Annotation:Lord Frog and Lady Mouse
LORD FROG (AND LADY MOUSE). AKA and see "Northern Lass (1) (The)," "Muirland Willie" "Cocky mi Chari She." English, Air and Country Dance Tune (6/8 time). A Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title, which appears in several ballad operas (such as Gay's Achilles {1733}), comes from a song written by Thomas D'Urfey for his Wit and Mirth: Pills to Purge Melancholy (vol. 1) beginning "Great Lord Frog to Lady Mouse." The alternate title "Cocky mi Chari, She" is from the chorus of D'Urfey's song. The title is a variant of the ancient frog/mouse family of courting songs that survived even into 20th century American folksong as "Froggie went a-courtin'" (Doc Watson) {see also "Frog and Mouse (The)"}. The melody, which also appears in Walsh's Dances for 1713, is said to be the original of "Muirland Willie."