Under the Greenwood Tree

[music] The lads and the lasses

A sheep-shearing go

[music] Fa la lee... [music]

Dick? That you, Dick Dewy?

The very same, Robert Penny.

ROBERT:
'Tis as chill a Christmas Eve

as I remember.

MAN:
Hello, our Dick.

Thomas.

You be in fine voice, Dick.

Myself, I'm in need of libation

on a cold night like this.

Then we'd best get ourselves

to Father's house, Mr Penny.

MAN:
Oh, thank you, Miss Day.

Here we are, then. Come on in.

Yeah, all right, then, Thomas?

- I'm cold.

- You'll be all right, Thomas.

ROBERT:
I hope it's ready.

Cider, Dick, I need cider.

I shall have first call on that mistletoe, Mrs Dewy.

I'll remind you of that when you're full of cider.

- Father.

- Hello, my sonnies!

Seasons greetings!

Come in.

You get yourself in front of that fire, Thomas Leaf.

- A good drop, Reuben?

- Oh, we shall soon see, Robert.

REUBEN:
Right, then.

Come in, you get yourself by that fire.

- Fetch us a mug, Suze.

- Yes, Father.

Brace yourselves.

(ALL YELLING)

(SHRIEKS)

You can tell a lot about a person from their shoes.

Have you met the new school mistress?

Not yet.

She sent her shoe ahead of her for me to fix.

So, what's she like, then, this Miss Day?

You'll find her delicate but robust, neighbours.

Part country girl she once was,

part educated lady she is now.

You do talk some nonsense, Robert Penny.

This shoe has danced

on the marbled floors of Exeter.

Who will she marry, then, my sonnies?

A shoe like that needs a fancy table to go under.

Then Farmer Shinar's your man.

He's been rattling around in that

big house on his own for too long now.

If Shinar's not to her liking,

it'll be Parson Maybold. You mark my words.

The new parson?

I delivered him a great wooden box this very day.

It took four of us to get it

from the cart to the parsonage.

- What was in the box, Reuben?

- He didn't say, and I thought it impolite to ask.

But more than once he glanced from that box

to her lodgings with a gleam in his eye.

'Tis a very small shoe.

The littler the maid, the bigger the riddle.

What do you think, Dick?

I think it's time for singing, sister.

ALL:
Yes!

- Wait for me! Wait for me!

- REUBEN:
Come on, Elias.

- Righto, Spinksy.

- Good man, Elias.

(CLEARS THROAT) All right, boys?

[music] In Bethlehem he was born...

(DOG GRUMBLING)

[music] In Bethlehem he was born

[music] For mankind's sake

[music] In Bethlehem he was born

[music] For us that were forlorn

[music] And therefore took no scorn

[music] Our sins to bear [music]

Shut up, will ye!

Can't a man have a quiet night on Christmas Eve?

What's Shinar saying, Father?

I think he wants more.

Fortissimy!

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] O thou man, O thou man

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] Most joyfully

[music] Give thanks to the God always... [music]

That'll teach ye.

(DOG BARKS)

Merry Christmas!

Very unseemly. Very.

And he a churchwarden.

Loneliness and a drop of drink,

my sonnies, what did I tell you?

Still, we'll ask him to our party tomorrow night

and put him back in good humour.

I'm a-cold.

A bit more singing, Thomas,

and we'll get some victuals inside you.

Ah. Two birds with one stone.

Miss Day and Parson Maybold.

Fortissimy!

[music] In Bethlehem he was born

[music] O thou man, O thou man

[music] In Bethlehem he was born

[music] For mankind's sake...

[music] And therefore took no scorn

[music] Our sins to bear

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] O thou man, O thou man

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] Most joyfully

[music] Give thanks to God always

[music] Upon this blessed day

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