                                      1816
                        OVER THE HILL AND OVER THE DALE
                                 by John Keats

        Over the hill and over the dale,
          And over the bourn to Dawlish-
        Where gingerbread wives have a scanty sale
          And gingerbread nuts are smallish.

        Rantipole Betty she ran down a hill
          And kicked up her petticoats fairly;
        Says I I'll be Jack if you will be Gill-
          So she sat on the grass debonairly.

        Here's somebody coming, here's somebody coming!
          Says I 'tis the wind at a parley;
        So without any fuss any hawing and humming
          She lay on the grass debonairly.

        Here's somebody here and here's somebody there!
          Says I hold your tongue you young Gipsey;
        So she held her tongue and lay plump and fair
          And dead as a Venus tipsy.

        O who wouldn't hie to Dawlish fair,
          O who wouldn't stop in a Meadow,
        O who would not rumple the daisies there
          And make the wild fern for a bed do!

                        THE END
.
