Sung to Helen Creighton by Richard Hartlan, South-East Passage

original key E Major

Three Men Went a Hunting

j
a

#6 j & 8
5

Allegro

# & # & & # & # & #

til

Ah

three

they came

j j

men went

hunt -

j J

j
but

that

ing,

noth - ing could

to

hay -

J J

they

stack

and

they

left

"hay -

En

- glish man

said

stack,"

the

Scot - tish

he

said

be - hind.

find

"Oh

Un -

The

j j

"Nay."

be -

13

dad," said Pat,

"It's the end

j
at

of

the world" and the whole three ran

j j
of

a - way.

Chorus

And

it's

17

on

ly

that

now,

look

what do

you think

that

now?

21

On

ly

j
at

that

now,

um

um

look

Fath - er

did - dle

dey.

2. Those three men went a-hunting, but nothing could they nd Until they came to a milestone, and that they left behind. The Englishman said, "Milestone," the Scottish he said, "Nay," "Oh, bedad," said Pat, "it's a plum-pudding tree And the currents was blowed away." CHORUS 3. Those three men went a-hunting, but nothing could they nd, Until they came to a monkey, and that they left behind. The Englishman said, "Monkey," the Scottish he said, "Nay," "Oh bedad," said Pat, "he's your grandfather And his whiskers is turning grey." CHORUS 4. Those three men went a-hunting, but nothing could they nd, Until they came to a donkey, and that they left behind. The Englishman said, "Donkey," the Scottish he said, "Nay," "Oh bedad," said Pat, "it's an elephant And his trunk is on the wrong way." CHORUS

5. Those three men went a-hunting, but nothing could they nd, Until they came to a ship in full sail, and that they left behind. The Englishman said, "Ship in full sail," the Scottish he said, "Nay," "Oh bedad," said Pat, "it's a washing tub And the clothes hung out to dry." CHORUS 7. Oh three men went a-hunting, but nothing could they nd, Until they came to a toll gate, and that they left behind. The Englishman said, "toll gate," the Scottish he said, "Nay," "Oh bedad," said Pat, "it's the end of the world And the rest of them ran away." CHORUS

Notes * I believe folksongs should live! Sing as many or as few verses as you like. Add actions or clapping games, or create new verses with your students. ** Verse 6 has been deliberately excluded. If you are curious, consult Helen Creighton's Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia (p 202) *** The rhythm in measure 12 has been simplied. **** The rst line of text has ve variations. I altered the text to keep the rst line consistent except for the rst and last verses.