Text:
{The week before Christmas the morris dancers used to come
round. There were several actors: 1st, Tom Fool, dressed in
imitation rags and tatters, with big yellow letters T and F on
his back; 2nd, the lady (or witch) a man dressed in hat and
veil and gaudy sash round the waist; 3rd, a fiddler, generally
dressed in a red coat; 4th, the farmer's son, a bit of a dandy;
and two others, dressed "a bit comical." When the party
came to a house they proposed visiting, Tom Fool went in and
said:-}
[Tom Fool]
"Here comes I that's niver been yet,
With my great head and little wit,
A noa what my wife en me likes best,
En we'll hev it too: a leg ev a lark, en the limb of a loose,
En cut a great thumpin' toast offen a farden loaf."
{If Tom Fool saw that he was welcome, they all came in and
sat down, Tom Fool taking care to be near the lady, whom he
courted with much palaver and "dittiment"; there sweet
converse was then stopped by the farmer's son, who began to
court the fair dame, telling her "she mun niver tek up wi' a
critter like that," as he could never keep her, &c. So poor
Tom Fool got the sack, and went and stood in a corner and
openly bewailed his hard fate. After a bit the farmer's son
moved off, and Tom Fool came back and declared if she
would only have him she "sud ha' bacon fliks, and flour I' th'
bin, en ivverything, if we wain't take tek notice a' that chap wi'
his ruffles and danglements." At last they agreed to marry,
which ceremony was performed in a corner, one of the actors
being parson. The wedding was then celebrated in dance and
song; after that, bread, cheese, beer, &c., was given to the
players who then retired and went elsewhere to "say their
piece." The songs I have not been able to get hold of, but
appear to have been variable and dependent on the original
actor's taste.}
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