Fox went out on a Chilly Night
Acrylic collage on 30 x 15 canvas
The fox went out on a chilly night,
he prayed to the Moon to give him light,
for he'd many a mile to go that night
before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o,
he had many a mile to go that night
before he reached the town-o.
He ran till he came to a great big pen
where the ducks and the geese were put therein.
"A couple of you will grease my chin
before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o,
a couple of you will grease my chin
before I leave this town-o.”
He grabbed the grey goose by the neck,
throwed a duck across his back;
he didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
and their legs all a-dangling down-o, down-o, down-o,
he didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
and their legs all a-dangling down-o.
Old Mother Flipper-Flopper[ jumped out of bed;
out of the window she cocked her head,
Crying, "John, John! The grey goose is gone
and the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o!"
Crying, "John, John, the grey goose is gone
and the fox is on the town-o!”
Then John he went to the top of the hill,
blowed his horn both loud and shrill,
the fox he said, "I'd better flee with my kill
or they'll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o."
The fox he said, "I'd better flee with my kill
or they'll soon be on my trail-o.”
He ran till he came to his cozy den;
there were the little ones eight, nine, ten.
They said, "Daddy, better go back again,
'cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o!"
They said, "Daddy, better go back again,
'cause it must be a mighty fine town-o.”
Then the fox and his wife without any strife
cut up the goose with a fork and knife.
They never had such a supper in their life
and the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o,
they never had such a supper in their life
and the little ones chewed on the bones-o.
the earliest version of this song appears to have been a Middle English poem, dating from the 15th century, found in the British Museum.[1][2]
