granny green was stooped as a windblown branch she lived high in the bramble forest once a fortnight if the moon shown right she came down to our little village she brought blackberries and willow bark mandrake root and mushrooms and it was said she spoke the tongue of birds and understood the river s whispers now several girls among our town by a golden lizard they were bitten and those sweet girls lay stiff in their beds like frozen ice upon the branches granny green mixed a tonic for their ills but it was such a bitter tonic that all who drank began to dance and could not stop their dancing but none would have danced one sinful step if that old crone had not bewitched us how we leaped and pranced and cackled the whole town writhing madmen and so desperate grew some to still their feet they dove into the raging river still we danced all day and night til our fine clothes were torn and ragged and crying out oh lord make us stop we danced naked around the chapel how granny laughed to see such sin there s just water she said in my tonic but all cried out she lies she surely lies and we chased her deep into the bramble but like the four winds she disappeared though we searched round and round the branches rolling in leaves and naked neath the trees we lost the way back to our village  but i swear we were all pure of heart till that old crone did bewitch us and i know we will all go home when the good lord returns to save us