The young hobbit stepped forward. The lute he had stuck casually under one arm
was an ordinary one, albeit finished in an unusually dark lacquer. From the
audience it loked as black as the clothes he wore. The tankard he was nursing,
overflowing, went to his lips in a delicate movement, then with rather less
care was manouevred gently onto a stool that made up the only furnishing
presently on the stage.

He considered telling the tale of a duel fought with sabre and tankard. His
recent carousing had lead him to witness just such a fight. He thought better
of it, he wished to express that story in a goodly song, not to squeeze it dry
in a sober telling to kill the time at a gig, to get a cheap laugh from a
close audience. He rested the lute against the stool, and almost as an
afterthought unhooked the hanger with his sabre and switched in for the lute,
which he raised.

Casting his eyes around the audience, the urge to pause, grab the tankard once
more and take a deep draught was too great. Wiping his lips, he raised the
lute a second time, began to play and sang:

Hey nonny, loblolly,
And a hey nonny no,
I say, we'll be jolly
And a-drinkin' we'll go.

He played on, considering for a moment the total perfection of "hey nonny no"
as a lyric, the way it could stand for just about anything. If one uses poor
words to mediate the world of one's tales, then "hey nonny no" is the world
seen through the bottom of a beer glass.

The first day I alighted in fair Arelium,
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
The dockland was bleak but the Rusty Shield warm,
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Meleager's Rum Pecoul is know far and wide
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
But the rotten cherry vodka laid me down by and by,
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

He winced recalling that particular hangover.

Randy the bouncer took issue full well,
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
I awoke three days later in poor Zolonk's cell
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Hey nonny, loblolly,
And a hey nonny no,
I say, we'll be jolly
And a-drinkin' we'll go.

Well I quit myself of Laenor with speed
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
Off the boat in Windham, with a thirst indeed
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Ye Old Petrel I found, a fine house I say
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
And Mr Shaun Caraugh saw me well on my way
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Hey nonny, loblolly,
And a hey nonny no,
I say, we'll be jolly
And a-drinkin' we'll go.

The road it was long, and to rest I did take
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
To that Seabird inn, with the new barman Jake.
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Now Freddy Quicksilver the minstrel plays there
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
But ere long found me quitting Desolayth' fair
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Hey nonny, loblolly,
And a hey nonny no,
I say, we'll be jolly
And a-drinkin' we'll go.

I acquired a thirst in old Rylint'tar
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
And happened to stumble on old Greythorn's bar
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Full of bravado, "I'll have one of everything, you!"
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
But the Iron wind has 416 drinks on the menu!
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Hey nonny, loblolly,
And a hey nonny no,
I say, we'll be jolly
And a-drinkin' we'll go.

Well they put my near-corpse on the boat for Rothikgen,
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
I landed at Donaru and started again!
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

The Naughty Orc's where my last pub crawl started
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
'Twas not long ere that town I departed
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Up the 1000 stairs of the Four Winds to see Frion my friend,
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
Now he serves fine beer, but it's the D'Ahu-Tatti 'twas my end
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Hey nonny, loblolly,
And a hey nonny no,
I say, we'll be jolly
And a-drinkin' we'll go.

I finally found my way to the Dragon so near
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
Where dear Bless'Ya serves his fine Skeepian beer
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

At this point he paused, emptying the Shadowkeepian beer that had erstwhile
remained in his tankard.

Now I'm here in the bard guild and telling my story
Hey nonny, loblolly, and a hey nonny no.
For you who drink deeply, to share in the glory
Hey nonny, nonny and a drinkin' we'll go.

Hey nonny, loblolly,
And a hey nonny no,
I say, we'll be jolly
And a-drinkin' we'll go.

With this Ubi took a little bow, mumbled something about drinks before
scooping up his sword and slinking off back to the Flying Dragon.