Kate and her horns

You that in merriment delight, Pray listen unto what I recite So shall you satisfaction find, Will cure a melancholy mind.

A damsel fair lived in Colchester, At length a clothier courted her Six months apace, both night and day But still this damsel answered: "Nay."

At length this maid gave her consent To marry him, and straight they went Unto her parents then, and who Gave their consent and their liking too

But see the cursed fruits of gold, He left his loyal love to hold Her grief and sorrow all compassed mind While he a greater fortune found

A lawyer's daughter, fair and bright, Her parents joy and their hearts delight He did resolve to make his spouse, Denying all his former vows

Kate knew each and every night He came to his true love, Nancy by name Sometimes at ten o'clock or more Kate to a tanner, went therefore

She borrowed there an old cowhide With crooked horns, both large and wide With hairy hide horns on her head That near three feet asunder spread

Kate to a lonesome path did stray, And at length, the clothier came that way He was so sorely scared of her, She looked so like old Lucifer

And when he saw her long black tail He strove to run, but his feet did fail Kate quickly seized him by the throat And said with grim and doleful note

You leave poor Kate, as I do hear To wed the lawyer's daughter dear You shall whether you will or no, Into my gloomy regions go

Oh, Master Devil, spare my life, And I will make young Kate my wife See that you do, the Devil exclaimed Or else you'll hear from me again.

He went to Kate and married her, For fear of doleful Lucifer Her friends and parents thought it strange That there was such a sudden change

She never let her parents know, Nor any other person too Till they a year had married been, She told it at her lying-in

It pleased the women to the heart, They said she fairly played her part Her husband laughed as well as they, It was a merry and a happy day.