Old Daddy Fox went out one night
When the moon and the stars did shine so bright,
He went into the old farmers yard,
Where the ducks and the geese did quack so hard, hard,
Where the ducks and the geese did quack so hard.

Old Mother Wigger Wagger jumped out of bed,
She down with the window and out with her head,
Crying, Rise, Jack, rise, the grey goose is dead,
And the fox is gone out of the town, town,
And the fox is gone out of the town.

Out jumped the little ones, eight nine ten
They lick-ed up the goose no plate, knife or fork,
And the young one picked all the bones, bones,
And the young ones picked all the bones.

abc | midi | pdf

---

Source: Garners Gay, EDFS Publications,1968

Notes:
This version collected by Fred Hamer from Mrs Julian in Cornwall. This song is extemely widespread - Mr Hamer refers to three different versions in Cornwall, and also that his mother used to sing him to sleep with her Irish version. Vance Randolph published in "Ozark Folksongs" under the title "The Fox Walked Out".
The earliest printed reference Vance Randoph found cited by Peter and Iona Opie, namely Gammer Gurton's Garland, 1810

The song was further popularised as a result of various Burl Ives recordings.

Two American versions:

The Fox (Towneo) (lyrics & sound recording; As sung by Becky Drury, (She didn't give her home town) on July 14, 1967), from The Max Hunter Folk Song Collection.

THE FOX AND THE GOOSE (THE FOX WALKED OUT) (lyrics & sound recording; Sung by: Mrs. Claude Collie), form The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection.



Roud: 131 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child:

---

Related Songs:  The Fox (thematic)