Captain Woodstock's Courtship lyrics

As I rode out one May morning,

Down by a shady lane,

I met with Captain Woodstock,

The keeper of the game.

He said unto his servant,

If it was not for the law,

I'd have that maid in bed with me,

And she'd lay next to the wall.

Oh, what is rounder than a ring,

What is higher than a tree,

What is worse than a woman's tongue,

What is deeper than the sea,

What tree buds first and what bird sings best.

Now answer my questions all,

Before I'll lay one night with you

At either stock or wall.

Well the world is rounder than a ring,

Heaven's higher than a tree,

The devil is worse than a woman's tongue,

Hell is deeper than the sea,

And the oak buds first but the rush sings best,

And I've answered your questions all.

So shake you up that old straw bed,

You're gonna lie next to the wall.

It's for my breakfast,

You must bring me chickens without bones

For my dinner, you must bring me

Cherries without stones,

And for my supper, you must bring me

A bird without a gall,

Before I'll lay one night with you

At either stock or wall.

Well, when the chicken is in the egg,

I'm sure it has no bone,

When a cherry's in blossom,

I'm sure it has no stone,

A dove she is a gentle bird,

And she flies without a gall.

So shake you up that old straw bed,

You're gonna lie next to the wall.

Oh, you must bring me

A summer fruit that in December grew,

And you must bring me

A silken gown of web that never went through,

And you must bring me

A priest unmourned to join us one and all,

Before I'll lay one night with you

At either stock or wall.

Well, my father's got a summer fruit

That in December grew.

Mother's got a silken gown of web

That never went through.

Melchisedech is a priest unmourned,

Who'll join us one and all.

So shake you up that old straw bed,

You're gonna lie next to the wall.

So shake you up that old straw bed,

You must lie next to the wall.