University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Variant Forms Of English And Scottish Popular Ballads In America

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Variant Forms Of English And Scottish Popular Ballads In America

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Content T h is d isse r ta tio n has been M ic 61-1695
m icro film ed e x a ctly a s r e c e iv e d
BROW NE, E arl W illiam . VARIANT FORMS
O F ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH POPULAR
BALLADS IN AMERICA.
U n iv ersity o f Southern C aliforn ia, P h .D ., 1961
Language and L itera tu re, g en era l
University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
VARIANT FORMS OF ENGLISH AND SOOTTISH
POPULAR BALLADS IN AMERICA
by
E a rl W illiam Browne
A D is s e r t a tio n P resen ted to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In P a r t i a l F u lfillm e n t of the
Requirements fo r the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(English)
January 1961
UNIVERSITY O F SO U TH ERN CALIFORNIA
GRADUATE SC H O O L
UN IV ER SITY PARK
L O S A N G ELES 7 . CA LIFO R N IA
This dissertation, written by
E arl W illiam Browne
under the direction of Dissertation Com
mittee, and approved by all its members, has
been presented to and accepted by the Graduate
School, in partial fulfillment of requirements
for the degree of
D O C T O R O F P H I L O S O P H Y
Date January 1961
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE
Chair m a r /
TABLE OF CO NT EOT S
C hapter Page
I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................... 1
I I . "THE FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD"............................... 22
I I I . "EDWARD"........................................................................................ 44
IV. "THE CHERRY-TREE C A R O L " .................................................. 74
V. "HENRY MARTYN" 101
VI. "THE FARMER'S CURST W I F E " ............................................. 132
VII. "THE BROW N G IR L " ..................................................................... 190
V III. CONCLUSION.................................................................................. 224
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................... 231
APPENDIXES............................................................................................... 241
i i
CHAPTER I
INTRO DUCT ION
I n t e r e s t in popular b a lla d s goes on unabated today.
The co n tin u in g in flu en c e of folksong upon A m erica's music
and e n te rta in m e n t world is unquestioned. One needs only to
tu rn on the r a d io , the t e l e v i s i o n , the h i - f i d e l i t y , v i t a -
phonic, ste re o p h o n ic, and now reverbaphonic lo n g -reco rd
p la y e rs to be reminded of i t s im pact. I n t e r e s t in the Eng
l i s h and S c o tti s h popular b a lla d s c o n tin u e s today, a ls o , in
the f i e l d of fo lk lo re and l i t e r a r y s c h o la rs h ip . A n tiq u a rie s,
l i t e r a r y e x p e rts , s tu d e n ts , and j u s t p la in c i t i z e n s i n t e r
e s te d in r e g io n a l f o lk lo r e are s t i l l tu rn in g up v a r ia n ts of
the old b a l la d s , although t h e i r f in d s are dw indling more and
more each y e a r.
A v a st body of Anglo-American t e x t s of the t r a d i t i o n a l
b a lla d s has now been unearthed and recorded in p rin te d form
a l l over the c o u n try . A r t i c l e s in fo lk lo r e q u a r t e r l i e s and
jo u r n a ls have been d is c u s s in g the r e l a t i v e m e rits of th e se
v a r i a n t s , such as the provocative S tan ley Hyman study on
"The C hild B allad in America: Some A esth e tic C r i t e r i a " in
the 1957 J o u rn a l of American F olklore and the e q u a lly i n t e r
e s tin g D. K. Wiigus r e b u t t a l , "Shooting F ish in a B a rre l:
The C hild B allad in America," in the Notes and Q ueries sec
t i o n of th e 1958 J o u r n a l . J u s t l a s t w in te r B ertrand Bronson
of the U n iv e rs ity of C a lif o r n ia p u b lish ed Volume I of The
T r a d i t i o n a l Tunes of the C h ild B a lla d s , in which he has r e
corded a l l e x ta n t tu n e s and many t e x t s of the f i r s t f i f t y -
th re e b a l la d s included in P ro fe s s o r F ra n c is C h i ld 's monu
mental c o l l e c t i o n of 305 t r a d i t i o n a l E nglish and S c o ttis h
popular b a l l a d s . Amidst t h i s c u rr e n t and long-tim e i n t e r e s t
in the t r a d i t i o n a l b a l la d s , 1 propose to see what happened
t o the v a r ia n t forms of s e le c te d E n g lish and S c o ttis h popu
la r b a l la d s in America. In t h i s In tro d u c tio n I propose to
do th re e th in g s . F i r s t , I s h a ll d is c u s s the c h a r a c t e r i s
t i c s , o r ig in s , and development of pop u lar b a l la d s , because
such a d is c u s s io n i s necessary fo r a c l e a r understanding and
a p p re c ia tio n of the q u a l i t i e s which tu r n up in the v a r i a n t s .
Second, I s h a ll p o in t out the s t u d e n t 's p r in c ip a l sources of
English and S c o tti s h popular b a lla d s to d ay . And t h i r d , I
s h a ll note the s p e c if ic and lim itin g purposes and scope of
my d i s s e r t a t i o n .
The popular b a lla d must t e l l a sto ry and th a t only p a r
t i a l l y and b r i e f l y . I t focuses on a sin g le s i t u a t i o n , usu
a l l y a sin g le scene. Employing a h ig h ly compressed form, i t
has no unduly long or w ell-developed in tro d u c tio n and no
lin g e rin g at the c l o s e . The in tr o d u c tio n must be c lo s e ly
in te g ra te d w ith the sto ry ; f re q u e n tly a l l p r e lim in a r ie s to
the cu lm in a tin g episode are swept away. Evelyn Wells s ta te s ,
"There i s very o ften th e f e e l in g t h a t one has s u rp ris e d a
sto ry alre a d y in a c t i o n . "* No m atter how im portant th ey are
t o the s to r y , th e circu m sta n ces t h a t lead up to th e c e n t r a l
s i t u a t i o n are only h u r rie d ly and s k e tc h ily p re se n te d . Much
has t o be in f e r r e d . A few c a s u a l h i n t s , a few l i g h t but
d e f t s tro k e s are a l l t h a t in d ic a te the background m a te ria l
of c h a r a c te r s , tim e, and p la c e . Q uickly working up to the
clim ax, the b a lla d sto ry s h i f t s h a s t i l y from place to place
w ith abrupt t r a n s i t i o n s . F req u en tly the sto ry s h i f t s in
lo c a le from one stanza to the next w ithout warning or ex
p la n a tio n . Although f a s t movement i s custom ary, on occasion
the b a lla d does lin g e r a t some p o in ts of the n a r r a tiv e in
order to emphasize a circum stance or h eig h ten an em otional
e f f e c t . T h is "le ap in g and lin g e rin g technique" of the b a l
lad— moving from scene t o scene w ithout f i l l i n g the gaps and
skipping over time and space and ta r r y in g on those scenes
packing em otional punch— p erm its the com pression and dramat
ic fo rce fo r which the popular b a lla d i s noted.
The switch from n a r r a tiv e to dialogue comes almost a l
ways a t a d e c isiv e p o in t in the s to r y . In many b a lla d s the
d ia lo g u e , r e s u l t i n g from c o n f l i c t i n g p assio n s brought to
bay, bulks la rg e , and in some, such as "Edward," a l l n a rra
ti v e elem ents have been swept away, leav in g th a t which, w ith
the a d d itio n of d ram atis personae and stage d i r e c t i o n s ,
^ •The B allad Tree (New York, 1950), p. 89.
could be tu rn ed in to " l i t t l e p la y s t h a t Mould alm ost ac t
them selves. Furtherm ore, the dialogue i s the kind t h a t
advances th e a c tio n , not th e kind t h a t i s in s e r te d t o d i s
play or develop the c h a ra c te r of p erso n s in the b a lla d . No
i n t e r e s t i s shown in s u b t l e t i e s of c h a r a c te r or in a n a ly s is
of m o tiv atio n . W e must i n f e r b asic m o tiv atio n and ch arac
t e r i s t i c s of in d iv id u a ls from the a c tio n t h a t ta k e s p la c e .
O ften dialogue i s unassigned, th u s giv in g r i s e to a p e c u lia r
dram atic device in the b a lla d ; f o r we must in f e r who is
speaking from what i s being u t t e r e d . In the b a lla d of s i t u
a t io n , dialogue t e l l s or im p lies the sto ry of p r i o r a c tio n
and i t s cause or r e s u l t . Excitement mounts w ith the ques
tio n s which are re p e a te d or changed s l i g h t l y with each u t
te ra n ce and answered w ith s im ila r u n ifo rm ity or s li g h t
change. The b a lla d h e a r e r 's suspense mounts w ith every lin e
of dialogue as the sto ry i s unfolded b i t by b i t u n t i l the
climax and denouement are reach ed . The b a lla d has a pecul
i a r l y e f f e c t i v e a llu s iv e s t r u c t u r a l device in the "climax of
r e l a t i o n s , " in which the r e l a t i v e s of the banished or s la in
p r o ta g o n is t are mustered t o show t h e i r importance t o him
p e rs o n a lly and to throw l i g h t upon the sto ry and help r e
solve i t . C lo se ly a l l i e d i s the testam en t d ev ice, a dra
matic way of d isc o v e rin g the v i l l a i n in the s to ry . In
%leed Smith, e d . . South C a ro lin a B a lla d s (Cambridae.
