O I?ve got a dog and a good dog too
And I keeps him in my keeping
For to catch those hares that run by night
Whilst the gamekeepers lie sleeping

My dog and me went out one night
For to learn some education
Up jumps a hare and away she ran
Into a large plantation

She had not gone so very far
Before something stopped her running,
O Aunt! O Aunt! /One leap from a dog/ she loudly cried,
Stop a minute, your Uncle's coming!

Oh I took out my little penknife
And quickly I did paunch her,
She turned out one of the female kind
I?m mighty glad I caught her

I picked her up and I smoothed her down
And I put her in my keeping
And I said to my dog ?It's time to be going
Whilst the gamekeepers are still sleeping

Me and my dog went to the town,
And sold the hare to a labouring man
And I sold him for a crown.

We then went to some public house
And there we got well mellow;
For we spent that crown and another one too,
Don't you think I'm a good-hearted fellow?

(repeat 1st verse)

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Chris Woods - Knock John

Notes:
Chris Woods took this from "Folk songs of Old Hampshire" and has altered it slightly. The version that appeared in this book was collected by Dr George Gardiner in Marchwood in 1907 - see the forum discussion link below for further details) The odd verse with only 3 lines is correct as per the Woods' text.

The tune/abc is my best attempt at transcribing the song from a recording made by Chris Woods and Andy Cutting. In the actual performance, some notes do vary from verse to verse.

Roud: 363 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: