"Now, brother", said the dying man, "look to my children dear"
With lips as cold as any stone, they kiss the children small
The parents being dead and gone, the children home he takes
Away then went those pretty babes, rejoicing at that tide
And he that was of mildest mood, did slaye the other there
These pretty babes, with hand in hand, went wandering up and down
In one another's arms they died
Babes in the Wood is a traditional English children's tale, as well as a popular pantomime subject. It has also been the name of some other unrelated works. The expression has passed into common language, referring to inexperienced innocents entering unawares into any potentially dangerous or hostile situation.
