The daughter of the Demdike, Squinting Lizzie is her name,
Has children by three fathers, Jennet, Alizon and James;
Jamie he is moon-kissed, and young Jennet still a child,
But Alizon is lusty and her heart is quick and wild.

She’ll call the young men to her when the summer moon is full
“A June night and a dry ditch,” say the women, “she’s a trull.”
They turn their faces from her and they speak beneath their breath
But they daren’t accuse her straightly for they fear a wasting death.

The Demdike and wild Alizon go begging farm to farm.
Where begging brings no scraps, they swear, they’ll do your livestock harm.
“My poor blind Grannie hungers for a pudding or a pie.
A penny, sir, for buying meat, or else your flocks will die.”

The Rough Lee is the richest farm in Pendle to be found.
Her steward, Harry Mitton, meets the beggars snooping round.
“I’ve neither milk nor meat to spare, so you be on your way!”
Old Demdike spits and snarls, her eyes like pebbles dull and grey.

Young Alizon starts cursing. When old Harry shakes his fist
She flings a cowpat in his face, “Here, cop a load of this!”
In fury at her insolence he roars and starts to run,
He’s struck down on the grass before he fairly has begun.

The Demdike sits there stolid in her malice cloaked and chill.
Alizon runs to fetch her mother Lizzie’s sullen will.
They watch the farm-hands lift him in a futile rescue bid.
“They saw nowt,” says the Demdike, “so they can’t say what we did.”

“He’ll never live,” the Demdike says, “he’s dead within the hour,
So, Alizon, you silly wench, you know you have some power.
When stingy folk refuse you, send the black dog from your heel
and the fear of being bitten will bring many a tasty meal.”

*

Young Bessie Chattox steals a shift from Demdike’s Malkin Tower.
She hides it till the Sunday comes, then wears it for an hour.
At church she’s spied by Alizon, who screams like living fire;
The charge is duly brought for Master Nowell to enquire.

Young Bessie then denies the charge, but witnesses prevail.
He makes decisions quickly and he sends her off to gaol;
But she has a final weapon that she’ll use when in the ditch –
Young Bess cries out to Nowell that Old Demdike is a witch.

*