Standing up, with his hands behind his back, as if he was at school, he began to sing to an old tune.
Troll sat alone on his seat of stone, And munched and mumbled a bare old bone; For many a year he had gnawed it near, For meat was hard to come by. Done by! Gum by! In a cave in the hills he dwelt alone, And meat was hard to come by.
Up came John with his big boots on. Said he to Troll: 'Pray, what is yon? For it looks like the shin o' my nuncle Jim, As should be a-lyin' in graveyard. Caveyard! Paveyard! This many a year has Jim been gone, And I thought he were lyin' in graveyard.'
'My lad,' said Troll, 'this bone I stole. But what be bones that lie in a hole? Thy nuncle was dead as a lump o' lead, Afore I found his carkiss. Hark'ee! Mark'ee! He can spare a boneshare for a poor old troll, He has got no use for this carkis.' For he don't need his shinbone.'
Said John: 'I don't see why the likes o' thee Without axin' leave should go makin' free With the legshank or the shin o' my father's kin; So hand the old bone over! Rover! Trover! Though dead he be, it belongs to he; So hand the old bone over!'
'For a couple o' pins,' says Troll, and grins, 'I'll eat thee too, and gnaw thy shins. A bit o' fresh meat will go down sweet! Thee'll be a nice change from thy nuncle. Sunk well! Drunk well! I'm tired o' gnawing old bones and skins; Thee'll be a nice change from thy nuncle.'
But just as he thought his dinner was caught, He found his hands had hold of naught. Before he could mind, John slipped behind And gave him the boot to larn him. Warn him! Darn him! A bump o' the boot on the seat, John thought, Would be the way to larn him.
But harder than stone is the flesh and bone Of a troll that sits in the hills alone. As well set your boot to the mountain's root, For the seat of a troll don't feel it. Deal it! Peel it! Old Troll laughed, when John did groan, For his poor his toes did feel it.
John's leg is game, since home he came, And his bootless foot is lasting lame; But Troll don't care, and he's still there With the bone he boned from its owner. Doner! Boner! Troll's old seat is still the same, And the bone he boned from its owner!