THREE DISHES AND SIX QUESTIONS



"Oh go away, you silly man,

And do not bother me.

Before that you can lie with me

You must cook me dishes three.

Three dishes you must cook for me

And I will eat them all.

Then you and I in the bed will lie,

And you'll lie next to the wall.



"For my breakfast you must cook

A bird without any bones.

And for my dinner you must cook

A cherry without any stones.

And for my supper you must cook

A bird without a gall.

Then you and I in the bed will lie,

And you'll lie next to the wall. "

"Oh, while the bird is in the shell,

It surely has no bones;

And while the cherry is blossoming

It surely has no stones;

The dove is a gentle bird

And flies without a gall.

Now you and I in one bed will lie,

And you'll lie next to the wall. "





"Oh go away, you silly'man;

And do not me perplex,

Before that you can lie with me,

You must answer questions six.

Six questions you must answer me,

As I repeat them all.

Then you and I in the bed will lie,

And you'll lie next to the wall.



"What is rounder than a ring?

What's higher than a tree?

What is worse than a woman's tongue?

What's deeper than the sea?

What bird sings first and what one best,

And where does the dew first fall?

Then you and I in the bed will lie,

And you'll lie next to the wall."



"This world is rounder than a ring,

Heaven's higher than a tree.

The devil's worse than a woman's tongue.

Hell's deeper than the sea.

The lark sings first, the sparrow best,

And out does the dew first fall.

Now you and I in the bed will lie,

And you'll lie next to the wall. "



from Folk Songs out of Wisconsin, Peters

collected from Charles Dietz, Monroe, Wisconsin, 1946.

Child #46

@courtship @riddles @ballad

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