1928), p. 10. ----- ---------------
5
answering the question* "What do you leave t o ?" the
hero r e p l i e s t h a t he le av es something d e sira b le* u n t i l he
g e ts t o the l a s t one— a mother* sw eetheart* or f r ie n d — to
whom he bequeaths "A rope f o r t o hang h e r ." Thus we see how
im portant dialogue i s ; from i t we may le a r n not only the ac
tio n which has taken place but a ls o who the c h a r a c te r s are
and what i s going to happen to them*
As has a lre a d y been in tim a ted , the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d
i s h ig h ly o b je c tiv e . With emphasis on t e l l i n g a sto ry sim
ply* co n cretely * s w if tly , the b a lla d p r e s e n ts l i f e in i t s
sim plest term s. The fo lk b a lla d author seeks only t o nar
rate* fo r example* a tr a g ic story* not to weep over a tr a g ic
f a t e . H erein l i e s the d iffe re n c e between fo lk -so n g and the
popular b a l la d . Whereas the fo lk -so n g i s su b jectiv e* the
w r i t e r 's p e rso n a l f e e l in g s speaking through i t , the b a lla d
i s o b jectiv e* the w r i t e r 's p e r s o n a lity being withdrawn com
p l e t e l y . The sto ry t e l l s i t s e l f . The a t t i t u d e of the nar
r a t o r i s e n t i r e l y im personal. He does not m oralize or
preach and r a r e l y allow s any p a r t i s a n b ia s toward the a c tio n
t o in tr u d e . T h is does not mean t h a t th e re i s any l e s s f e e l
ing in the b a lla d s , but in the song the l i s t e n e r s weep be
cause the sin g e r i s sorrow ful; in the b a lla d they weep
^ " T ra d itio n a l" and "popular" w i l l be used in te rc h an g e
a b ly , both term s r e f e r r i n g t o th e p o e try of the fo lk which
has w ith sto o d the " t e s t of tim e"— a p e rio d of a t l e a s t f i f t y
y ears of o r a l t r a d i t i o n .
6
because th e s to ry i s sad.
In p re s e n tin g l i f e in i t s sim p lest terms* every means
has been employed t o reduce the formula of ballad-m aking t o
the sim p lest term s. D e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n s * e la b o ra tio n *
fix e d s e ttin g s * c o n c e its* r e f le c tio n * com m ents--all are
avoided in the popular b a l la d . Being concerned w ith the
story* the b a lla d cannot burden i t s e l f w ith g iv in g each ob
j e c t i n d iv i d u a li ty ; co n seq u en tly , i t r e s o r t s to b a lla d com
monplaces— the stock vocabulary f a m il ia r t o b a lla d h e a r e rs .
A r a t h e r lim ite d number of images, e p i t h e t s , and d e s c r ip tiv e
words does duty fo r a l l the b a l la d s . Horses are always
s te e d s , and s te e d s are always m ilk -w h ite . c o a l- b la c k , or
%
ir o n -q r e v : swords are ro y a l; gold i s r e d ; l i p s are ruby red
even though t h e i r owner has j u s t bled to death ; h a i r i s y e l
low: k n ig h ts are g a l l a n t : brands are b r ig h t or brown; la d ie s
are oay even though th ey are p in in g away w ith sorrow; a beau
is a tru e l o v e r . which has become so fix e d an e p i t h e t t h a t
one b a lla d v e rsio n has a f a ls e tru e lo v e r . Thus the lan
guage i s form alized and only o c c a s io n a lly does a s t r ik in g
e x p re ssio n draw the l i s t e n e r ' s a t t e n t i o n away from the main
a t t r a c t i o n of the b a l la d - - t h e a c tio n . In f re e in g the a t t e n
ti o n of the b a lla d r e c i t e r and h e a re r fo r the "b u sin ess a t
hand," th e se commonplaces allow in d iv id u a l im agination to
run i t s co u rse . And* as W ells s t a t e s , "The stock a d je c tiv e
or a c tio n becomes s u r p r is in g ly agreeable and adequate in the
7
long r u n ." 4 A lb ert B. Friedman su g g ests t h a t the common
p la c e s are not wholly ex p lain e d by s t a t i n g th a t th ey are
used in s te a d of " r ic h e r language" in o rd er to help the l i s
te n e r keep h i s mind on the s to r y . The co n v en tio n a l b a lla d
d i c t i o n a ls o has "the p o s it iv e value of c o n tr a s tin g w ith the
e ru p tiv e v ig o r of the sto ry l i n e . MacEdward Leach submits
what i s probably th e main reaso n f o r th e use and p re s e rv a
t i o n of th e se commonplaces— "to the f o lk the f a m ilia r i s
p le a s in g ." ^ In any event* the popular b a lla d has a d i r e c t
s im p lic ity and an im personal power m issing in o th e r p o e try .
U n so p h istic a te d , ru d e, s p i r i t e d , u s u a lly t r a g i c , o fte n grim
and u n y ie ld in g , the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d has l i t t l e of th a t
d e s c r ip tiv e so fte n in g or shading to be found in l i t e r a r y
p o e try . A r tle s s and homely as the s ty le i s , however, the
popular b a lla d shares some s t y l i s t i c c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s w ith
a r t i s t i c p o e try . As might be expected from the fo lk who
are d e s c rib in g s u p e rn a tu ra l or c o u r tly abodes and ev en ts
they have never seen, hyperbole i s f re q u e n t. U nlike the
s tr a i n e d , conscious e x a g g e ra tio n of the l i t e r a r y p o e ts , the
h y perboles of b a lla d s in g e rs are natve and le s s d e c e p tiv e .
U nderstatem ent is almost as common as e x a g g e ra tio n , the fo lk
4W ells, p. 84.
^A lb ert B. Friedman, e d . . The Viking Book of Folk Bal
la d s of the E nglish-Speaking World (New York. 1956). p. nv.
^The B allad Book (New York, 1955), p. 22.
unconsciously eiqploying t h i s s t y l i s t i c t r a i t because i t was
in t h e i r co nception of l i f e t o bear tra g e d y q u ie tly and
s u f fe r h o rro rs s t o i c a l l y . Perhaps th e b a lla d r e c i t e r s in
tended t o be i r o n i c a l or even humorous in making t h e i r un
d e rs ta te m e n ts . but th ey only served to make the tr a g i c
in c id e n t more p o ig n a n t. The a l lu s iv e method of the b a lla d
is o fte n ir o n ic , e i t h e r the s i t u a t i o n or the language giv in g
an i n d ir e c t meaning or a hidden em phasis. Ironic indeed i s
murder r e s u l t i n g from a t r i v i a l d e t a i l as in "Edward." t o be
f u l l y d iscu ssed l a t e r . Also noteworthy in connection w ith
language and s ty le i s th e m etap h o rical way in which the
b a lla d r e c i t e r couches an idea in term s of th in g s . Q uite
u n co n scio u sly , i t seems, he ach iev es the a b s tr a c t through
the c o n c re te , a s in the employment of the "w h at-ails-y o u ?"
form ula. An exchange of sim ple, d i r e c t q u e s tio n s and an
swers between mother and s tr ic k e n son, fo r example, as she
asks him what i s wrong w ith him, g iv e s r i s e to the r e a l i z a
ti o n of a p e r f id io u s wrong having been committed and to the
impact of the meaning of r e je c te d lo v e , h a tre d , revenge.
Folk b a lla d s are e s s e n t i a l l y ly r ic in the sense th a t
they are song-poems— poems composed f o r m usical accompani
ment. Many of the b a l la d s , such as "Edward," "S ir P a tr ic k
Spens," "Johnnie Cock," "The Wife of U s h e r's W ell." and "The
Twa S i s t e r s , " are worthwhile as p o e try read from the p r in te d
page, but many o th e rs , such as "Lord Randal" and "Barbara
A lle n ," must be m u sically accompanied or they have l i t t l e
ap p eal. I t must be remembered t h a t b a l la d s are meant f o r
singing and t h a t th e music f i x e s the tone of a b a lla d and
i t s em otional e f f e c t . The p o pular b a l la d s are p a r t i c u l a r l y
singable because of t h e i r r o l l i c k i n g b a lla d m eter, rhyme,
increm ental r e p e t i t i o n , and r e f r a i n s . T h re e -fo u rth s of a l l
b a lla d s are in q u a tra in s of a l t e r n a t i n g four and th re e
s t r e s s iambic l i n e s , only the second and f o u rth l i n e s rhym
ing, or in four s t r e s s l i n e s rhyming abab or aabb. The
former may be in the form of two c o u p le ts of seven s t r e s s
lin e s* S ev eral b a lla d s have c o u p le ts of fo u r or six s t r e s s
l i n e s , and a few are in q u a tra in s w ith t h e i r f i r s t th re e
l i n e s c o n ta in in g seven s t r e s s e s and t h e i r fo u rth lin e th re e
s t r e s s e s . In some c a se s the sta n z a ic form s h i f t s w ith in the
b a lla d . Although the iamb i s sta n d ard , m e tric a l v a r ie ty i s
to be found.
Increm ental r e p e t i t i o n i s undoubtedly the most d i s t i n c
tiv e of a l l r h e t o r i c a l d ev ices used in popular b a lla d s . Any
p a t t e r n of r e p e t i t i o n makes a poem more sin g a b le , but in c re
mental r e p e t i t i o n does f a r more th an t h i s . I t i s not accu
m ulative (as i s the r e p e t i t i o n used in "The Twelve N ights
of C h ristm as"); i t i s r e p e t i t i o n w ith an added element t h a t
advances the n a r r a tiv e or g iv e s more in fo rm atio n . The con
s ta n t r e p e t i t i o n of the f a m ilia r p h ra se , w ith the new e l e
ment appearing in ea ch , c r e a t e s mounting suspense, and th e n
the l a s t b i t of in crem en tal r e p e t i t i o n c o n ta in s the c r i t i c a l
s u b s t i t u t i o n th a t marks the clim ax and r e l e a s e s te n s io n .
10
W ills has b e s t expressed th e worth of increm ental r e p e t i
tio n :
I t s e f f e c t s are in s id io u s . At f i r s t i t seems a device
of the nursery; t h i s i s the f a i r y - t a l e method we have a l l
outgrown, and i t s use here seems cumbersome and n aiv e,
slowing r a t h e r th a n quickening the pace. Then simple in
t e r e s t tu r n s in to a b s o rp tio n , ta k in g th e place of our ner
vous demand f o r v a r i e t y of e x p re s s io n . The f u l l e f f e c t of
fo lk p o e try and f o lk music i s not to be d eriv ed from one
h e a rin g : i t i s f e l t only by r e p e t i t i o n . One has only to
t r y to w rite out a l l t h a t i s im plied in t h i s simple d ia
logue, t o d isc o v er how much i t c o n ta in s . I t i s the sim
p l i c i t y of g r e a t a r t , as w ell as of g re a t a r t l e s s n e s s .
