The Cottage In The Wood
Martin Carthy Lyrics

It's of a cottage in a wood
This is the story of a cottage that was in a wood

All underneath a hill he stood
The cottage was situated under a hill

Of a cottage in the wood
This is the story of a cottage that was in a wood

Which I never seen before
The person telling the story had never seen this cottage before

By there come a pedlar man
A pedlar man arrived there

Through and through the woods he ran
The pedlar man ran through the woods to get there

By there come the pedlar man
A pedlar man arrived there

As through and through the woods he ran
The pedlar man ran through the woods to get there

And he cried all at the door
He cried out for help at the door

Oh it's forty miles I travelled today
The pedlar man had travelled forty miles that day

Spied a cottage by the way
He saw a cottage on his way

Forty miles I travelled today
The pedlar man had travelled forty miles that day

I spied a cottage by the way
He saw a cottage on his way

Which I never seen before
The pedlar man had never seen this cottage before

Lady looked out of her window so high
A lady looked out of a high window

She saw the pedlar standing by
She saw the pedlar man standing outside

Lady looked out of her window so high
A lady looked out of a high window

She saw the pedlar standing by
She saw the pedlar man standing outside

Sing your song you pedlar man
She asked the pedlar man to sing his song

Your song you lately have begun
She wanted him to finish the song he had started singing

For me Mum and Dad are fast asleep
The lady's parents were asleep

Brothers have gone to mind the sheep
Her brothers had gone to take care of the sheep

Mum and Dad are fast asleep
The lady's parents were asleep

Brothers have gone to mind the sheep
Her brothers had gone to take care of the sheep

And I dare not let you in
She couldn't let him in

Oh but it rains it flows it hails and snows
The weather was bad

And I am wet all through my clothes
The pedlar man was wet from being outside

And I pray you let me in
He asked her to let him in

For me and my pack is worth twenty pound
He had a pack worth twenty pounds

All in silver and gold to find
It was filled with silver and gold items

Freely I would give it to thee
He would give it to her for free

All to lie one night with thee
He wanted to spend the night with her

And he has sworn by his hair of red
He made a promise

He would have her maidenhead
He wanted to take her virginity

And he cried all at the door
He cried out for help at the door

No kind sir that never can be
She didn't want to be with him

There's nobody in the house by me
She was alone in the house

No kind sir that never can be
She didn't want to be with him

There's nobody in the house by me
She was alone in the house

And I dare not let you in
She couldn't let him in

You must read my riddle and read it right
She challenged him to solve a riddle

If you would lie with me this night
As a condition to spend the night with her

Riddle me reet and riddle me right
She asked him to solve the riddle correctly

Where was I on Saturday night
The riddle was to guess where she was on Saturday night

If water was my prison to be
Another riddle was posed by her

I would swim for liberty
She would escape by swimming

So what was the boat you built for me
She asked him to tell her what boat he built for her

Down the woods and under a tree
He had built a boat down the woods and under a tree

For one moonlit night as I sat high
She spoke of a night she spent sitting high under the moonlight

I looked for one but two came by*
She was looking for someone, but two people passed by instead

For one moonlit night as I sat high
She spoke of a night she spent sitting high under the moonlight

I looked for one but two came by
She was looking for someone, but two people passed by instead

The boughs did bend the leaves did shake
The environment around her was affected by something

To see the hole that the fox did make
The environment was affected by a hole made by a fox

The pedlar cursed the pedlar swore
The pedlar man got angry and started cursing and swearing

So loudly beat all at the door
He started to beat on the door loudly

The pedlar cursed the pedlar swore
The pedlar man got angry and started cursing and swearing

So loudly beat all at the door
He started to beat on the door loudly

Get you gone you pedlar man
She told him to leave

For I know you and where you're from
She knew who the pedlar man was and where he came from

And she has looked out of her window so high
She looked out of the window again

She's spied her brothers come riding by
She saw her brothers riding by

She looked out of her window so high
She looked out of the window again

She's spied her brothers come riding by
She saw her brothers riding by

Seven brothers came to the door
Her seven brothers arrived at the door

So loudly they the horn did blow
They blew the horn loudly

Seven brothers came to the door
Her seven brothers arrived at the door

So loudly they the horn did blow
They blew the horn loudly

Down on his knees the pedlar fall
The pedlar man fell down on his knees

For mercy he did shout and bawl
He begged for mercy and shouted and cried

Oh it's all night long your grave I made
The pedlar man made his own grave all night long

All day long in wait I laid
He waited all day long

All night long your grave I made
The pedlar man made his own grave all night long

And all day long in wait I laid
He waited all day long

The lady laughed the lady sang
She laughed and sang

As through the woods the pedlar ran
The pedlar man ran through the woods

Around his heels the hounds they ran
The dogs chased the pedlar man

As round his head the bullets rang
The sound of bullets could be heard around his head

Around his heels the hounds they ran
The dogs chased the pedlar man

As round his head the bullets rang
The sound of bullets could be heard around his head

The boughs did bend the leaves did shake
The environment was affected by what was happening

To hear the cries that the fox did make
The fox's cries could be heard in the environment