Ring-necked Pheasants are not imaginary
Sir Gaunie and the Witch
“Witching Creek” painted with watercolors by Sanford Ross Bender in May, 1982.
King Henry was a mighty man,
Who lived in Engeland,
No harm e’re fell on honest folk,
From out of Henry’s hand.
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Sir Gaunie was a noble knight,
Handsome for to see,
And he’s to marry with a witch,
To save King Henery.
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The witch from out the deep, green wood,
Told Henry what to say,
She told him that a woman always,
Wanted for her way.
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King Henry answered well and true.
He spake so bright, so gay
The Baron sadly hung his head.
And sadly rode away.
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Sir Gaunie was a noble knight,
And many a tear was shed,
The day he married with a witch,
And taken her to bed.
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‘Twas then she turned a princess fair,
And though they all did try,
No fairer one was ever seen,
With sight of human eye.
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Swimming to the moon
Should I?
Ballad of the barking dog
Wisps of Steam
Tiptoe into Dreams on the Night Train
The Mermaid
One Saturday night as we set sail,
Not very far from land,
We there did spy a pretty mermaid,
With a comb and a glass in her hand,
With a comb and a glass in her pretty, pretty hand,
With a comb and a glass in her hand.
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This pretty mermaid sprung into the sea,
The storm it began to roar.
The snow and rain came thick and fast:
“We’ll never see land any more,
We’ll never see land any more, more, more, more,
We’ll never see land any more.”
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The first one on deck was the captain of our ship,
With a plumb and a line in his hand,
He plumbed and he plumbed and he plumbed for to see,
How far it was to the sand,
How far it was from the sea to the sand,
How far it was to the sand.
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The next one on deck was the mate of our ship,
And a well-looking man was he,
“My wife and my child are in Merry England,
And tonight a widow she’ll be,
And tonight, a widow she’ll surely, surely be,
And tonight, a widow she’ll be.”
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The next one on deck was our little cabin boy,
And a very pretty boy was he,
“Oh what, oh what will my mother say,
When she knows I’m drowned in the sea,
When she knows I’m drowned in the salt, salt sea,
When she knows, I’m drowned in the sea?”
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Oh three times ’round went our gallant ship,
And three times more went she,
And as the storm did rage and roar,
She sank to the bottom of the sea,
She sank to the bottom of the deep blue sea,
She sank to the bottom of the sea.
The Soldier and the Lady
A soldier come from Georgia way,
Of ridin’ he was weary.
He tingled on the side-door ring
To hearken up his lady.
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She’s took him by the bridle line,
She’s led him to the stable.
“Here’s oats, here’s corn, here’s hay for your horse,
Let him eat what he is able.”
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She’s took him by the lily-white hand,
She’s led him to the table.
“Here’s cakes and wine for you, my dear,
Come eat what you are able.”
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She’s went to smooth his downy bed,
And she smoothed it like a lady,
And off she took her red, red dress,
Said, “Dearie, are you ready?”
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Off come his bugle soldier’s coat,
Off come his boots of leather,
And quickly into bed he jumped,
And there they lay together.
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He held her high, he held her low,
For hours one, two. and three,
When the bugle blew, she did fear so much
Did sound forth cruelly.
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“When shall we meet and marry, dear,
If you cannot tarry?”
“When cockle-shells turn silver bells,
‘Tis then that we shall marry.”
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