Ralph Moody Came Hobbling Along,
As Though He Some Cripple Was Mocking,
To Join In The Blackguard Throng,
That Met At Wednesbury Cocking.
He Borrowed A Trifle Of Doll,
To Back Old Taverner's Grey;
He Laid Fourpence-Halfpenny To Fourpence,
He Lost And Went Broken Away.
But soon he returned to the pit,
For he'd borrowed a trifle more money,
And ventured another large bet,
Along with blobbermouth Coney.
When Coney demanded his money,
As is usual on all such occasions,
He cried, - thee, if thee don't hold thy rattle,
I'll pay thee as Paul paid the Ephasians.
The morning's sport being over,
Old Spittle a dinner proclaimed,
Each man he should dine for a groat,
If he grumbled he ought to be - ,
For there was plenty of beef,
But Spittle he swore by his troth,
That never a man should dine
Till he ate his noggin of broth.
The beef it was old and tough,
Off a bull that was baited to death,
Barney Hyde got a lump in his throat,
That had like to have stopped his breath,
The company all fell into confusion,
At seeing poor Barney Hyde choke;
So they took him into the kitchen,
And held him over the smoke.
They held him so close to the fire,
He frizzled just like a beef-steak,
They then threw him down on the floor,
Which had like to have broken his neck.
One gave him a kick on the stomach,
Another a kick on the brow,
His wife said, Throw him into the stable,
And he'll be better just now.
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