Folk Song

THE OLD BLACK DUCK*
submitted by Jim {Jim Garner}

One moonshiney night the fox started out;

He prayed for the moon to 'ford him light,

For he had many miles to travel that night

Before he reached the town-oh.

At last he came to the farmer's yard

Where the ducks and geese were both a-feerd:

"The best of you will grease my beard

Before I leave the town-oh!"

He seized the old black duck by the neck,

Tore her and swung her across his back.

The old black duck went "Quack, quack, quack!"

As the fox sailed through the town-oh.

Old Betty Widdlewaddle jumped out of the bed,

Out of the window she popped her old head.

Says "John, John, John! The black duck's gone!"

And the fox sailed through the town-oh.

John jumped up and he ran to the hill;

He blew his horn both loud and shrill.

The fox he heard the music shrill

As he sailed through the town-oh.

At last he came to his den

Where the young ones - there were nine or ten -

Tore her up without knife or fork,

and the young ones picked the bones-oh.

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* As remembered and recited by Jacob B. Garner, age 85, on 10 May 1997, less than two months before his death. Copied by Jim Garner from the oral recitation. J.B. said "I'll bet I've heard Nan Williams sing that a thousand times." Aunt Nannie Frances Garner Williams was born in 1878 in Pulaski County, Kentucky and lived around Faubush and Ingle her entire life.

Aunt Nan stayed with us sporadically from the late 1950's until about 1967. I could remember her singing about a fox going out on a moonlit night but couldn't recall anything else about the song. When I happened to mention this to Daddy, he raised his head a bit, opened one eye, and said, "That's 'The Old Black Duck' ", and proceeded to recite it. At my request, he did so a second time, much slower, so I could write it out.

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