The Farmers Curst Wife

THE FARMER’S CURST WIFE (The Devil & the Farmer’s Curst Wife)

JHELLA: There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell.

CRISEL: There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell!? 


BOYS: There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell, And he had a bad wife,


GIRLS: And he had a bad wife,



ALL: As many knew well

MONA: There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell.

ALL: Then Satan came to the old man as the plough.

(sound effect)

Satan: “One of your family I must have now.”

farmer : ‘No! no! Please, don't take my son.
There's work on the farm, that's gotta be done.’

Satan : “It is not your eldest son that I crave,

But it is your old wife, and she I will have.”

FARMER: “O welcome! good Satan, with all my heart.

I hope you and she will never more part.”

ALL: Now Satan has got the old wife on his back,

And he lugged her along, like a pedlar’s pack.

Satan: “You’re mine now!” (*Sound effect: evil laugh*)

ZAIRA (Wife): “Let me go! I’m begging you, pleasee”

Satan: ‘No, you can’t escape me!”

GIRLS: He trudged away till they came to his hall-gate;

Boys: So, they walked..

Girls: And walked,

ALL: Down to the gates of hell

Satan: ‘here!, take an old sussex chaps mate!

IMPS : ‘Ahoooo! Ahoooo!’

Satan: ‘Stoke up the fire, boys, we'll roast her well!

IMPS: ‘Ahoooo! Ahoooo!’

ALL: O then she did kick the young imps about;

Says one to the other,

IMPS: “Let’s try turn her out.”

Satan: “Grab her! Don’t let her escape!”

ALL: She spied thirteen imps all dancing in chains,

She up with her patterns and beat out their brains.

GIRLS: She knocked the old Satan against the wall!

(*Satan’s shocked and then gets angry~*)

IMPS: “Let’s turn her out, or she’ll murder us all.”

ALL: Now he’s bundled her up on his back amain,

And to her old husband he took her again.

Farmer: ‘What are you doing here!?’

Satan: ‘Well here's your wife I hope she's well,’
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