Frog Went a Courtin
Because I'm in a funky mood today, and because I read a couple of articles on singing and folk music, I thought I'd post the song the kids and I have been singing the most the past few days. Dr. Koyzis says that folk songs come in their own dialect, so it's not surprising that I couldn't find anything online that was exactly the way I learned the song, but here's a recording of a woman singing roughly the same melody we use, though her words are a bit different.

When we sing "Frog Went a Courtin" I usually sing the verses and the kids sing the refrain, but sometimes we just take turns, or whoever feels like leading off the verses will do so for awhile. The song is awfully long, but the repetetiveness of it makes it easy for the little ones to learn quickly, and it's fun to sing while folding laundry or doing other chores.

Frog went a courtin and he did ride
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Sword and buckler by his side
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He rode right to Miss Mousie's door
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Found Miss Mousie sweepin the floor
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He took Miss Mousie on his knee
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And said, "Miss Mousie won't you marry me?"
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"Without my Uncle Rat's consent,"
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"I could not marry the President."
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Uncle Rat laughed and shook his sides.
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To think his niece would be a bride
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Who will make the wedding gown?
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Old Miss Rat from Pumpkin town
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Where will the wedding supper be?
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Way down yonder in the hollow tree
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What will the wedding supper be?
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A fried mosquito and a black-eyed pea
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First to come was a bumblebee
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He set his fiddle on his knee
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Next to come was doodle bug
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Carrying a water jug
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Next to come was a little white moth
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She laid out the tablecloth
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Next to come was an itty bitty flea
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To dance a jig for the bumblebee
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Next to come was a big old cow
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She wanted to dance but she didn't know how
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Next to come was a big black snake
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He ate up all the wedding cake
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Last to come was an old gray cat
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She swallowed up the mouse and ate up the rat
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Mr. Frog went hopping over the brook
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A duck came along and swallowed him up
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Now is the end of him and her
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Guess there won't be no tadpoles covered with fur!
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Little piece of cornbread lyin on the shelf
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If you want any more you can sing it yourself!
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