Barleycorn
There were three farmers in the north, as they were passing bythey swore an oath so mighty oh that Barleycorn should dieone of them said: drown him and the other sad: hang him highfor whoever will stick to Barleycorn a-begging he will die
they put poor Barley into a sack an a cold an rainy dayand took him out to cornfields and buried him in the clayfrost and snow began to melt and dew began to fallwhen Barleygrain put up his head and he soon surprised them all
being in the summer season and the harvest coming onit's the time he stands up in the field with a beard like any manthe reaper then came with his sickle and used me barberouslyhe cut me in the middle so small and he cut me above the knee
the next came was the binder and he looked at me with a frownfor in the middle there was a thistle which pulled his courage downthe farmer came with his pitch fork and he pierced me to the heartlike a thief, a rogue or a highwayman they tied me to the cart
the thresher came with his big flail and soon he broke my bonescould grieve the heart of any man to hear my sighs and moansthe next thing that they've done to me they steeped me in the wellthey left me there for a day and night until I began to swell
and next thing that they've done to me they dried me in a kilnthey used me ten times worse, than that they ground me in the millthey used me in the kitchen, they used me in the halloh they used me in the parlour among the ladies all
the Barleygrain is a comical grain, it makes men sigh and moanfor when they drink a glass or two they forget their wives and homethe drunkard is a dirty man, he used me worst of allhe drank me up in his dirty mouth an he tumbled against the wall