Sharp. The Swapping Song

From Nursery Songs from the Appalachian Mountains by Cecil J. Sharp, with illustrations by Esther B. Mackinnon.

This is Roud 469.

The part about the wife and the wheelbarrow also appears as a nursery-rhyme of its own (see Pinafore Palace, for example).

THE SWAPPING SONG

When I was a little boy I lived by myself,
And all the bread and cheese I had I kept upon the shelf.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

The rats and the mice they led me such a life,
I had to go to London to get me a wife.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

The roads were so slick and the lanes were so narrow,
I had to bring her home in an old wheelbarrow.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

My foot it slipped and I got a fall
And down came my wheelbarrow, wife and all.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

I swapped my wheelbarrow and I got me a horse,
And then I rode from cross to cross.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

I swapped my horse and I got me a mare,
And then I rode from fair to fair.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

I swapped my mare and I got me a cow,
And in that trade I just learned how.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

I swapped my cow and I got me a calf,
And in that trade I just lost half.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

I swapped my calf and I got me a sheep,
And then I rode till I went to sleep.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

I swapped my sheep and I got me a hen
For to lay me an egg every now and then.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

I swapped my hen and I got me a rat,
And I set it on the haystack to run the cat.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.

I swapped my rat and I got me a mole,
And the blind old thing went straight to its hole.
To my wing wong waddle, to my Jack straw straddle,
To my John far faddle, to my long-ways home.