A Bird in the Hand

F. E. Weatherly

There were three young maids of Lee,

And they were fair as fair can be;

And they had lovers three times three,

For they were fair as fair can be,

These three young maids of Lee.

But these young maids they cannot find

A lover each to suit her mind;

The plain-spoke lad is far too rough,

The rich young lord not rich enough,

And one's too poor, and one too tall,

And one an inch too short for them all.

"Others pick and choose, and why not we?

We can very well wait," said these maids of Lee.

There were three young maids of Lee,

And they were fair as fair can be;

And they had lovers three times three,

For they were fair as fair can be,

These three young maids of Lee.

There are three old maids of Lee,

And they are old as old can be;

And one is deaf, and one can't see,

And they all are cross as a gallows tree,

These three old maids of Lee.

Now, if any one chanced—'tis a chance remote—

One single charm in these maids to note,

He need not a poet nor handsome be,

For one is deaf, and one can't see;

He need not woo on his bended knee,

For they all are willing as willing can be;

He may take the one or the two or the three,

If he'll only take them away from Lee.

There are three old maids at Lee,

And they are cross as cross can be;

And there they are, and there they'll be,

To the end of the chapter, one, two, three,

These three old maids of Lee!