When pretty Peg went down the street
Some fresh fish for to buy
But the wee town clerk followed after her
And he kissed her by and by
Chorus (after each verse):
With my tiddy-right-fol-da-liddle-dido
With my tiddy-right-fol-da-liddle-day
"Oh how can I get to your chamber, love?
Or how can I get to your bed?
When your daddy goes to bed at night
With a keen eye on his head?"
"Oh go and get the ladder, love
With thirty steps and three
And put it to the chimney top
And come down in a creel to me"
"I went and got a ladder, love
With thirty steps and three
And a creel on the top of that
And come down in the lum to thee"
No peace nor ease could the old wife get
With dreams running through her head
"I'll lay on me life," said the gay old wife
"There's a boy in me daughter's bed"
Then up the stairs the old man crept
And into the room did steal
Silence reigned where the daughter slept
And he never twigged the creel
"My curse attend you, father
What brought you up so soon?
To put me through my evening prayers
And I just lying down?"
He went back to his gay old wife
He went back to she
"She has the prayer book in her hand
And she's praying for you and me"
No peace nor ease could that old wife get
'Til she would rise and see
She came on a stumbling-block
And into the creel went she
"Oh high I rocked her, oh I rocked her
Didn't I rock her well?
For if any old wife begrudge me her daughter
I'll rock her into hell"