The Creel
Love's Escape: A Tale in Song
Lyrics
A fair young maid went down the street
A young woman walks down the street
Some fresh fish for to buy
She intends to buy some fresh fish
And a bonnie young clerk fell
A handsome young clerk falls in love with her
In love with her
He starts to follow her discreetly
And he followed her by and by
He continues to follow her
How will I get to your chamber love
The clerk wonders how he can reach her room
How will I get to your bed
He questions how to get into her bed
When your father he locks the door at night
Concerns about her father locking the door at night
And the keys lie under his sleepy head
The keys are under the father's head while he sleeps
Get a ladder newly made
Suggests creating a ladder with 43 steps
Both forty steps and three
Specifies the number of steps in the ladder
And put it against the chimney top
Advises placing the ladder against the chimney
Come down in a creel to me
Asks the woman to come down in a creel (basket)
They hadn't been there five minutes or more
Shortly after entering, someone notices them
When the old one said below
The father realizes there might be more than one person in his daughter's bed
There's more than one in my daughter's bed
The father decides to investigate and go upstairs
And it's up the stairs I lightly go
The old one took a peep inside
He peeks inside to confirm the situation
To see if it be true
Something startles the daughter, making a noise
When her foot gave a shot to the chamber pot
The daughter's foot accidentally hits the chamber pot
And into the creel she flew
The daughter quickly gets into the creel (basket)
Rise up and help me, husband dear
The wife asks her husband for help
You hear me scream and yell
She screams for assistance, fearing the devil's influence
For the devil has got me in his cart
The wife worries about going to hell
And fear I'll go to a fiery hell
Hold your tongue you daft old wife
He tells his wife to be silent, disregarding her fears of death
Or ill death may be thine
Warns the wife about the consequences between her and their daughter
For between yourself and your daughter dear
Indicates it's time for the dawn to come
It's time for the sun to rise and shine
Comment