Chapter 1 No.1

All the boys in our town

Shall lead a happy life,

Except 'tis --, and he wants a wife.

A wife he shall have, and a-courting he shall go,

Along with --, because he loves her so.

He huddles her, he cuddles her,

He sits her on his knee;

He says, My dear, do you love me?

I love you, and you love me,

And we shall be as happy

As a bird upon a tree.

The wife makes the pudding,

And she makes it nice and soft-

In comes the husband and cuts a slice off.

Tas-el-um, Tos-el-um, don't say Nay,

For next Monday morning shall be our wedding day;

The wife in the carriage,

The husband in the cart.

-Hampshire (from friend of Miss Mendham).