Like the commonplace and the vague s e t t i n g , increm ental
r e p e t i t i o n i s a means of fre e in g our im a g in a tio n s.?
Not a l l r e p e t i t i o n i s in crem en tal. Sometimes th in g s are r e
p eated because the s i n g e r 's memory has f a i l e d ; sometimes the
r e p e t i t i o n merely r e in f o r c e s the rhythm of the fo lk b a lla d ;
but fre q u e n tly r e p e t i t i o n has a more noble o r ig in . Any
h ig h ly compressed sto ry of s t i r r i n g e v e n ts or se n sa tio n a lism
to ld w ith g re a t f e e lin g i s very apt to r e p e a t p h rase s or
l i n e s in order to allow emotion which cannot be spent in one
saying to be accommodated. And in b a lla d s of heavy super
n a tu ra l mold, one b a lla d c r i t i c f in d s extended passag es of
r e p e t i t i o n s e t t i n g up a "rocking motion th a t lends the p ro
ceedings th e glamor of r i t u a l in c a n ta tio n ."® The f i n a l type
of r e p e t i t i o n i s th e r e f r a i n , a phrase or lin e r e c u r r in g
r e g u l a r l y , e i t h e r a t the end of the stanza or a l t e r n a t i n g
w ith the n a r r a tiv e l i n e s . T r a d i t i o n a l l y i t i s the r e i t e r a -
^W ells, p. 91.
^Friedman, p. x v i i i .
t i o n of the l a s t lin e or l i n e s of th e sta n z a , sometimes w ith
s l i g h t adornment. The same l a s t lin e i s used f o r each
stanza in many b a lla d s w ith perhaps a s l i g h t v a r i a t i o n a t
the beginning of the r e f r a i n lin e so t h a t i t j o i n s w ith the
p rev io u s verses* R e fra in s are not only a m usical device but
a ls o a s t y l i s t i c d ev ice, c o n tr ib u tin g markedly t o th e atmos
phere of the b a lla d , and perhaps a way of g e ttin g the r e
c i t e r ' s r e a c tio n to the s to r y . In many in s ta n c e s th e r e
f r a i n i s c l e a r l y an i n t e g r a l a r t i s t i c p a r t of the b a l la d .
Sometimes the r e f r a i n echoes words from th e sto ry or g iv e s
e x p re s sio n s of d i r e c t ad d ress or command. Nonsense r e f r a i n s
look f o o lis h on the p r in te d page, but i f rendered v o c a lly
th ey are q u ite e f f e c t iv e and seem to have been chosen by
the sin g e rs to b est f i t the m usical p h ra s e s . I r r e le v a n t
r e f r a i n s , p h ra s e s , and l i n e s making sense in them selves but
having no apparent co n n ectio n w ith the n a r r a t i v e , f re q u e n tly
have an in c a n ta to ry , atm ospheric v alu e. For example, the
flow er r e f r a i n s in some love b a lla d s are not j u s t th e re fo r
ornam entation but name h erb s having m agical powers fo r
sw ee th e a rts. The r e f r a i n has a p r im a r ily l y r i c a l fu n c tio n
and never advances the s to r y , but i t s e f f e c t on tempo and
suspense i s very g r e a t. Even an a p p a re n tly u n s u ita b le r e
f r a i n , by i t s iro n ic a b s u r d ity , throws the n a r r a tiv e in to
high r e l i e f . I t h e lp s t o acce n tu ate the sto ry w ith i t s
rhythm and melody, and sometimes w ith i t s c o n n o ta tio n . Ac
t u a l l y the b a l l a d 's sh o rt sto ry i s given d ig n ity by the
12
breaks provided by the r e f r a i n . As w ith increm ental repe
t i t i o n , the tempo of the sto ry mounts s te a d ily w ith the
re g u la rly re c u rrin g r e f r a i n , which b u ild s suspense and un
d e r lin e s the a c tio n r a th e r than holds i t back.
The foregoing c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s are those which we s h a ll
note in the v a r ia n t v e rsio n s of the b a lla d s to be analyzed
in t h i s p ap e r, but no in tro d u c tio n t o the problem would be
adequate w ithout some d is c u s s io n about o r ig in s and develop
ment of the popular b a lla d . Who or what is re sp o n sib le fo r
these c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s ? To a l l appearances the popular b a l
lad has no au th o r. The c u rre n t b a lla d singer i s as much the
author as the unknown person who f i r s t put i t to g e th e r . In
deed, passed on from person to p erson, group to group, conn
munity to community, even country to co u n try , a given b a lla d
has had many a u th o rs, each leaving an im print on the ever-
changing l i t e r a r y h e rita g e of the f o lk . During the l a s t
th r e e - q u a r te r s of a c e n tu ry th ere have been disagreem ents
among sc h o la rs as to the o rig in and h is to r y of the fo lk b a l
la d s. German th e o r ie s on communal au th o rsh ip held th a t a t
some time in a n tiq u ity a community group got to g e th e r a f t e r
an im portant event which a ffe c te d them a l l and inprovised a
n a rra tiv e song about i t . Or a t one of t h e i r g a th e rin g s ,
probably marked by dancing and games, they decided to inpro
vise in song an elem ental s it u a ti o n which many of them had
experienced a t one time or an o th er. Id e a lly each person
would c o n trib u te a v e rse , but probably two or th re e more
13
ta le n te d in d iv id u a ls would do the a c tu a l composing* encour
aged and a b e tte d by the group which supplied th e background
chant or r e f r a i n . Scandinavian a u t h o r i t i e s have held t o
au th o rsh ip by an in d iv id u a l such as a bard* s c a ld , m in strel*
or t a le n t e d layman. At the tu r n of t h i s ce n tu ry the com
munal th e o ry of b a lla d o r ig in s p r e v a ile d in America. Such
men as F. B. Gummere, G. L. K ittredge* and W. M. H a rt, be
liev ed a t l e a s t in a m odified communalism. A decade la te r *
J . A. Lomax held the com m unalist' s p o s i t i o n , but about the
same time T. F. Henderson, a S c o ttis h sch o lar and one of the
most uncompromising opponents of the communal th e o ry , not
only r e j e c t e d such au th o rsh ip but a ls o a s s e r te d th a t the
b a lla d in th e hands of the fo lk always r e s u lt e d in degenera
ti o n and debasement.
I t te n d s to make the b a lla d "p o p u la r," in the sense of
being mean and common and rude in s ty le . . . f o r the sim
ple reaso n t h a t i t has been g rad u a lly remolded by the
p ro c e sse s of i n s t i n c t i v e l y stu p id in te rfe re n c e w ith the
o r ig in a l t e x t . 9
Largely as the r e s u l t of the work of such a u t h o r i t i e s as
Louise Pound and P h i l l i p s Barry, the modern view is t h a t the
t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s are of too high a c a l i b e r to have been
o rig in a te d by the fo lk and th a t although communal composi
tio n b e st e x p la in s the im p e rso n ality and o th er c h a r a c t e r i s
t i c s of the p o pular b a lla d th e se t r a i t s are accounted fo r
also by the f a c t th a t the b a lla d s were tak en up by the f o lk .
% he B allad in L ite r a tu r e (Cambridge, 1912), p. 71.
14
molded t o i t s needs, p e rp e tu a te d by i t , tr a n s m itte d by i t .
If the b a lla d was o r i g i n a l l y of sin g le a u th o rsh ip , through
use the fo lk assumed i t s c o l l e c t i v e a u th o rs h ip . If the b a l
lad o r i g i n a l l y had any in d iv i d u a l i t y or expressed the emo
t i o n or purpose of i t s c r e a tiv e l i t e r a r y a r t i s t , i t acquired
a s t r i c t im p e rso n a lity through the p ro c e s se s of o r a l t r a d i
t i o n . Reed Smith s t a t e s i t th u s:
P assing as i t were through successive tim e - la y e rs and
s p a c e -la y e rs of fo lk -c o n s c io u s n e s s , b a lla d s have come out
re c o lo re d and r e c r e a te d a f t e r the lik e n e s s of the p e o p le ,
w ith no p e rso n a l image or s u p e rs c rip tio n re m a in in g .10
Barry saw fo lk -s o n g s as " r e s u l tin g from the c r e a tio n s of
sin g le in d iv id u a ls , whether or not members of a r u r a l 'f o l k '
group, and from the c o n s ta n t changes wrought by the i n t e r
p r e t a t i o n s of subsequent t r a d i t i o n a l s in g e rs . In o th er
words, the popular b a lla d s we fin d today are the r e s u l t s of
the p ro c ess of in d iv id u a l in v e n tio n , p lu s communal r e - c r e a
t i o n , which may be considered as "the summation of an in
f i n i t e s e r i e s of in d iv id u a l r e - c r e a t i v e a c t s . " ^ As a f i n a l
word on the o r ig in of the t r a d i t i o n a l b a l la d s , t h i s quota
tio n from P ro fe ss o r G. H. Gerould i s p a r t i c u l a r l y f i t t i n g
fo r the purpose of t h i s paper:
^ S o u th C a ro lin a B a lla d s , p. 37.
1J>George H erzog's I n tro d u c tio n , in P h i l l i p s B arry, e d . .
Folk Music in America. W PA N atio n al Service Bureau P u b lic a -
t io n No. 8 0 -S (New York, June 1939), p. x i i .
*%lerzog, p. x i i .
15
In w hatever way the b a lla d o rig in a te d . . . i t would be
subm itted to the same p ro c e sse s of remaking, once i t came
in to popular fa v o r. Provided i t were in th e s u ita b le
rhythm, a poem of s o p h is tic a te d o r ig in might w e ll, i t
seems to me, have a long h is t o r y as a b a l la d , alongside
anjrthex poem th a t had sprung crude and simple from the
excitem ent of a r u r a l f e s t i v a l . Both n a r r a tiv e s would
p a ss under the same m usical and p o e t ic a l t r a d i t i o n s .
