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The Crafty Farmer 
The Crafty Farmer 
l'm gaun to sing ye a sang, And I hope it'll gie ye content, It's a' aboot an auld fairmer Gaun awa' to pay his rent. 
cho: Sing fa la la la la la Sing fa la la la la lee Sing fa la la la la la Sing fa la la la la lee 
As he was a-ridin' alang, A-ridin' upon the highway, A gentleman robber rode up to him And then these words did say. 
"Whaur are ye gaun, kind sir?" This made the auld man to smile: "To tell ye the truth," the auld man said, "l'm just gaun twa-three mile. 
A doited auld carle am I, Just rentin' a sma' piece o' ground, And the half-year rent o' it Amounts to forty pounds. 
"My landlord's no' been at hame, l've no' seen him a year or more; Which makes the yearly rent o' it Amount unto fourscore." 
"You shouldna hae told me this When robbers there are so many, For if they met you upon the way, They'd rob you of every penny." 
The auld man winked his e'e, Says: "l dont care a fig! My money is safe into my bags, Right under my saddle-rig." 
The gentleman-robber then said: 
"Deliver up your money, Or else your life will be snuffed oot, For pistols are nae canny." 
The farmer he was crafty, As, in this world, are many, He threw the saddle oot owre the hedge, Says: "Fetch it if ye'll have ony." 
The robber he got off his horse With courage so stout and bold; Awa' in search o' the saddle he ran, Gave the auld man his horse to hold. 
The robber he flew in a passion, There was naething but strae in the bags, He drew oot his rusty auld gully And hackit the saddle to rags. 
The auld man put his foot in the stirrup And then he got on at the stride, And syne he set oot at the gallop Ye needna hae bidden him ride. 
As he was a-ridin' hame And gallopin' through the glen, He spied auld Maggie, his riding mare And shouted: "Maggie, come hame!" 
And when that he got hame And tell what he had done The auld wife she put on her claes And roond the hoose she ran. 
When the robber's bag was opened, A woderful sicht to behold, There was five-hundred guineas in siller And another five-hundred gold. 
And aye she danced aroond And made a muckle commotion: "If ever oor dochter gets married," she said, "It'll help to enlarge her portion." 
Child #283 Laws L1 From Folk Songs and Ballads of Scotland, MacColl