Mother, will you buy me a milking-can,
A milking-can, a milking-can?
Mother, will you buy me a milking-can,
To me, I, O, OM?
Where’s the money to buy it with,
To buy it with, to buy it with,
Where’s the money to buy it with,
To me, I, O, OM?
[Then the following verses—]
Sell my father’s feather bed.
Where will your father sleep?
My father can sleep in the boys’ bed.
Where will the boys sleep?
The boys can sleep in the pig-sty.
Where will the pigs sleep?
The pigs can sleep in the wash-tub.
Where shall I wash my clothes?
You can wash them in a thimble.
A thimble is not large enough.
You can wash them in an egg-shell.
An egg-shell would not hold them.
You can wash them by the river side.
But what if I should fall in?
We’ll get a rope and pull you out,
To me, I, O, OM.
—Sheffield (S. O. Addy).
Mother, come buy me two milking-pails,
Two milking-pails, two milking-pails,
Mother, come buy me two milking-pails,
O sweet mother o’ mine.
[Then verses beginning with the following lines—]
Where shall I get my money from,
O sweet daughter o’ mine?
Sell my father’s feather beds.
Where shall your father sleep?
Sleep in the servant’s bed.
Where shall the servant sleep?
Sleep in the washing-tub.
Where shall I wash the clothes?
Wash them in the river.
Suppose the clothes float away?
Take a boat and go after them.
Suppose the boat upsets?
Then you will be drownded.