John Clare - The Fox lyrics

The shepherd on his journey heard when nigh His dog among the bushes barking high The ploughman ran and gave a hearty shout He found a weary fox and beat him out The ploughman laughed and would have ploughed him in But the old shepherd took him for the skin He lay upon the furrow stretched for dead The old dog lay and licked the wounds that bled The ploughman beat him till his ribs would crack And then the shepherd slung him at his back And when he rested, to his dog's surprise The old fox started from his dead disguise And while the dog lay panting in the sedge He up and snapt and bolted through the hedge He scampered to the bushes far away The shepherd called the ploughman to the fray The ploughman wished he had a gun to shoot The old dog barked and followed the pursuit The shepherd threw his hook and tottered past The ploughman ran but none could go so fast The woodman threw his f*ggot from the way And ceased to chop and wondered at the fray But when he saw the dog and heard the cry He threw his hatchet--but the fox was bye The shepherd broke his hook and lost the skin He found a badger hole and bolted in They tried to dig, but, safe from danger's way He lived to chase the hounds another day