Grant t h i s , and th e old q u a rre l between communalists
and i n d i v i d u a l i s t s becomes su p e rflu o u s. Why d isp u te about
the o r ig in of b a lla d s i f i t i s what happens to the b a lla d s
in t h e i r d if f u s io n t h a t r e a l l y m a t t e r s ? ^
The very f a c t th a t some of the b a lla d s have la s te d fo r
hundreds of y ears while c o u n tle s s o th e rs have f a l l e n by the
wayside poses the i n t e r e s t i n g qu estio n — Why? F i r s t , b a lla d s
depend f o r t h e i r being on themes of u n iv e rs a l a p p e a 1 --s to r
ie s of rom antic love and i t s numerous c o n s e q u e n tia l s it u a
ti o n s , s t o r i e s of domestic tra g e d y , and to a le s s e r degree,
s t o r i e s of domestic comedy. To survive the t r a d i t i o n of
time and the t r a d i t i o n of space, b a lla d s can not be to o
"dated" or to o " lo c a l." B alla d s w ith n a r r a tiv e d e t a i l based
on ob so lete fo lk p r a c t i c e s , such as those concerned with the
su p e rn a tu ra l or b e l i e f in f a i r y t a l e s and those b u i l t
around h i s t o r i c a l or lo c a l a f f a i r s such as the S c o ttis h
Border in c id e n ts or Robin Hood e x p l o i t s , die o u t- -u n le s s
they have the "seed of u n i v e r s a l i t y ," t h a t i s , the p o t e n t i a l
of being a ttu n e d to p re se n t fo lk s o c ie ty . To survive they
must r e f l e c t a p a tte r n of behavior or stim u la te an emotion
^ " T h e Making of B a lla d s ." Modern P h ilo lo a v . 21:22.
August 1923. “
16
common t o mankind in a l l ages in a l l p la c e s . This c a p a b il
ity r e a d ily leads us to the second and t h i r d requirem ents
fo r s u rv iv a l— sim p lic ity and b re v ity . The b a lla d sto ry must
be p resen ted w ith an i n t e l l e c t u a l and em otional s im p lic ity
not to be found in l i t e r a r y a r t . T his s im p lic ity i s not to
be confused with ignorance or crudeness (q u ite the c o n tra ry ,
as we s h a ll d isc u ss sh o rtly ) but i s in h eren t of n e c e s s ity in
fo lk p o e try . Folk b a lla d s are b r i e f not only because of
fo lk in s is te n c e on the s trip p in g away of almost a l l elem ents
not e s s e n t i a l to the n a rra tiv e a c tio n i t s e l f , but a ls o sim
ply because of the ta sk of memorization. As s ta te d by
Wells* the
s t u r d i e s t su rv iv o rs among tra n s p la n te d b a lla d s are
those which are independent of sp e c ia l s e ttin g and circum
stan ce, which* in t h e i r dramatic form and i n t e r e s t , t h e i r
sp e c ia l idiom, and t h e i r s e le c tio n of themes of human ex
perience tr e a te d in the most condensed manner and ad ju sted
to the s i n g e r 's ex p erien ce, are the f a v o r ite s of every
fo lk s i n g e r .14
The fo lk b a lla d th r iv e s b est among people of u n le tte re d
c u l tu r e . I t flo u ris h e d when th e re were no formal d iv is io n s
of l i t e r a t e and i l l i t e r a t e , when the persons who lis te n e d to
and shaped folk-song came from a l l s o c ia l s t r a t a . Whether
the hey-day of the fo lk b a lla d com position was in the f i f
te e n th century or l a t e r when the English were co lo n izin g the
New World (as Louise Pound contends in her "On the Dating of
i4 W ells, p. 100.
17
the E nglish and S c o ttis h B a l l a d s " ^ ) , the f a c t remains th a t
the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s were c re a te d by a g r e a te r pool of
t a l e n t than could be expected of a modern i l l i t e r a t e commu
n ity group. The i l l i t e r a c y of the English and S c o ttis h b a l
lad men in t h e i r hey-day cannot be a s so c ia te d with ignorance
or crudeness. Wells a p tly says:
The r u r a l i l l i t e r a t e (fo r most fo lk songs have been
recovered from r u s t i c i t y ) although u n le tte r e d and hence
dependent upon h i s inner re so u rc e s fo r e n te rta in m e n t, has
sometimes a compensating power of memory which has sto red
h i s mind more f u l l y th an th a t of a b e t te r - r e a d man, to say
nothing of an en v iab le sto re of good sense and good
t a s t e .16
The t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s got a fin e s t a r t th e n , as i t were,
from the "whole f o lk ," who, except fo r a m in o rity , were
bound to an e n tertain m en t world of o ra l tra n sm issio n . And
they continued to f lo u r i s h down through the c e n tu r ie s even
when the pendulum g ra d u a lly swung the other way and the
m inority became the i l l i t e r a t e . As long as the r u s t i c e l e
ments of a country had t o depend on word of mouth to t r a n s
mit sto ry and song, b a lla d p r e s e rv a tio n , i f not b allad
growth, was assu red . But th e n , a f t e r f r o n t i e r s had been
pushed back (in the case of America) and c i v i l i z a t i o n and
ed u catio n a c c e le ra te d , even the r u s t i c became too sophis
t i c a t e d t o care fo r the fo lk b a lla d s of t h e i r a n c e s to rs . As
the p r in te d page was made a v a ila b le and as the "3 R 's" were
I 5PMLA. 47:15, March 1932.
■^Wells, pp. 5-b.
18
drummed in to him, as the phonograph and ra d io were ushered
in , as World Wars brought the newer g e n e ra tio n s out of the
backwoods in to c o n ta c t with the c i t i f i e d w orld, as t r a n s
p o r t a t i o n systems and t o u r i s t developments came in to bein g ,
the fo lk sin g e r became s i l e n t and h i s product d e c lin e d .
S everal c r i t i c s have sa id t h a t the c o u p de grace was admin
i s t e r e d when the a n tiq u a ry , the b a lla d c o l l e c t o r , went out
to reco rd fo lk -s o n g . F ears have been expressed t h a t when a
t e x t found i t s way in to p r i n t t h a t t e x t tended to become the
"standard" and precluded v a r ia n t v e rs io n s or a need f o r r e
membering the old b a lla d s . T h is f e a r was expressed by fo lk
song e n t h u s i a s t s as e a r ly as the beginning of the n in e te e n th
ce n tu ry when S ir W alter S cott tr a v e rs e d the co u n try sid e in
h i s quest fo r t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s . One hundred y e a rs l a t e r
in t h i s co u n try i t was f e l t th a t the c o l l e c t o r s who went out
in to the f i e l d w ith t h e i r phonographs were bound t o mark the
end of b a lla d sin g in g . But every decade since the l a s t cen
tu ry has seen two or th re e new re g io n a l c o l l e c t i o n s of the
t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s spring to l i f e . Indeed, w ith in the l a s t
two decades s e v e ra l s t a t e s which had been unheard from p re
v io u sly —Ohio (Eddy), Michigan (Gardner and C h ic k e rin g ),
Indiana (B rew ster), and F lo rid a (M orris)— came f o r th with
c o l l e c t i o n s of the t r a d i t i o n a l old songs and b a lla d s con
t r i b u t e d by in h a b ita n ts w ith in t h e i r b o rd e rs. W ithin the
l a s t decade even Utah (H arrison) and Oregon (Hubbard) have
fu rn ish e d numbers of t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s f o r f o lk lo r e maga-
19
z in e s. There i s no doubt, however, th a t the number of o ra l
tr a n s m itte r s i s d ecreasing; the "old tim ers" who remember
the songs t h a t t h e i r f a t h e r s and g ra n d fa th e rs sang are dying
out, and the "sm all fry " are to o busy w ith a c t i v i t i e s and
e n tertain m en t of a d if f e r e n t s o r t . The c o n d itio n s fo r o ra l
tra n sm issio n of the fo lk b a lla d s have j u s t about ceased— the
world i s shrinking to an a s to n ish in g degree, TV antennas are
popping up in even the most remote s e c tio n s and a n atio n of
people who once vigorously provided t h e i r own vocal and in*
strum ental e n tertain m en t has become a n atio n of s p e c ta to rs
lis te n i n g and watching p ro fe s s io n a ls perform before t h e i r
eyes.
S tu d e n ts ' p r in c ip a l sources of English and S c o ttis h pop*
u la r b a lla d s are c o l le c tio n s by e ig h te e n th and n in e tee n th
century a n t iq u a r ie s , such as Percy, Herd, Jamison, Mother-
w e ll, Buchan, Dixon, S c o tt, and C h ild , and c o l l e c t i o n s of
v a ria n t v e rsio n s of these b a lla d s by tw e n tie th century Amer
ican a n tiq u a r ie s such as Barry, Belden, Campbell, Cox, Dav
i s , Dobie, Hudson, Lomax, Sharp, and Smith. I have se le c te d
P ro fe sso r F ra n c is James C h i l d 's g re a t d e f i n i t i v e c o l l e c t i o n .
The English and S c o ttis h Popular B a lla d s , a s the Old World
source of the b a lla d s to be analyzed and c r i t i c i z e d in t h i s
paper. Published during the y ears 1882-98, t h i s monumental
work in fiv e large volumes and te n p a r t s , c o n ta in s 30b d i f
f e r e n t b a lla d s with scores of d if f e r e n t v e rs io n s . The
famous "30b" are those b a lla d s which passed the clo se scru
20
t i n y and keen judgment of P ro fe sso r C h ild as being genuine
S c o ttis h and E nglish f o lk b a l la d s , not l i t e r a r y b a lla d s or
the sp u rio u s c r e a tio n s of those who would im ita te the fo lk
p ro d u c t. So s u c c e s sfu l was P ro fe ss o r C h ild th a t alm ost no
a d d itio n a l old b a lla d s and few v a r ia n ts have been uncovered
in England and Scotland since h i s d e f i n i t i v e c o l l e c t i o n was
p u b lish e d .
