The Urchin BalladOnce an urchin-hog saw a maiden,
C/Am
With bows all in her hair,
C/G
Who came unto the forest edge,
Am/C/G/E
Until he spied her there,
Am/Em
Once an urchin-hog saw a maiden,
With bows all in her hair,
Who came unto the forest edge,
Until he spied her there,
She’d curls soft as a lamb’s wool coat,
He’d spines sharp as a knife,
He gave to her a bluebell flower,
And pledged to her his life.
When an urchin-hog wooed a maiden,
He rode on a yearling doe,
Until he came to her father’s hall
And called for her to show,
When an urchin-hog wooed a maiden,
Her father, this he said,
“Before my daughter weds a hog,
I’ll see that hog fall dead.”
He met the hog with two good swords,
And bade the urchin choose,
On which to rest his dainty paw,
On which his life to lose;
The hog said “you insult me, sir,
To think I have no blade:
I’ve a hundred sabres on my back,
To see your words repaid.
Her father struck out once and twice,
But nothing did he gain,
Then stepped onto the urchin’s spines
And fell right back in pain,
So the urchin said to the maiden,
“Our freedom I have earned,”
He sat the maiden on his doe,
And to the woods returned
When an urchin-hog wed a maiden,
All through the summer long,
He danced and sang like a gentleman,
And wrote his love a song,
And when the winter came around,
His wife, you can be sure,
Did curl up into an urchin-ball,
And they wait there ‘til the thaw!