In cuttin' and haulin' in frost and in snow
We're up against troubles that few people know
It's only by courage and patience and grit
And eatin' plain food that we keep ourselves fit
The hard and the easy we take as they come
And when ponds freeze over we shorten our runs
To hurry my haulin' with spring coming on
I near lost me a mare out on Tickle Cove Pond
Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond
I knew that the ice grew weaker each day
But still took the risk and kept haulin' away
One evening in April bound home with a load
My mare showed some halting against the ice road
She knew more than I did as matters turned out
Been lucky for me had I joined her in doubt
She turned 'round her head with tears in her eyes
As if she were sayin', "You're risking our lives"
All this I ignored with a whip handle blow
For man is a stupid dumb creature, you know
And the very next moment the pond gave a sigh
And up to our necks went poor Kitty and I
Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond
And if I had taken wise Kitty's advice
I never would have made that short cut on the ice
Poor creature she's dead, poor creature she's gone
I'll never get my mare out of Tickle Cove Pond
But I raised an alarm, you could hear for a mile
And neighbors showed up in a very short while
You can always rely on the Oldfords and Whites
To render assistance in all your bad plights
To help a kind neighbor is part of their lives
The same can be said for their children and wives
And with the rope fastened around the mare's breast
William White for a shanty song made a request
There was no time for thinkin', no time for delay
Straight from his heart came this song right away
Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond
Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
And with that we took Kit out of Tickle Cove Pond