I t i s my purpose, f i r s t , t o re c o rd , a n a ly ze , and c r i t
ic iz e English and S c o ttis h v e rsio n s of r e p r e s e n ta tiv e ty p e s
of C h i l d 's b a l la d s , which f a l l in to te n g e n e ra l, sometimes
o v erla p p in g , c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s or ty p e s— the s u p e rn a tu ra l,
mythology, tra g e d y , C h r i s t i a n i t y , border in c id e n t, h i s t o r y ,
comedy, romance, c h iv a lr y , and love. To t h i s end, 1 have
s e le c te d "The F alse Knight upon the Road" (C hild No. 3, the
s u p e rn a tu ra l) , "Edward" (No. 13, domestic tr a g e d y ), "The
C herry-T ree C arol" (No. 54, C h r i s t i a n i t y ) , "Henry Martyn"
(No. 250, h i s t o r y ) , "The F arm er's C u rst Wife" (No. 278.
comedy), and "The Brown G irl" (No. 295, tr a g ic lo v e ). My
p lan c a l l s fo r re c o rd in g in the appendixes of t h i s paper
e x ta n t p r in te d t e x t s of th ese six b a lla d s in the New World.
Then I s h a ll compare American " su rv iv a ls " with the E nglish
and S c o ttis h v a r ia n ts e d ite d by P ro fe ss o r C h ild to reach
answers to the follow ing q u e s tio n s: (1) Do the American var
i a n ts tend to become more fragm entary, or meager, in n a rra
tiv e d e t a i l ? Are they as d ra m a tic , v i t a l , h e r o ic , tr a g ic ?
(2) Do they show le s s m e tric a l e x c e lle n c e , poorer rhyme,
l e s s l y r i c a l e x c e lle n ce ? (3) Do they d is p la y i n f e r i o r d ic
tio n ? (This comparison i s , in r e a l i t y , a t e s t of the s t a t
ure of American " c u ltu re and refinem ent" among the " f o lk ." )
(4) In s h o r t, do th ey conform to the t r a d i t i o n a l r e q u ir e
ments of the English and S c o ttis h popular b a lla d , and do
they dem onstrate th a t the American fo lk were the equal of
t h e i r E nglish c o u n te r p a rts in p re s e rv in g , molding, and
tr a n s m ittin g them?
CHAPTER I I
"THE FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD"
Since the f o rc e s of e v i l have b e se t man throughout h is
e x is te n c e , i t i s not s u rp ris in g t o fin d in f o lk p o e try the
d e v il assuming the body of a knight and a c c o stin g a human
c re a tu r e on the ro ad . I t i s s u r p r i s in g , however, when the
unsuspecting c r e a tu r e tu r n s out to be a l i t t l e boy; and
h e re in l i e s the proper dram atic c o n tr a s t and c o n f l i c t f o r a
tru e p o pular b a lla d . "The False Knight upon the Road," No.
3 in P ro fe ss o r F ra n c is C h i l d 's E nglish and S c o ttis h Popular
B a lla d s , i s a s in g u la r b a lla d d e a lin g w ith the s u p e rn a tu ra l
which was known by C h ild through W illiam M otherw ell, who had
included i t in h is M in s tre ls y . Ancient and Modern, p u b lish ed
in Glasgow in 1827. A p e ru s a l of the b a lla d (Appendix A)
w ill show t h a t i t w ell conforms to th e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s noted
in the In tro d u c tio n to t h i s p a p e r .* The b a lla d fo cu se s on a
sin g le scene. P re lim in a r ie s have been dispensed w ith. W e
have th e f e e lin g t h a t we have broken in to a sto ry a lre a d y in
lAs each t e x t i s c o n sid ered i t w i l l be placed verbatim
in an appendix; f o r example, a l l C h ild t e x t s w i l l be under
Appendix A, a l l C re ig h to n t e x t s from Nova S cotia under
Appendix B. The v a r i a n t s w ith in a l e t t e r e d appendix are
a ls o l i s t e d a l p h a b e t i c a l l y .
2 2
23
a c tio n . A ll n a r r a tiv e element a have been swept away; the
p r o ta g o n is t and a n ta g o n is t are locked in a b a t t l e of words.
Much has t o be in f e r r e d ; even the denouement and co n c lu sio n
must be su p p lied by the l i s t e n e r . "The idea a t the bottom
of the piece i s t h a t the d e v il w i l l c a rr y o ff the wee boy i f
he can non-plus h i m . D i a l o g u e in the f i r s t stanza t e l l s
the l i s t e n e r th a t the boy i s on h i s way t o school when he
i s accosted by the d e v i l. That the l i t t l e fello w b e s ts the
d e v il and e v e n tu a lly g e ts to school i s im p lic it in the
re p a r te e which fo llo w s. No s u b t l e t i e s of c h a ra c te r or an
a n a ly s is of m o tiv atio n are drawn, but from the dialo g u e we
g et a w onderfully d i r e c t p ic tu r e of a s to u t, b rig h t-e y e d
c h ild more th a n holding h is own a g a in s t a s ly , c r a f t y d e v i l.
The f i r s t th re e q u e s tio n s the f a ls e knight asks are innocuous
enough, but the l a s t two are s i n i s t e r and c a l l fo r quick
th in k in g on the p a r t of the small la d . Our i n t e r e s t and
a d m iratio n are aroused as th e boy s to u tly answers the d e v il
th a t the sheep are h is and h is m o th e r's and th a t "'A' they
t h a t have blue t a i l s " are the d e v i l 's . The f a ls e knight
shows h is tru e c o lo rs in the l a s t fo u r sta n za s by malevo
l e n t l y w ishing i l l - f o r t u n e to the boy, who very q u ic k ly and
c le v e r ly adds h is p r o te c tiv e r e jo in d e r s to the d e v i l 's r e
t o r t s . The clim ax occurs in the l a s t stanza when the l i t t l e
^F ran cis J . C h ild , e d . , Enolish and S c o ttis h Popular
B a lla d s (Boston. 1882-1898), I , P a rt I . 20.---------------- --------
24
fe llo w b e s ts th e d e v i l v e rb a lly f o r the second tim e. The
simple S c o ttis h d i c t i o n (the v e rs io n came from Galloway) i s
very e f f e c t i v e . "Atwheel" in the second and t h i r d sta n z a s
means a ssu re d ly ; " p e it" in the t h i r d r e f e r s to the p ea t
which i s c a r r i e d t o school as a c o n t r ib u t io n t o the f i r i n g ,
and "Wha's aucht" in the f o u rth stanza means "Who i s i t
owns?1 1 Only two b a lla d commonplaces are p re s e n t: "wee boy"
and "yon t r e e . " S c o tti s h s p e llin g and d i a l e c t add t o the
f la v o r of t h i s Old World t e x t . S c o t t i s h p ro n u n c ia tio n of
"road" and "stude" w i l l perm it the b a lla d rhyme scheme of
abcb, but the b a lla d meter i s i r r e g u l a r ; l i n e s 1, 3, 13, and
3b c o n ta in only two f e e t and lin e 15 c o n ta in s two and one-
h a lf f e e t w ith a fem inine ending. Many a n a p ests are sub
s t i t u t e d fo r iambs. The r e p e t i t i v e l in e s 2 and 4 of each
stanza c o n ta in fo u r f e e t each in s te a d of the t r a d i t i o n a l
th re e ; n e v e rth e le s s , a r o l l i c k i n g b a lla d movement r e s u l t s .
The c o n s ta n t r e p e t i t i o n of the f a m il ia r p h rase s: "Quo the
fause knight upon the road" and "Quo the wee boy, and s t i l l
he s tu d e ," which c o n s t i t u t e the poem's r e f r a i n , not only r e
in f o rc e s the rhythm of the p ie c e , but a ls o i s the s t y l i s t i c
device c o n trib u tin g a g re a t d ea l t o the atmosphere of the
b a lla d and serves as a way fo r the r e c i t e r to r e a c t to the
s to ry . By the proper in to n a tio n s the sin g e r tr a n s m its the
f e e lin g of the d e v il s te a d ily q u estio n in g and b a i tin g the
boy and the p ic tu re of a s ta lw a rt l i t t l e fello w answering
f o r t h r i g h t l y and stau n ch ly standing h i s ground. The tempo
of even t h i s sh o rt simple b a lla d mounts s te a d il y w ith the
re c u r r in g r e f r a i n .
C h i l d 's B v a r ia n t i s a one-stanza fragm ent in which the
d e v i l asks h i s i n i t i a l q u e s tio n . W e are not to ld th a t he
i s on the road; in ste a d we are to ld in the r e f r a i n th a t
" f a l s e , f a l s e was h is rede" ( ta lk ) and t h a t the l i t t l e boy
i s " p r e t t y ." Meter i s h ig h ly i r r e g u l a r and rhyme n o n -e x is t
e n t. C h i l d 's C v e rsio n , a ls o from Galloway, i s only fo u r
sta n za s long, but i t c o n ta in s the essence of the e n c o u n ter,
in which the boy t e l l s the d e v il th a t a l l the sheep ( t h i s
time they are "my p a p a 's and mine") t h a t has blue t a i l s "
are h i s , and the d e v il r e t o r t s th a t he w ishes the youngster
were in "yonder w e ll." The "wee b o y ," of c o u rse , p u ts in
the l a s t and supposedly v ic to r io u s r e jo in d e r : "And you were
down in h e l l . " The l a t t e r place corresponds to the 'y °n
sie " of C h ild A where the d e v il was to be drowned. Since
C h ild C was obtained from a r e c i t a t i o n of a Galloway r e s i
dent in the l a s t h a lf of the n in e te e n th c e n tu ry , some mod
e r n iz a tio n of s p e llin g and d i c t i o n is in ev id en ce. "Knicht"
has become "k n ig h t," " s c u le " — " s c h u le ," and "Wha's aucht"—
"Wha's a u g h t." O ther than being c o n s id e ra b ly shortened,
the C v e rs io n i s very s im ila r t o the A v e rs io n . The met
r i c a l p a t t e r n i s s t i l l h ig h ly i r r e g u l a r . D ic tio n , or more
s p e c i f i c a l l y , grammar, i s p o o rer, as may be seen in the
follow ing dialo g u e:
26
"How many of them 's mine?"
