Said the lord to the lady as he mounted his horse
'Beware of Long Lankin who lives in the moss'
Said the lord to the lady as he rode away
'Beware of Long Lanking who lives in the hay
'Let the doors all be bolted and the windows all pinned
And leave not one hole for a mouse to crawl in'
So the doors were all bolted and the windows all pinned
Except for one window which Lankin crawled in
'Where's the lord of this house?' then up spoke Long Lankin
'He's away to fair London', said the false nurse to him
'Where's the heir of this house?' then up spoke Long Lankin
'He's asleep in his bedroom', said the false nurse to him
'Then we'll prick him, we'll prick him all over with a pin
And that'll make his lady to come down to him'
So he's pricked him, he's pricked him all over with a pin
And the nurse held the basin for the blood to flow in
'Oh nurse, how you slumber, oh nurse, how you sleep
You leave my son Johnson to cry and to weep'
'I've tried him with an apple, I've tried him with a pear
Come down my fair lady, and rock him in your chair
'I've tried him with milk and I've tried him with pap
Come down my fair lady and rock him in your lap'
So the lady's come down, she was thinking no harm
But Lankin was waiting to catch her in his arms
'You can have my daughter Betsy, so young and so sweet
You can have as much money as there's stones in the street
'I don't want you daughter Betsy, nor the stones in the street
I would rather have your life's blood running down at my feet'
There was blood in the kitchen, there was blood in the hall
There was blood in the parlour where the lady did fall'
Then Betsy being up in the turret so high
She saw her father come riding by
'Oh father, oh father, don't lay the blame on me
'Twas the false nurse and Lankin killed your baby
'Oh father, oh father, don't lay the blame on me
'Twas the false nurse and Lankin killed your lady'
So Lankin was hung on the gibbet so high
And the false nurse was burned in the fire close by