As beautiful Kitty one morning was tripping
With a pitcher of milk from the fair of Coleraine
When she saw me she stumbled the pitcher it tumbled
And all the sweet buttermilk water'd the plain.
"Oh what shall I do now 'twas looking at you now,
Sure, sure such a pitcher I'll ne'er see again.
'Twas the pride of my dairy! Oh! Barney McCleary,
You're sent as a plague to the girls in Coleraine."

I sat down beside her and gently did chide her
That such a misfortune should give her such pain;
A kiss there I gave her and before I did leave her
She vowed for such pleasure she'd break it again.
'Twas hay-making season, I can't tell the reason,
Misfortune will never come singly 'tis plain.
For very soon after poor Kitty's disaster
Och! never a pitcher was whole in Coleraine.

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Singing Together, Autumn 1984, BBC Publications

Notes:
From Ireland.

It is very easy to read sexual allusion into songs where it was not intended, but this one seems very plain to me. I wonder how it came to be included in a book of songs for schools?

Roud: 6534 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: