| A fair young maid went up the street
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| Some white fish for to by
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| A bonnie clerk’s fall’n in love with her
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| And he followed her by and by
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| Oh where are you going my bonnie lass
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| I pray thee tell to me
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| Oh if the night be never so dark
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| I’ll come and visit thee
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| My father locks the door at ten
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| My mother keeps the key
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| If you were never such a roving blade
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| You’d never win — in to me
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| But the clerk he had a brother
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| And a wily wag was he
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| He’s made him a long ladder
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| With thirty steps and three
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| The Rold wife she was standing by
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| She heard a word was said
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| I could lay my life, says the silly old wife
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| There’s a man in our daughter’s bed
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| The old man he got out of bed
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| To see if the thing was true
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| But she’s taken the bonny clerk in her arms
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| And covered him o’er with blue
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| Up then got the old silly wife
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| To see if it were true
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| And she fell arselins in the creel
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| And up the string they drew
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| If that foul thief has gotten you
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| May he hold you so tight
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| For you’ll never stay in your bed
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| Nor rest with me at night
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| He’s towed her up, he’s towed her down
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| And given her a right down — fall
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| Till every rib an the old wife’s side
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| Played nick — nack on the wall
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| Oh the blue, the bonnie bonnie blue
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| And I wish it may do well
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| And every old wife that’s jealous of her daughter
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| Get a good kech in the creel |