I do not know the origin of the ballad from which these lines are taken: it was reported to me from Sydney, Australia. [Eliot's note] One of the less bawdy versions of the song, which was popular among Australian troops in World War I, went as follows:

O the moon shines bright on Mrs. Porter
And on the daughter
Of Mrs. Porter.
They wash their feet in soda water
And so they oughter
To keep them clean. (NA)

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