
But I'm glad I got out of your town."

The fox travelled on till he came to a plain,
He rested his burden to ease his pain,
But it wasn't very long fore he took up again,
And then he heard the cry of the hounds, hounds,
And then he heard the cry of the hounds.

The fox travelled on till he came to his den
Where he had young ones nine or ten.
"Welcome home, daddy fox, you must go back again,
For we think it is a very lucky town, town,
For we think it is a very lucky town.

Oh, the fox and his wife they made such a strife,
They said they never ate a better bird in all their life,
So they tore up the gray goose without a knife,
And the young ones nibbled at the bones, bones,
And the young ones nibbled at the bones.

####.... Author unknown. Variant of a 19th century British nursery rhyme. ....####

This variant was collected in 1959 from Mrs. Clara Stevens of Bellburns, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, pp.12-13, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.

Kenneth Peacock noted that this old nursery rhyme has been popular in English tradition for over two hundred years and survives in oral tradition in many parts of North America as well.