The Owlbear and the Maiden Fair

A bear there was,
An owlbear,
All black and brown and covered in hair


O come, they, said,
Come to the fair,
The fair? But I'm an owlbear
All black and brown and covered in hair


And down the road,
From here to there,
Three boys, a goat, an an owlbear,
They danced and spun all the way to the fair


O sweet she was,
And pure and fair,
The maid with honey in her hair,
The maid with honey in her hair


He smelt the scent,
On the summer air,
The owlbear,
All black and brown and covered in hair


He smelt the scent,
On the summer air,
He sniffed and roared and smelt it there,
Honey on the summer air


O I'm a maid,
I'm pure and fair,
I'll never dance with an owlbear
I'll never dance with an owlbear


The owlbear,
Lifted her high into the air,
The bear, the owlbear


I called for a knight,
But you're a bear,
An owlbear,
All black and brown and covered in hair


She kicked and wailed,
The maid so fair,
But he licked the honey from her hair,
He licked the honey from her hair


Then she sighed and squealed,
And kicked the air,
She said 'My bear so fair!'
And off they went, the bear,
The owlbear and the maiden fair!

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'The Owlbear and the Maiden Fair' is a folk song that is believed to have been written around the year 500 JR. It tells the story of an owlbear who encounters a beautiful maiden at a fete, and, despite the maiden's initial hesitations, the pair quickly fall in love. The song is often used to teach children not to judge other people based on their appearance.
The song's true author is unknown, though many bards and sages have speculated upon various potential songwriters. As with it's true author, the song's inspiration appears to be a mystery, but many believe that it is based up a true story of an unexpected relationship between a large, hairy, and yet influential lord (the owlbear) and a young, conventionally attractive lady (the maiden). As to the identity of the lord and lady, no-one seems to know for certain, but it has been proposed that the lord was an heir of House Evermoor, which existed for many centuries in the north of the Sword Coast.
The Neverwinter Sages Guild declared 'The Owlbear and the Maiden Fair' the most influential song since the Jewel Reckoning, and it is taught by most bard colleges as an example of a timeless piece. While the song was original written for the lute, it has since been adapted to the lyre, viol, flute, and shawm.