| |
| ALLEN-A-DALE 1 has no fagot for burning, | |
| Allen-a-Dale has no furrow for turning, | |
| Allen-a-Dale has no fleece for the spinning, | |
| Yet Allen-a-Dale has red gold for the winning. | |
| Come, read me my riddle! come, hearken my tale! | 5 |
| And tell me the craft of bold Allen-a-Dale. | |
| |
| The Baron of Ravensworth prances in pride, | |
| And he views his domains upon Arkindale side. | |
| The mere for his net and the land for his game. | |
| The chase for the wild and the park for the tame: | 10 |
| Yet the fish of the lake and the deer of the vale | |
| Are less free to Lord Dacre than Allen-a-Dale! | |
| |
| Allen-a-Dale was ne’er belted a knight, | |
| Though his spur be as sharp and his blade be as bright; | |
| Allen-a-Dale is no baron or lord, | 15 |
| Yet twenty tall yeomen will draw at his word; | |
| And the best of our nobles his bonnet will vail, | |
| Who at Rere-cross on Stanmore meets Allen-a-Dale! | |
| |
| Allen-a-Dale to his wooing is come; | |
| The mother, she asked of his household and home: | 20 |
| ‘Though the castle of Richmond stand fair on the hill, | |
| My hall,’ quoth bold Allen, ‘shows gallanter still; | |
| ’Tis the blue vault of heaven, with its crescent so pale | |
| And with all its bright spangles!’ said Allen-a-Dale. | |
| |
| The father was steel and the mother was stone; | 25 |
| They lifted the latch and they bade him be gone; | |
| But loud on the morrow their wail and their cry: | |
| He had laughed on the lass with his bonny black eye | |
| And she fled to the forest to hear a love-tale, | |
| And the youth it was told by was Allen-a-Dale! | 30 |
