There was a lady and a lady gay
Of children she had three
She sent them away to the North Countree
To learn their grammaree
They'd not been gone but a very short time
Scarcely three weeks and a day
When death, cruel death, came hasting along
And stole those babes away
"There is a King in Heaven," she cried
"A King of third degree
Send back, send back my three little pages
This night send them back to me."
She made a bed in the uppermost room
On it she put a white sheet
And over the top a golden spread
That they much better might sleep
"Take it off, take it off," cried the older one
"Take it off, take it off," cried he
"For what's to become of this wide wicked world
Since sin has first begun."
She set a table of linen fine
On it she placed bread and wine
"Come eat, come drink of mine."
"We want none of your bread, mother
Neither do we want your wine
For yonder stands our Savior deer
To Him we must resign."
"Green grass is over our heads, mother
Cold clay is over our feet
And every tear you shed for us
It wets our winding-sheet."
