Classic Poem

As I walked out one morning in May,
Just before the break of day,
I heard two brothers making their moan,
And I listened a while to what they did say,
I heard two brothers making their moan,
And I listened a while to what they did say.

"We have a brother in prison," said they,
"Oh in prison lieth he!
If we had but ten men just like ourselves,
The prisoner we would soon set free!"
"If we had but ten men just like ourselves,
The prisoner we would soon set free."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Bold Dickie said he,
"Oh, no, no, that never can be!
For forty men is full little enough
And I for to ride in their company.

"Ten to hold the horses in,
Ten to guard the city about,
And ten for to stand at the prison door,
And ten to fetch poor Archer out."

They mounted their horses, and so rode they,
Who but they so merrily!
They rode till they came to a broad river's side,
And there they alighted so manfully.

They mounted their horses, and so swam they,
Who but they so manfully;
They swam till they came to the other side,
And there they alighted so drippingly.

They mounted their horses, and so rode they,
Who but they so gallantly;
They rode till they came to that prison door,
And there they alighted so manfully.

"Poor Archer, poor Archer!" Bold Dickie says he,
"Oh, look you not so mournfully!
For I've forty men in my company,
And I have come to set you free."

"Oh, no, no, no!" poor Archer says he,
"Oh, no, no, that never can be,
For I have forty pounds of good Spanish iron
Betwixt my ankle and my knee."

Bold Dickie broke lock, Bold Dickie broke key,
Bold Dickie broke everything he could see;
He took poor Archer under one arm,
And carried him out so manfully.

They mounted their horses, and so rode they,
Who but they so merrily!
They rode till they came to that broad river's side
And there they alighted so manfully.

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," poor Archer says he,
"Take my love home to my wife and children three;
For my horse grows lame, he cannot swim,
And here I see that I must dee."

They shifted their horses, and so swam they,
Who but they so daringly;
They swam till they came to the other side,
And there they alighted so shiveringly.

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie!" poor Archer says he,
"Look you yonder there and see;
For the high sheriff he is a-coming,
With an hundred men in his company."

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie!" High Sheriff says he,
"You're the damndest rascal that ever I see;
Go bring me back the iron you've stole,
And I will set the prisoner free."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Bold Dickie says he,
"Oh, no, no, that never can be!
For the iron will do to shoe the horses,--
The blacksmith rides in our company."

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie!" High Sheriff says he,
"You're the damndest rascal that ever I see!"
"I thank you for nothing," Bold Dickie says he,
"And you're a damned fool for following me!"