Classic Poem

There was an old man who lived in the wood
As you can plainly see,
Who said he could do more work in one day
Than his wife could do in three.

"If this be true," the old woman said,
"Why, this you must allow:
You must do my work for one day
While I go drive the plow.

"And you must feed [milk] the Tiny cow
For fear she will go dry,
And you must feed the little pigs
That are within the sty.

"And you must watch the speckled hen
Lest she should lay astray,
And you must wind the reel of yarn
That I spun yesterday."

The old woman took the staff in her hand
And went to drive the plow,
The old man took the pail in his hand
And went to milk the cow.

But Tiny hitched and Tiny flitched,
And Tiny cocked her nose,
And Tiny gave the old man such a kick
That the blood ran down to his hose.

It's "Hey, my good cow!" and "Ho, my good cow!"
And, "Now, my good cow, stand still!
If ever I milk this cow again,
'Twill be against my will."

But Tiny hitched and Tiny flitched,
And Tiny cocked her nose,
And Tiny gave the old man such a kick
That the blood ran down to his hose.

And when he had milked the Tiny cow
For fear she would go dry,
Why then he fed the little pigs
That are within the sty.

And then he watched the speckled hen
Lest she should lay astray,
But he forgot the reel of yarn
His wife spun yesterday.

He swore by all the stars in the sky
And all the leaves on the tree
His wife could do more work in one day
Than he could do in three.

He swore by all the leaves on the tree
And all the stars in heaven
That his wife could do more work in one day
Than he could do in seven.