The little creature

Twinkum, twankum, twirlum and twitch 
My great grandam -- She was a witch. 
Mouse in wainscot, saint in niche 
My great grandam -- She was a witch.

The fattest pig's but a double flitch
My great grandam--She was a witch.
Long though the shroud, it grows stitch by stitch
My great grandam -- She was a witch.

Pretty and small, a mere nothing at all
She'd stand by the churchyard and call and call...
Red blood out and black blood in
My nanny says I'm a child of sin
How did I choose me my witchly kin?

Twinkum, twankum, twirlum and twitch
My great grandam -- She was a witch.

Input by Ferdinando Albeggiani

Authorship

by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) , "The little creature", from Down-adown-derry: a book of fairy poems, published 1922

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Colin Hand (1929-) , "The little creature", published 1958. [SA chorus and piano]

Text added to the website: 2008-07-17.

Notes about green, red, and white dots

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