All
Old Joe has gone fishing and
Young Joe has gone fishing and
You Know has gone fishing and Found them a shoal.
Pull them in handfuls, And in canfuls,
And in panfuls
Bring them in sweetly, Gut them completely, Pack them up neatly, Sell them discretely, Oh, haul
a-way.

(Peter comes into the round: the others stop.)

Peter
When I had gone fishing When he had gone fishing
When You Know'd gone fishing We found us Davy Jones.
Bring him in with horror! Bring him in with terror!
And bring him in with sorrow! Oh, haul a-way.

(This breaks the round, but the others recover in a repeat. - At the climax of the round the door
opens to admit Ellen Orford, the boy and the carrier. All three are soaking, muddy and bedraggled.)

Hobson
The bridge is down, we half swam over.
Ned
And your cart? Is it seaworthy?
(The women go to Ellen and the boy. Auntie fusses over them. Boles reproaches.)

Ellen
We're chilled to the bone.
Boles (to Ellen)
Serves you right, woman.
Auntie
My dear
There's brandy and hot water to spare.
Nieces
Let's look at the boy.
Ellen (rising)
Let him be. Nieces (admiring) Nice sweet thing.
Ellen (protecting him)
Not for such as you.
Peter
Let's go. You ready?
Auntie
Let them warm up
They've been half drowned.
Peter
Time to get off.
Auntie
Your hut's washed away.
Peter
Only the cliff.
Young prentice, come.
(The Boy hesitates, Ellen leads him to Peter.)
Ellen
Goodbye, my dear, God bless you. Peter will take you home.
Omnes
Home? Do you call that home?
(Peter takes the boy out the door into the howling storm. - Curtain.)