Dogs and Ferrets The first version here is from the Coppersongs2 CD and also from The Copper Family Song Book—A Living Tradition.
I keep my dogs and my ferrets too,
I have 'em in my keeping
To catch good hares all in the night
While the gamekeeper lies sleeping.My dogs and I went out one night
'Twas to view their habitation,
Up jumped poor puss and away ran she
Straight way to our plantation.She had not gone so very far in
Before something caught her running,
So loudly then she called out,
Aunt, I said, Uncle's just a-coming.I then drew out my little pen-knife
All quickly for to paunch her.
She turned out to be one of the female kind
How glad I was I'd catched her.Now I'll go down to some ale-house by
And I'll drink that hare quite mellow.
I'll spend a crown and a merry crown too
And say I'm a right good fellow.
The second version here was collected by Bob Copper in about 1954 from Jim Barrett, at the Fox in North Waltham, Hants: see Chapter Fifteen, pp. 123-134, of Songs and Southern Breezes for the details; and the appendix for these words.
My dog and I went out one night,
To view our habitation.
Up jumped poor puss and away she ran,
Right into my plantation.I pulled out my little penknife
Attempted for to clean her,
Don't holler, poor puss, don't holler, poor puss,
For your uncle he has got you.I put her in my little knapsack,
I chucked her across my shoulder,
I took her to a public-house
And I sold her for a crown, sir.I spent that crown and another one too,
Don't you think I'm a jolly fellow ?Now I keeps dogs and ferrets too
What I have for my keeping,
And I catches all the hares and the rabbits, too,
While the gamekeeper lays sleeping,
Sleeping - while the gamekeeper lays sleeping.
Under the title "Hares in the Old Plantation" a song with similar words but a different tune is sung by The Watersons on Green Fields. Those words were collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams from Noah Fisher, according to A. L. Lloyd's notes from the sleeve and insert. Another, different song by that name is sung by Martin Carthy on Common Tongue. The words on the latter, collected from Shadrach Haden, are similar to those above. See Martin Carthy's note.
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