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Froggy Went A Courtin'...














I remember so many years ago I spent combing the shoreline for these little creatures, to catch and save for that early morning fishing trip with my grandfather. We were going fishing for bass and the best bait was frogs. I love the memories, can still smell the lake water and still feel the little frogs wiggle in my hands. Oh, fishing tomorrow would be great; I'd rise before dawn and put on my fishing clothes. I'd gather my pole and fishing box and promised grandma as we went out the door that we'd bring dinner home. Those fishing morns with grandpa was the best!


There is an old folk ballad that every now and again resurfaces and several verses replay over n' over again in my mind. It's "Froggy Went A Courtin'", only he went courtin' miss mousie.
The interesting thing is that there are over 170 verses compiled and is commonly accepted that the earliest mention of the frog/mouse ballad is in The Complaynt of Scotland (1549 - see the Oxford Text Archive at http://ota.ahds.ac.uk/), where it is referred to as "The Frog Cam to the Myl Dur".




"Songs my father taught me to love"
Lew Dite with his tenor ukulele.


I just love the ukulele and I hope you enjoy Lew's rendition of "Froggy Went A Courtin'".

Blessings on this beautiful fall day,
Elizabeth