"A1 them th a t has blue t a i l s . "
Now l e t us tu rn toward the New World and see what hap
pened t o "The F alse Knight upon the Road" as i t was recorded
in v a rio u s c o l l e c t i o n s on t h i s c o n tin e n t. Nova S c o tia has
proven to be a f e r t i l e f i e l d f o r the c o l l e c t i n g of t r a d i
t i o n a l b a lla d s . I t has fu rn ish e d two v e rsio n s of the com
p a r a t iv e ly ra re "False Knight upon the Road." W . Roy
MacKenzie, au th o r of B allad s and Sea Songs from Nova S c o tia ,
s t a t e s in h is in tro d u c tio n :
The p en in su la of Nova S cotia i s , or was, r a r e ly
adapted to the c u ltu re of a fo lk -so n g ranging from the
t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s of mediaeval England and Scotland to
the improvised s h a n tie s of the n in e te e n th -c e n tu ry s a i l o r -
men. No p a rt of t h i s narrow province i s very f a r removed
from the sea, and no member of the groups which in the old
days, chanted the fo lk -so n g s or lis te n e d to them, could
f a i l to respond to the b a lla d s which recorded the p e r i l s
and the brave deeds which, in balanced measure, atten d e d
the l i v e s of seagoing men or to the songs of labour which
lig h te n e d and ste a d ie d t h e i r d a ily t o i l . ^
Nova S c o tia , th en , i s a place where one might expect to fin d
the old S c o ttis h and E n g lish popular b a lla d s p reserv ed q u ite
n ea rly in t h e i r o r ig in a l s t a t e . At the mouth of H a lifa x
Harbour, Nova S c o tia , l i e s D e v i l 's Is la n d , a q u ain t l i t t l e
is la n d , only one mile in circu m feren ce, c o n ta in in g only
seventeen houses, not a l l occupied. "The in h a b ita n ts are
a l l f i s h e r - f o l k of E n g lish , I r i s h , and Welch d e sc e n t, the
Henneberys probably having come out w ith Alexander McNutt
^(Cambridge, M assach u setts, 1928), p. xv.
27
e a r ly in the n in e te e n th c e n tu ry , when he brought 300 I r i s h
s e t t l e r s o v e r ."4 Mr. Ben Henneberry, D e v il 's I s l a n d 's
honorable p ro p h e t, Helen C re ig h to n 's most valuable source,
sang the amazing t o t a l of n in e ty songs to her.' Miss
C reig h to n makes noteworthy remarks in the in tro d u c tio n to
her Sonos and B a lla d s from Nova S c o tia about t h i s tremendous
s to re :
Strange i t seems t h a t so minute an is la n d should bear
so r i c h a f r u i t . Yet perhaps i t i s not so stra n g e . The
people here have l i t t l e c o n ta c t w ith the o u tsid e w orld,
fo r w in te r winds are c o ld and tre a c h e ro u s , and although
the fisherm an makes fre q u e n t t r i p s to town he does not
lin g e r l e s t n i g h t f a l l f in d s him upon th e w ater in a storm.
Here the b a lla d sin g e r i s a god among them; a being e x a lte d
by v ir tu e of h is su p e rio r g i f t of memory and v o ic e .^
Miss C r e ig h to n 's "False Knight upon the Road," sung by
Mr. F aulkner and Mr. Henneberry of D e v i l 's Isla n d , may be
found in Appendix B. I t i s an unusual v a ria n t in t h a t i t
c o n ta in s many of the q u e s tio n s found in C h i l d 's No. 1,
"R iddles Wisely Expounded," and th u s r e v e a ls a c lo se r e l a
tio n s h ip w ith the o ld e s t and f i n e s t type of r id d le b a lla d s ,
which go back to remote tim es and are rem in isce n t of the
r id d le t a l e s of the days of Samson, Oedipus, and A pollonius
of T yre. A fte r the six sta n za s of the C reig h to n v a r ia n t
appeared in 1932, P h i l l i p s Barry, A rc h iv is t of the Folk-Song
S o cie ty of the N o rth east, sent her a l e t t e r :
4
Helen C reig h to n , e d .. Songs and B a lla d s from Nova
S cotia (Toronto, 1932), p. x i i i .
^ C reig h to n , p. x i i i .
28
"Your v a r ia n t of the F alse Knight i s one of the most
i n t e r e s t i n g and im portant v e rs io n s t h a t has ev er been r e
corded anywhere. . . . I t i s not one b a lla d but two; p er
f e c t l y blended. . . . Only once has a v e rs io n of "R iddles
Wisely Expounded" been tak en down in America. As the
blending of the b a lla d s i s so p e r f e c t th e re i s no doubt i t
was done a long time ago. "6
Since sta n z a s two to fiv e are from "R iddles W isely Ex
pounded" and are not to be found in any o th e r "False Knight"
v e rsio n in the New World or the Old, l i t t l e more w i l l be
said of them o ther than th a t th ey dem onstrate b e a u tif u lly
the t e x t u a l v a r ia tio n th a t is sometimes found when two b a l
la d s are merged in to one. T h is merger comes about very n a t
u r a l l y when the su b je ct m atter i s so c lo s e ly a l l i e d , and
what could b e t t e r supplement or re p la c e the b a itin g ques
t i o n s and a d r o it r e p l i e s of "The False Knight" than the r i d
d le s m alev o len tly p re se n te d by the d e v il and w isely answered
by the c h ild ? The d e v i l 's purpose i s to nonplus the small
lad and he could su re ly do i t w ith r i d d l e s . Three of the
e ig h t r i d d l e s are p a r t i c u l a r l y apropos of the s i t u a t i o n :
"What i s h igher than a king?" . . . "God is higher than
a k in g ."
"What i s worse than women coarse?" . . . "The d e v i l 's
wor se . . ."
"What i s deeper th a n the sea?" . . . "Hell i s deeper
II
• • •
Such wisdom and s o p h is tic a tio n from the mouth of a c h i ld
may have taxed the credence of some l i s t e n e r s , but the
6Helen C reig h to n and Doreen S enior, c o l l . , T r a d iti o n a l
Sonas f r o m Nova S c o tia (Toronto, 1950), p. 1 .
29
su p e rn a tu ra l elem ents of the b a lla d c l e a r l y dem onstrate the
u n iv e r s a lit y of t h i s theme— man versus te m p tatio n , good
v ersu s e v i l .
The C reighton A v a r ia n t has sloughed off the f i r s t
stanza of the C h ild v e rsio n s in which the f a ls e knight asks
where the l i t t l e boy i s going. He g e ts r i g h t down to b u si
ness by asking what the c h ild has in h is bag. The c h ild has
not only a " l i t t l e p rim er," corresponding to the S c o ttis h
" p e i t ," but a lso a " b it of bread fo r d in n e r," which the
knight promptly asks him to "share" but is reb u ffed by the
re p ly : "I would divide my dinner if I thought you were in
need." Then in place of the d e v i l 's f u r th e r q u estio n in g in
the C h ild A, the C reighton v ersio n has the s e r ie s of r i d
d le s followed by a f i n a l stanza in which the d e v il p la c e s a
curse on the c h i l d 's f a th e r and mother, which the c h ild
c o u n te ra c ts with a b le s s in g on both p a re n ts . T his c o n t r a s ts
w ith the l a s t stanza of C hild A in which the f a ls e knight and
the c h ild wish th a t each other would drown. In both ver
sions the c h ild g e ts in the l a s t word, however. F u rth er
te x tu a l v a r ia tio n occurs in th a t the "wee boy" i s now a
" p re tty l i t t l e c h ild only seven years o ld ," who no longer
stands h is ground as d e l i g h t f u l l y in d ic a te d in the Old World
r e f r a i n "and s t i l l , s t i l l he stu d e ." The basic mood and
motif of the b a lla d , of co u rse, have not changed, although a
co n sid erab le s tr u c t u r a l change occurs with the a d d itio n of a
r e p e t i t i o u s , involved nonsense chorus thrown in a f t e r each
30
n a r ra tiv e and dialogue stanza (see Appendix B). As Miss
C reighton has in d ic a te d , the sin g e r dances to a chorus of
diddle s . d e e d le s . dums. and d e e s , which are s ig n i f ic a n t in
showing development toward the l y r i c a l . A ll of the dialogue
lin e s are at le a s t twice as long as those of the C hild ver
sions; two q u e stio n s or two answers are found in each lin e
of the Nova S c o tia v a r ia n t, which may lead one to suggest
th a t the stan za s have been doubled up. The p re se n t form is
more p le a sin g to the e a r , however, because the longer lin e
pro v id es more rhythm and perm its in te r n a l rhyme as in the
f ollo w in g ;
"I have a l i t t l e primer and a b i t of bread f o r d in n e r,"
"What i s w hiter than milk? What is s o f te r than s iik ? "
"Snow is w h iter than m ilk. Down i s s o f te r than the s i l k . "
There i s no end rhyme in the Nova S co tia v a r ia n t, but the
f i r s t and t h i r d lin e s r e s p e c tiv e ly of the l a s t fiv e stanzas
end in the same word. Both the C hild and C reighton v e rsio n s
show ir r e g u la r m e tric a l p a t te r n s , the lin e s of the former
having two, th r e e , and four f e e t , the l a t t e r s ix , seven, and
e ig h t f e e t . An exception is the seven and one-half foot
"primer . . . d inner" lin e above, w ith i t s feminine ending.
More tro c h e e s have been s u b s titu te d fo r the iambs in the New
World b a lla d v e rsio n . A b rig h t-e y e d , " p re tty l i t t l e g i r l "
re fu s e s to be nonplussed by the d e v il in the C reighton B
v a r ia n t. She stands her ground as w ell as the "wee boy" in
answering the f a ls e k n ig h t's q u estio n s as to where s h e 's
31
going, why s h e 's going to school, and why s h e 's le a rn in g to
r e a d - - " to keep m e from h e l l . " When the d e v il rem o n strates
th a t th ere is no h e l l , she throws i t back in h is te e th with
a "I b eliev e you lie " in the l a s t stan za. Miss Creighton
has recorded the b a lla d in th r e e - li n e stan zas (two with
l in e s of s ix , f iv e , and th re e f e e t and two with lin e s of
seven, f i v e , and th re e f e e t ) , but i t i s e n t i r e l y p o ssib le to
d ivide the f i r s t lin e so th a t ir r e g u la r fo u r- lin e stanzas
w ill r e s u l t and correspond to the ir r e g u la r stanzas of the
Child v e rsio n . Rhyme i s ab sen t, the word "road" ending each
lin e of the r e f r a i n .
