I lingered near a cottage door,
And the magpie said "Come in! come in!"
And the magpie said "Come in!"
The door was open, I went in
And I saw standing there
A maiden with a dimpled chin
A-combing her back hair, back hair,
A-combing her back hair.

A sweet surprise was in her eyes,
But still she did not frown,
But even smiled, the pretty child,
And the magpie said "Sit down! Sit down!"
And the magpie said "Sit down!"
I sat down in her father's chair
And the magpie said "Kiss her! Kiss her!"
And the magpie said "Kiss her!"
And yet the maiden didn't speak
Which made me think "I will!"

For as the red rushed to her cheek
She looked more lovely still, still, still,
She looked more lovely still.
But when in haste I clasped her waist
She screamed out "No! No! No!"
But 'twas so nice I kissed her twice
And the magpie said "Bravo! Bravo!"
And the magpie said "Bravo!"

Her father then came rushing in, 
And the magpie said "Get out! Get out!"
And the magpie said "Get out!"
Her father's voice was like a rasp
And swearing he began -
And I experienced the grasp,
The grasp of an honest man, man, man,
The grasp of an honest man.
He rained such blows upon my clothes
I feel them to this day;
He kicked me too as out I flew,
And the magpie said "Hooray! Hooray!"
And the magpie said "Hooray!"