I think I'm in love!
Here are some lyrics that I found, but there seems to be a bit of controversy. They're only partial...
The quaker's wife sat down to bake
And a' her bairns about her
Ilk ane got their quarter cake
The miller got his mou'ter
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Merrily danced the quaker's wife,
And merrily danced the quakers.
And here are some other possible lyrics:
THE QUAKER'S WIFE
The Quaker's wife sat down to bake
With all her bairns about her.
She made them all a sugar cake,
And the miller he wants his mouter.
Sugar and spice and all things nice,
And all things very good in it,
And then the Quaker sat down to play
A tune upon the spinet.
Merrily danced the Quaker's wife,
And merrily danced the Quaker
Merrily danced the Quaker's wife,
And merrily danced the Quaker
"Mouter" (moo-ter) is a miller's fee for grinding flour
"Bairns" (bearns) is the Scottish word for children
*sigh* I just love jigs. Wouldn't it be great if Emerald Rose did this one?! I wonder where to send requests. lol. :0)
EDIT: I found more lyrics! I find folk music fascinating... and folk dance... and folk costuming... ok ok, anything with the word "folk." One of the many reasons that I'm not all that popular with the hoity-toity academes. Meh. At least the anthropology crowd gets it.
The quaker's wife sat down to bake,
With all her bairns about her.
She made them all a sugar cake,
And the miller he wants his mouter.
Sugar and spice and all things nice,
And all things very good in it;
And then the quaker sat down to play
A tune upon the spinet.
Chorus:
Merrily dances she and also the quaker.
Merrily danced the quaker's wife and merrily danced the quaker.
The quaker's wife sat down to spin
And merrily turned the wheel, oh!
And then the quaker he looked in
To say he'd like a meal, oh!
For if you feed your good man well,
He'll love you all your life, oh!
And then to all the world he'll tell,
There never was such a wife, oh!
Merrily danced the quaker's wife and merrily danced the quaker.
Merrily danced the quaker's wife and merrily danced the quaker.
And for the last one... I promise :
The Quaker's Wife
The Quaker's wife got up to bake
With all her children round her
She gave them each a slice of cake
And there the baker found her
He chased her up and down the town
As fast as he could make her
And merrily danced the Quaker's wife
And merrily danced the Quaker
The Quaker's wife came to my door
To borrow a market penny
But I'd been had that way before
And said I hadn't any.
And oh she sighed and oh she cried
Then went up the street O
But the wind it blew her cloak a-side
And there was the butcher's meat O!
My Aunty died a week ago
And left me all her money
A little black hen a pig in a pen
And twenty jars of honey
The hen and pig they danced a jig
And knocked against the door O,
The honey it came trickling down
And stuck their feet to the floor!