In the border co u n try of Maine, P h illi p s Barry, Fannie
Eckstorm, and Mary Smith did t h e i r c o lle c tin g of the v a ria n t
forms of E nglish and S c o ttis h popular b a lla d s . I t i s i n t e r
e s tin g to note th a t the Maine A v a ria n t (see Appendix C) is
p r a c t i c a l l y a r e p lic a of C h ild 's A. T his i s quickly ex
plain ed by the f a c t th a t the r e c i t e r , Mrs. James McGill of
Chamcook, C h a rlo tte County, New Brunswick, learned i t when
she was a c h ild in Galloway, S cotland, from whence the C hild
v e rsio n s o rig in a te d . Some of the words are sp e lled d i f f e r
e n tly and perhaps are pronounced d i f f e r e n t l y , but here v a r i
a tio n v i r t u a l l y sto p s. T his i s in te r e s ti n g in showing th a t
v a r ia tio n does not always occur when a b a lla d is t r a n s
ported 3,000 m iles over an ocean and tra n s m itte d o r a lly in a
fo re ig n land, but i t does not a ffo rd much o p portunity fo r
comparison of New World v a r ia n ts with Old World b a lla d s .
32
Mrs. McGill did make one e r r o r , 1 b e lie v e , when she said "I"
in ste a d of "ye” in the l in e s u tte r e d by the f a ls e knight to
the l i t t l e boy:
"1 wish I were on yon t r e e , "
" I wish I were in yon se a ."
Some y ea rs b efo re, Mr. Barry p rese n ted in the Jo u rn a l
_ol American Folklore a fragment sung by a French g i r l before
1870 in F o rt Kent. The g i r l could speak very l i t t l e Eng
l i s h and learned the song from an i l l i t e r a t e I r i s h fam ily;
"What have you in your b o t t l e , my dear l i t t l e lad?"
Quo the f o l f o l Fly on the road.
" 1 have some milk f o r myself fo r to d rin k .'"
Said the c h ild , who was seven y ears old.
Barry notes th a t " f o l f o l Fly" i s more than lik e ly c o rru p ted
from " fo u l, fo u l Fiend" (the D evil) and th u s i s noteworthy
"as r e ta in in g a form of the theme more p rim itiv e than th a t
of M otherw ell's v e rs io n "7 (Child A). T his stanza has the
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c b a lla d 4343 lin e s but not the iambic f e e t and
not the b a lla d rhyme.
In 1934 Barry receiv ed an i r r e g u la r fiv e - s ta n z a v a ria n t
from Mr. William M orris of Brewer, Maine, which he published
in a B u lle tin of the Folk-Sona Society of the N ortheast
(Appendix C ) . A fter asking "the p r e t t y l i t t l e boy about
seven y ea rs old" where he i s going, and re c e iv in g the cus
tomary r e p ly , the f a ls e knight asks him what he has in h is
7 "New B allad T e x ts ." Jo u rn a l of American F o lk lo re .
24:344, 1911. -------------------------
33
bag. The l i t t l e boy prom ptly answers* "My books and my
b rea d ." The k n ig h t's re q u e s t f o r a "piece of i t " i s met by
a f l a t r e f u s a l : "0, no* sir* not one b i t of i t . " The l a s t
two sta n za s d is p la y an i n t e r e s t i n g b i t of v iv id word fenc
ing:
"I wish you were a f i d d l e , " sa id the f a l s e knight upon the
road.
"And you t o be the bow of it* " sa id the p r e t t y l i t t l e boy
about seven y e a rs old.
"And i f the bow should b re a k --" said the f a l s e knight
upon the road.
"May the end s ti c k in your th ro a t.'" sa id the p r e t t y l i t t l e
boy about seven y e a rs old.
As Barry sta te s * "This b a lla d has f a i l e d of the c r i t i c a l
a p p r a is a l i t d eserv es as a s t r i k i n g h o m iletic drama in two
a c ts."® In Act I , "The T em p tatio n ," the D evil tem pts the
l i t t l e boy t o t e l l a l i e but i s thw arted by h is u n f a lte r in g
t r u t h f u l n e s s ; then the D evil t r i e s to "break bread" w ith the
l i t t l e boy but again i s thw arted by h is p o in t-b la n k r e f u s a l .
The c h i l d ' s age i s s i g n i f i c a n t because by Canon Law he i s
d ec lare d able to make a moral d e c is io n . In Act I I , "The
F ly tin g ," the two have a t r i a l of w its* in which through h is
innocence a g a in s t the d e c e it of the D evil the c h ild i s v ic
t o r i o u s . T h is triumph i s emphasized p a r t i c u l a r l y in the
co n c lu sio n of Nova S co tia A and the Vermont v a ria n t to be
d isc u sse d in the next p arag rap h . The idea of the in d iv id u
a l ' s being able to b e st the D evil has been very r e a l to the
® P h illip s Barry* e d . , " B r it is h B a lla d s ," B u l le t in of
the Folk-Sona S ociety of th e N o rth e a s t, No. 11, 1 ^ 6 , p. 8 .
34
fo lk down through the ages. "R esist the D evil and he w i l l
f le e from you" (Jas 4 :7 ) , and "give no o p p o rtu n ity t o the
d e v il" (Eph 4:27) i s the s c r i p t u r a l precedent which has en
dowed Satan w ith an i n f e r i o r i t y complex which i s rooted in
p r e - C h r is tia n thought.
Helen F lan d e rs and M arguerite Olney have a ls o been ac
tiv e in c o l le c tin g popular b a lla d s in New England. In t h e i r
ant in New England (19£>3) they have recorded an
in te r e s ti n g seven-stanza v a ria n t of "The F alse Knight" as
sung by a Mrs. E. M. S u lliv a n in S p r in g f ie ld , Vermont
(Appendix D ). T his v a ria n t shows s i m i l a r i t i e s to the other
New England v a r ia n ts and the C hild v e rs io n s . I t s t a r t s w ith
the u su a l "W here-are-you-going?" stanza and then combines
the "books" element of C h ild A and Barry A with the "dinner"
element of C reig h to n A:
"What have you got in your woolen?" (school bag)
Said the f a l s e , f a ls e knight to the c h i ld on the road,
"My books and my d in n e r,"
Said the p r e t t y boy seven years o ld .
The r e f r a i n shown in t h i s example echoes t h a t of C reig h to n
A. The f a ls e knight ask s, "Who owns a l l those cows on the
h i l l ? " The l i t t l e boy promptly r e p l i e s , "Me and my mamma."
In response to the usual q u e s tio n , "How many of them are
mine?" the c h ild answers, "As many as have no t a i l . " "My
te a c h e rs and my mamma" i s h i s re p ly to the k n ig h t's query,
"Who ta u g h t you so w ell?" When the knight ask s, "What did
they te ach you so w ell fo r? " the b o y 's answer and a c tio n
35
i s w e ll-c a lc u la te d to keep off the D evil:
"To keep me from you and from your wicked H e ll,"
And he bowed seven tim es to the road.
"Bad luck to your te a c h e r th a t tau g h t you so w e ll," i s the
exasperated k n ig h t's p a rtin g shot, and "Good luck to the
te a c h e r th a t kept me from you and from your wicked H e ll," is
the p erse v erin g seven-year o l d 's r e t o r t . S tr u c tu r a ll y the
b a lla d i s extrem ely i r r e g u l a r . The l in e s range from dim eter
to hexameter, and only one in stance of rhyme occurs.
Now le t us c o n sid er the Southern Appalachians as a
source area fo r the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s . F i r s t , l e t i t be
said th a t Southern Appalachian region, covering about
1 1 0 , 0 0 0 square m iles, including about o n e -th ird of the t o t a l
area of the s t a t e s of Maryland, West V irg in ia , V irg in ia ,
Kentucky, Tennessee, North C a ro lin a , South C a ro lin a , Georgia,
and Alabama, has provided as good a f i e l d f o r the b a lla d
c o l l e c t o r as England i t s e l f . Many of the communities in
t h i s re g io n were, from t h e i r very i n a c c e s s i b i l i t y , very se
cluded ones. In f a c t , u n t i l the f i r s t World War, some of the
sequestered mountain v a lle y s of the Southern Appalachians
were so remote th a t the in h a b ita n ts were is o la te d and cu t
off from a l l t r a f f i c w ith the r e s t of the world f o r over a
hundred y e a rs . T h eir speech was not American but E n g lish ;
many of t h e i r e x p re ssio n s had become ob so lete elsewhere long
b efore. Of co u rse, these c o n d itio n s made f o r an id e a l hunt
ing ground f o r c o l l e c t o r s of the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d . Arthur
K. D a v it' I f A s U U g m i gj ytoflJkAJL# p r e s e n ts what ha
term s "an adequate s e le c tio n from the b a lla d a rc h iv e s of
the V irg in ia Folk-Lore S o c i e t y . D a v i s a s s e r t s t h a t t h i s
volume i s more s p e c ia liz e d th a n o th e r American b a lla d c o l
le c ti o n s because V irg in ia i s r i c h enough in genuine a n tiq u e s
to re q u ire a whole volume f o r the a n c ie n t type of t r a d i t i o n
a l b a lla d . Of C h i l d 's 30b b allad s* f i f t y - o n e , ren d ered in
numerous t e x t s and tu n e s , have been found in t h i s s t a t e and
recorded in D av is' book. Only one v a r ia n t of "The F alse
Knight upon the Road" was found, however, in V ir g in ia . I t
i s a fo u r-s ta n z a v e rs io n , sung by Mrs. Sarah Finchum of
E lk to n , Rockingham County, which has a c lo se resemblance to
the C h ild v e rs io n s although the t h i r d stanza i s unique in
t h a t the f a ls e knight asks the c h ild whether he i s a c h ild
of God (see Appendix E) and g e ts the r e p ly , "I say my
p ra y e rs a t n ig h t." In stead of having books on h is back, the
c h ild now has "good books in my hand," and in the l a s t
stanza when the d e v il w ishes t h a t he were in the w e ll, the
c h ild r e t o r t s more d e s c r i p t i v e l y t h a t he w ishes the f a ls e
knight were "as deep in h e l l . " For the f i r s t time since the
C h ild B fragm ent " fa ls e " i s re p e a te d th re e tim es f o r empha
s i s in each r e f r a i n . Of more i n t e r e s t i s the v a r i a t i o n
which has occurred t o the "upon the road" and " s t i l l he
stude" p h rase s of the C hild v e rs io n s . In the V irg in ia
^ (M assach u setts, 1929), p. 1 0
37
v a ria n t tha "road . . . atudaM com bination h a t r a s u it e d in
"rude," in d ic a tin g tha manner in which tha a v i l one ad
d re s s e s tha c h ild . Tha r e s u lt in g r e f r a i n l i n e , "Said tha
f a ls a so ru d e ," may be considered a convention o r c l i c h l .
