The cutty wren
Oh where are you going said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Fessel to Foze
We're off to the woods said John the red nose
We're off to the woods said John the red nose
What will you do there
We may not tell you
We'll hunt the cutty wren
With what will you shoot her
we may not tell you
With bows and with arrows
That will not do
Oh what will do then
Big guns and big cannons
How will you bring her home
We may no tell you
On four strong men's shoulders
Now that will not do
What will do then
Big carts and big waggons
How will you cut her up
We may not tell you
With knives and with forks
That will not do
Oh what will do then
Big hatchets and cleavers
Now who'll get the spare ribs
We may not tell you
We'll give all to the poor
From From Dave and Tom - but by that time I had seen Arnold Wesker's Chips with everything where the song plays the part of real folk tradition, as opposed to sentimental ballads.
Nobody really knows where it comes from. A.L.Lloyd - quite an authority - argued that it was from the peasants' revolt in 1381. And the wren is a poor victim (Richard II?) who is to be killed and given to the poor.
The alternative explanation is the hunting of the cutty wren at the end of the year - a version of the sacrifice of the Year King - see the Golden Bough.
There are a number of far-fetched songs about small creatures giving meat to multitudes. The Derby Ram and so on.
The first record of the song is in the 18th century.