Love

The Marriage of the Frog and the Mouse

by Anonymous (Elizabethan songs) c. 1588–1630

From Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age, ed. A. H. Bullen (London: Nimmo, 1891)

Love

It was the frog in the well,
Humbledum, humbledum,
And the merry mouse in the mill,
Tweedle, tweedle, twino.

The frog would a wooing ride
Sword and buckler by his side.

When he upon his high horse set,
His boots they shone as black as jet.

When he came to the merry mill-pin,—
"Lady Mouse, been you within?"

Then came out the dusty mouse:
"I am Lady of this house:

Hast thou any mind of me?"
"I have e'en great mind of thee?"

"Who shall this marriage make?"
"Our Lord which is the rat,"

"What shall we have to our supper?"
"Three beans in a pound of butter?"

When supper they were at,
The frog, the mouse, and e'en the rat;

Then came in Gib our cat,
And catched the mouse e'en by the back.

Then did they separate,
And the frog leaped on the floor so flat.

Then came in Dick our drake,
And drew the frog e'en to the lake.

The rat run up the wall,
Humbledum, humbledum;
A goodly company, the Devil go with all!
Tweedle tweedle twino.

✦ ✦ ✦

From Melismata, 1611.

MLA

Anonymous (Elizabethan songs). “The Marriage of the Frog and the Mouse.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-elizabethan-songs/69/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Elizabethan songs). “The Marriage of the Frog and the Mouse.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-elizabethan-songs/69/.

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