"Come, lads," cried Pipe, "cannot we have a song?"
"Aye, aye, a song, a song!" was called from all sides.
"What shall it be?" asked Blythe. "I will gladly accompany Captain Clearview here, who is an excellent singer. Captain, what say you? Shall we have 'Woodmen, Boatmen, Sailors and Horsemen?' The lads like that and can join in the chorus."
"Play away!" said Clearview, and at the proper note he struck in and sang the following song, in the refrain of which all the company joined:
THE BROWNIES' NATIONAL SONG.
O MERRY AND FREE!
OR
WOODMEN, BOATMEN, SAILORS AND HORSEMEN.
I.
O merry and free,
'Neath the wildwood tree,
Are the Woodmen of Brownieland, bonnie and dee;
Too—ra—lah, too—ra—loo, too—ra—lay!
In the breeze there is balm,
In the sky there is calm,
Each sound in the wood is the voice of a psalm;
Too—ra—lah, too—ra—loo, too—ra—lay!
II.