THE
TRIAL and EXECUTION
OF THE
SPARROW
FOR KILLING
COCK ROBIN.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS.
——————
Price 1s. Plain, or 1s. 6d. Coloured.

They laid COCK ROBIN in his grave,
And after that they sung a stave,
And then they sent to fetch the sparrow
Who kill'd him with the bow and arrow.

Says JUSTICE HAWK
I do assure ye,
We'll try the rogue,
By Judge and Jury.
The JUDGE and JURY being met,
And plac'd in order down they set,
Or else they stood upon their feet,
Because I think they'd ne'er a seat.

Says the Judge to the Jury,
I'd have you take care,
When a bird's life's at stake,
Its a serious affair.
The CUCKOO came in
And began for to hollow
As he dragg'd the poor Sparrow,
In fast by the collar;

When I found him, my Lord,
He was robbing a barn;
He must live by thieving,
Since nothing he'll earn.
Says the SPARROW its false,
Both me and my wife,
Are as honest as ever
You was in your life.

A few grains of wheat
Lay at the barn door,
We pick'd them all up,
And did nothing more.
Says MAG that has nothing
To do with the matter,
I saw when you shot,
And began for to chatter.

I call'd DOCTOR PUSS
To examine the wound,
He knows what he saw,
And he'll tell, I'll be bound.
Says PUSS I'm a doctor,
So mind what I say,
I happen'd to pass on
The very same day.

I saw the poor Robin,
The Sparrow had shot.
He was quite dead and Cold,
So was not very hot.
Says the DOG I ran out
From my kennel adjacent,
Or I believe Doctor Puss
Would have eaten his patient.

However Cock Robin,
Was dead, I believe,
And that is the reason
That all of you grieve.

Says the PIG I was hastily call'd from my stye,
But just too late to see poor Robin die;
I was ask'd by the Dog if I thought he was dead,
Ah! both dead and cold was the answer I made.
Says the ASS I was
Coroner in this affair,
We found Robin wounded,
But could not tell where.

We put on our spectacles,
Those who had got 'em,
And found that his wound
Lay just in his bottom.
Says the DRAKE I was swimming
Along with my Duck,
The Sparrow sat on a tree
Just by the brook.

He took up his arrow,
And likewise his bow,
And he shot, I believe,
But I'm sure I don't know.
Says the SWAN I was driving
Along with the stream,
Between sleep and awake,
In a sort of a dream.

I saw the sharp arrow
Fly from the bow;
I'm sure that I saw it,
Or else I dreamt so.
Says the COCK I was standing,
And thinking no harm,
When I saw Robin fall,
I gave the alarm.

I gave the alarm
With such a loud crow,
If he'd been but asleep,
I'd have wak'd him I know.

The TURKEY was suddenly rous'd by a noise,
Which he knew to be M^r. Chanticlear's voice;
When the Bat he beheld in pursuit of the Sparrow,
But never saw either his bow or his arrow.
Says the BAT I was constable,
Sir, of the night,
Though my candle was out,
I've a pretty good sight.

I pursu'd the murderer
To the barn door,
He was took by the Cuckoo,
I know nothing more.

Says the APE I saw the Sparrow take flight
The Cock gave the alarm and my beast he took fright,
And good reason I have to remember it well,
For upon the hard ground on my bottom I fell!
Says JUDGE HAWKE you are
Such a murdering elf,
I think I shall kill you,
And eat you myself.

So he eat up the Sparrow,
The rest got away,
They thought it not safe
Near such Justice to stay.

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Transcriber's Notes:

Odd spelling and word use was retained as printed. For example on the first page it is "Judge Hawk" while on the final page it is "Judge Hawke." Also, in the final stanza the usage of "eat" instead of our more modern "ate" was retained as printed. Finally, the usage of "its" where we would use "it's" was retained.