THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. Now ponder well, you parents dear, A gentleman of good account Sore sick he was, and like to die, No love between these two was lost, In love they lived, in love they died, The one a fine and pretty boy, Not passing three years old; The father left his little son, As plainly did appear, When he to perfect age should come, Three hundred pounds a year. And to his little daughter Jane But if the children chance to die "Now, brother," said the dying man, Be good unto my boy and girl, "To God and you I recommend "You must be father and mother both, And uncle, all in one; God knows what will become of them, With that bespake their mother dear: "And if you keep them carefully, But if you otherwise should deal, With lips as cold as any stone, They kissed their children small: These speeches then their brother spake Sweet sister, do not fear; "God never prosper me nor mine, The parents being dead and gone, And brings them straight unto his house, He had not kept these pretty babes He bargain'd with two ruffians strong, That they should take these children young, He told his wife an artful tale: He would the children send Away then went those pretty babes, Rejoicing with a merry mind They should on cock-horse ride. They prate and prattle pleasantly, To those that should their butchers be So that the pretty speech they had Yet one of them, more hard of heart, Because the wretch that hired him The other won't agree thereto, And he that was of mildest mood He took the children by the hand, And bade them straightway follow him, And two long miles he led them on, "Stay here," quoth he, "I'll bring you bread, When I come back again." These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Their pretty lips with blackberries And when they saw the darksome night, Thus wandered these poor innocents, No burial this pretty pair Did cover them with leaves. And now the heavy wrath of God Upon their uncle fell; Yea, fearful fiends did haunt his house, His conscience felt an hell: His barns were fir'd, his goods consum'd, His cattle died within the field, And nothing with him stay'd. |