The old wife she sent to the miller her daughter
to grind her grist quickly and so return back;
The miller so work'd it that in eight months after
her belly was filled as full as her sack.
Young Robin so pleas'd her that when she came home
she gap'd like a stuck pig and star'd like a mome;
She hoyden'd, she scamper'd, she holler'd, she hoop'd.
and all the day long, this, this was her song;
Was ever maiden so lericompoop'd?
"O Nelly," cried Celie, "thy clothes are all mealy,
both backside and belly are rumpled all o'er.
You mope now and flabber, why, what a pox all you?
I'll go to the miller and know all, ye whore."
She went; and the miller did grinding so ply
she came cutting capers a foot and half high,
She waddled, she straddled, she hollered, she whooped,
and all the day long this, this was her song:
Hoy, were ever two sisters so lericompoop'd?
The Mary o' the dairy, a third of their number
would fain know the cause they so jigged it about
The miller her wishes long would not encumber
but in the old manner the secret found out.
Thus Celie and Nelly and Mary the mild
where just about harvest-time all big with child
They danced in the hay, they hallowed and whooped,
and all the day long this, this was their song:
Hoy, were ever three sisters so lericompoop'd?
And when they were big they did stare at each other
and crying: "O sisters, what shall we now do?
For all our young bantlings we have but one father
and they in one month will all come to town too.
O why did we go in such haste to the mill,
to Robin, who always the toll-dish would fill,
He bump'd up our bellies then hallowed and whooped."
then all the day long this, this was their song:
Hoy, were ever three sisters so lericompoop'd?