The Little Man & the Little Maid (1807) There was a little man, and he wooed a little maid, and he said, 'Little maid, will you wed, wed, wed? I have little more to say, than will you , aye or nay? For the least said is soonest amended, ded.' The little maid replied, 'Should I be your little bride, pray what shall we have for eat, eat, eat? Will the flame you're only rich in, light a fire in the kitchen, or the little god of love turn the spit, spit, spit?'

The little man replied, and some say a little cried, for his little heart was big with sorrow, sorrow, sorrow, 'My offers are but small, but you have my little all and what we have not got we must borrow, borrow, borrow. The little man thus spoke, his heart was almost broke, and all for the sake of her charms, charms, charms. The little maid relents, and, softened, she consents, the little man to take to her arms, arms, arms.

The little maid's consent, obtained, to church they went, where the parson joined their hands with pleasure, pleasure, pleasure. With rapture now he eyed his blooming little bride. His all! His house and lands! His treasure, treasure, treasure. They passed their days away, as all the neigbours say, in feasting, mirth and play, and dancing, dancing, dancing; The little maid, they say, tripped merrily away, with her little man so gay, lightly prancing, prancing, prancing.

The honeymoon soon over, no more a flaming lover, the little man repents, of his folly, folly, folly; His little cash had fled, while he droops his pensive head, and in sighs his sorrows vents, a prey to melancholy. The little maid grew bold, she would rant and she would scold, and call her little man a great oaf, oaf, oaf. He wished the deuce would take her, while the butcher or the baker, would not trust him for a chop, or a loaf, loaf, loaf.

The little man reflected, his little means neglected would serve but to increase his sorrow, sorrow, sorrow. To his little wife he cried, 'Let us lay our feuds aside, and endeavour to provide for tomorrow, morrow, morrow. His little wife repented, to his wishes she consented, and said she would work, with her needle, needle, needle. The little man was not idle, he played upon the fiddle, and he earned a good living with his tweedle, tweedle, tweedle.

To the little man's great joy, he soon had a little boy, which made his little heart quite glad, glad, glad. 'T'was the little mother's pleasure to nurse her little treasure, which rapture did impart to his dad, dad, dad. Now everything was smiling, there was no more reviling, while cheerful plenty crowned their labours, labours, labours. The little man with joy would take his little boy, and show him all around to his neighbours, neighbours, neighbours.