John Fox

DESCRIPTION: John Fox is caught stealing a hen. Expecting death, he makes his confession: his father was a thief; he steals to support his wife's appetite; he stole lambs before being caught. If you marry such a wife "train her wi' the rod. Use her to nae delicacies"
AUTHOR: Sawney Riddell (source: Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast)
EARLIEST DATE: 1908 (Greig/Duncan3)
KEYWORDS: warning theft humorous animal chickens sheep father wife abuse
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #103, p. 1, "John Fox" (1 text)
Greig/Duncan3 498, "John Fox" (1 text)
Roud #5984
NOTES [59 words]: Greig notes that the author, who is also the man who owned the stolen lambs in the song, must have written it "in the earlier part of last [19th] century, when the depredations of the fox had to be reckoned with. The song begins "There lives a man into this place, John Fox it is his name, And o' a' the ill deen hereaboot John Fox he gets the blame." - BS
Last updated in version 2.4
File: GrD3498

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