Page:The Ingoldsby Legends (Frowde, 1905).pdf/87

 By one, by two, by three! And the Moon that night With a grey, cold light Each baleful object tips; One half of her form Is seen through the storm, The other half's hid in Eclipse! And the cold Wind howls, And the Thunder growls, And the Lightning is broad and bright; And altogether It's very bad weather, And an unpleasant sort of a night! 'Now mount who list, And close by the wrist Sever me quickly the Dead Man's fist!— Now climb who dare Where he swings in air, And pluck me five locks of the Dead Man's hair!'

There's an old woman dwells upon Tappington Moor, She hath years on her back at the least fourscore, And some people fancy a great many more; Her nose it is hook'd. Her back it is crook'd, Her eyes blear and red: On the top of her head Is a mutch, and on that A shocking bad hat, Extinguisher-shaped, the brim narrow and flat! Then,—My Gracious!—her beard!—it would sadly perplex A spectator at first to distinguish her sex; Nor, I'll venture to say, without scrutiny could he Pronounce her, off-handed, a Punch or a Judy. Did you see her, in short, that mud-hovel within With her knees to her nose, and her nose to her chin, Leering up with that queer, indescribable grin, You'd lift up your hands in amazement, and cry, '—Well!—I never did see such a regular Guy!'

And now before That old woman's door Where nought that's good may be, Hand in hand The Murderers stand By one, by two, by three! Oh! 'tis a horrible sight to view, In that horrible hovel, that horrible crew,