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WHAT PUT THE BLOOD?........... .(The Johnstons)
1 Where (you/be) the whole afternoon? 2 Son, come tell it on to me 3 (I/fish) and fowling the whole day long 4 'Twas all for me brother's treasury 5 'Twas all for me brother's treasury
6 What (put) the blood on your right shoulder? 7 Son, come tell it on to me 8 'Tis the blood of a hare that I killed today 9 I killed most gallantly 10 I killed most gallantly
11 The blood of the old hare it
(can/be/never) so red
12 Son, come tell it on to me
13 'Tis the blood of a boy that I killed today
14 I killed most gallantly
15 I killed most gallantly
16 What (come) between yourself and the boy? 17 Son, come tell it on to me 18 'Twas mostly over the cutting of a rod 19 That never will be a tree 20 That never will be a tree
21 What (you/do) when your Daddy find ye out? 22 Son, come tell it on to me 23 (I/put) my foot on board of a ship 24 And sail to a foreign country 25 (I/will) to a foreign country
26 And what (you/do) with your own lovely wife? 27 Son, come tell it on to me 28 (she/can/put) her foot on board of a ship 29 And sail right after me 30 She can sail right after me
31 What (you/do) with your own wee babes? 32 Son, come tell it on to me 33 (I/give) one to me father and one to me mother 34 For to bear them company 35 For to bear them company
36 And what (you/do) with your two race horses? 37 Son, come tell it on to me 38 (I/take) their reins from over their necks 39 For (they/race/never) again for me 40 (they/race/never) again for me
41 What (you/do) with your house and your land? 42 Son, come tell it on to me 43 (I/lay) them bare to the bowels of the earth 44 For there's no more welcome there for me 45 There is no more welcome there for me
EXERCISES
A) Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with the correct tenses.
B) Sometimes you can guess the meaning of a word if you know a similar one. Guess the meaning of the following words with the help of the context, the clues and the definitions (the verse number is in brackets):
(3) to fowl: Fowl (n.) /fal/: ave de corral
(11) a hare: Hares can run very fast and are
often hunted for their meat
(18) a rod: A long, thin, straight pole or
bar made of wood.
(38) reins: Two thin leather straps that
you use for controlling a
horse when you are riding it.
(43) lay bare: To uncover something
completely and leave it
without protection.
(43) bowels: ŽThey say that there are
giants living deep in the
bowels of the earth¯ ŽThe
answer had come from the
bowels of a computer¯
D) Write a summary of the conversation in indirect speech, using the information in these verses:
1, 3, 6, 13, 16, 18, 21, 23, 24, 31, 34, 36, 38, 39.
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This page was last edited on: 29/04/00