Tha c h ild may be e i t h e r a boy or a g i r l since each stanza
ends w ith "And s t i l l i t sto o d ." The V irg in ia v a r ia n t shows
some m e tric a l r e g u l a r i t y w ith i t s A^B^C4 B2 stanzas* but
again the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d form i s m issing.
A v a ria n t of "The F alse Knight upon the Road" has been
c o l le c te d in both Tennessee and North C a ro lin a by C e c il J .
Sharp* and e d ite d by Maud K arpeles in English Folk Sonos
from the Southern Appalachians in 1932 (see Appendix F ) . i 0
The Tennessee v a ria n t in c o rp o ra te s the D e v il's Island (Nova
S c o tia ) fe a tu re of the c h i l d 's having food which he w i l l not
share w ith the k n ig h t. In a d d itio n to bread* the c h ild has
cheese* and when the knight asks* "0 won't you give me
some?" the c h ild i s more emphatic w ith h is "No* n e 'e r a
b ite nor crumb." P a r a lle lin g the C reighton B version*
S h arp 's A has the c h ild going to school f o r a purpose: not
to le a rn to read* but "fo r to le a rn the Word of God." A
new s u b s t itu ti o n f o r one of the d e v i l 's d e s ire s and b o y 's
r e t o r t s l i e s in the l in e s :
^ A co n tin u atio n * in two volumes* of the work by the
same t i t l e * s ta r t e d by O live Dame Campbell and Mr. Sharp in
1916.
I w ith you w tt on t h t t t n d t .
Yes, tn d a good s t a f f in my hands.
Another change in th e homely, s p i r i t e d re p a r te e occurs in
th e l a s t stanza when th e knight th in k s he h e a rs N a b e l l"
and th e c h i ld w alks on triu m p h a n tly w ith M Yes, and i t ' s
rin g in g you to h e l l . " A s t r u c t u r a l d if fe re n c e i s found
in the Sharp A v a r ia n t which has the i n i t i a l l i n e , "The
knight met a c h i l d in the ro a d ," in troduce a sto ry and th e n
d isa p p e a r im m ediately a f t e r the b a lla d has s e t t l e d down to
i t s dialogue p a i r i n g s . There i s more m e tric a l r e g u l a r i t y in
t h i s v e rs io n th an in any of the o th e r s , although b a lla d
meter i s s t i l l not p r e s e n t. Each lin e c o n ta in s pentam eter.
The f i r s t lin e of each stanza ends w ith "road" and the o th e r
th re e l i n e s end w ith " sto o d ." Each f o u rth lin e i s a r e p e t i
t i o n of the second lin e in each stanza and shows a tendency
toward the l y r i c a l . Such r e p e t i t i o n does render a smooth
ness to the b a lla d and r e s u l t s in a more p ie a s in g r e n d iti o n .
S trip p ed of the r e f r a i n p h ra se s, a s e r i e s of seven tr im e te r
p a i r s rem ain, the l a s t four of which rhyme as c o u p le ts .
S h a rp 's B v a r i a n t , from Hot S p rin g s , North C a ro lin a , is
a degenerate fo u r-s ta n z a form of the Tennessee v e rsio n . The
te n s e s are not used c o n s i s t e n t l y , s u b je c ts and verbs are not
in agreement (a ls o tr u e of Sharp A), s l i g h t frag m en tatio n
has r e s u lt e d in m issing f e e t and i r r e g u l a r m eter, and, w orst
of a l l , a p o rtio n of the r e f r a i n has d egenerated in to non
sense. S h a rp 's A "and i t ' s w ell because he sto o d ," which,
39
by the wey, i t noteworthy because i t g iv e s the f i r s t s l i g h t
e s t tin g e of s u b je c ti v ity and m o ra liz a tio n in "The F alse
Knight upon the Roadt M has become "He w ell thought on, he
s to o d .N
T h irty -o n e y ears a f t e r Mrs. Jane Gentry sang her v a r i
ant of "The F alse Knight upon the Road" to C e c il Sharp a t
Hot S prings, North C a ro lin a , Mrs. Maud Long of the same town
sang h e rs to Duncan Emrich to be recorded in Washington,
D. C. I t i s not su rp ris in g th a t the l a t e r te x t should in
co rp o rate a l l the f e a t u r e s of the e a r l i e r (Appendix G). In
a d d itio n i t c o n ta in s th re e of the sta n za s of the Sharp A
v a ria n t from Tennessee. S tr u c tu r a ll y the v a ria n t i s the
same as Sharp A.
Paul Brewster has recorded in h is B alla d s and Sonas of
Indiana a v e rsio n c a lle d "The False F id e e ," communicated by
Miss Lucile W ilkin of C o n n e rsv ille in 1935 (Appendix H).
J u s t as the " fo l f o l Fly" of B a rry 's B i s very lik e ly a c o r
ru p tio n of " fo u l, fo u l F iend," so "F alse, f i e , the f a ls e
Fidee" may be co rru p ted from " fa ls e f ie n d , the f a ls e F ien d ,"
or "Fidee" may be derived from some form of the L atin
_fide 1 i s . meaning f a i t h f u l . "False F id e e ," th e n , may w ell be
a remnant of a b a lla d commonplace, such as the s t a r t l i n g
"fa ls e tru e lo v e." The Indiana b a lla d i s the f i r s t New
World v a r ia n t (o th er th an t h a t appearing in Maine, but
learned in Galloway, Scotland) which in clu d es the q u e stio n s
about the sheep. Three of the v a r i a n t 's six sta n za s p e r ta in
40
to sheep and they perm it a r a th e r n ic e ly developed r e p a r te e
on the s u b je c t. T his v e rsio n shares w ith C r e ig h to n ’s B the
female gender of the l i t t l e c h ild who stands up so daunt-
l a s t l y t o the d e v i l. Meter i s ir r e g u la r and only the l a s t
two stanzas* concerning the "bottom of the sea*" the "ship
under me" and the "bottom of the w e ll," the "lowest depths
of H ell" c o n ta in rhyme.
The f a r t h e s t west the b a lla d reached* as f a r as we
know* i s M issouri. Miss Jane D. Johns, of S t. Charles*
learned i t from her uncle* Douglas Voss Martin* "who learned
i t in h i s boyhood in V irg in ia from h is grandmother, Eleanor
Voss, a Scotchwoman," and sent i t to P ro fe ss o r H. M. Belden*
who included i t in B allads and Sonos. f i r s t p r in te d in
1 9 4 0 .^ The second stanza of the M issouri v a ria n t c o r r e s
ponds to the f i r s t stanza of the D e v il's Islan d v ersio n .
"Basket" re p la c e s "bag" and "pack," and in ste ad of having
"primer" and "dinner" the boy has both "b rea k fast" and "din
n e r." The t h i r d stanza of the M issouri v a ria n t is not found
in any o th er v ersio n . The f a ls e knight demands th a t the
youngster give h is "dog some," but the boy re p lie s * "I w on't
give him none" (fo r a ty p i c a l school-boy double n e g a tiv e ).
And then i t is f i t t i n g th a t in t h i s "westermost version" the
b a lla d f o r the f i r s t time should take on a p o s it iv e , v ig o r
ous c a s t in the p a r tin g stan za:
^ (T h e U n iv e rsity of M issouri S tu d ie s , 19t»5), p. 4 .
41
"Then I ' l l p itc h you in the w e ll," said the f a ls e k n ig h t,
f a ls e k n ig h t,
"Then I ' l l p itc h you in the w e ll," said the f a l s e knight
Munro.
"W ell," said the l i t t l e boy, " I ' l l p itc h you in f i r s t ;
But I ' l l stand to my book a ls o ."
And he p itc h e d him in the w ell and went on to school.
Gone are the r i d d l e s , the innuendos, the r e t o r t s ; in t y p i
c a l New World fa sh io n , the two a d v e rs a rie s meet d i r e c t l y ,
head on, and reso lv e t h e i r r e la tio n s h i p . In the o th er ver
sio n s, the c h ild more than holds h is own in the matching of
w its and presumably goes on to school unmolested, but here
we have p o s itiv e assurance to th a t e f f e c t . The American
b a llad r e c i t e r cannot r e s i s t p u ttin g in the bold n a rra tiv e
c lin c h e r in t h a t e x tr a f i f t h lin e of the l a s t stanza! Good
has triumphed over e v i l to the s a t i s f a c t i o n of the fo lk .
The M issouri v a ria n t (Appendix I) is unique a ls o in i t s
r e f r a i n , as may be seen above. The sig n ific a n c e of the
f a ls e k n ig h t's name— "Munro"— which has been included fo r
the f i r s t tim e, is not known but i t does rhyme n ic e ly with
"also" in lin e fo u r. The "but s t i l l she stood in the road"
of C r e ig h to n 's B v e rsio n has changed to the convention, "but
I ' l l stand to my book a ls o ." Unlike S h arp 's Tennessee ver
sion in which the c h ild re p e a ts each answer tw ice, B eld en 's
M issouri v a ria n t has the f a ls e knight re p e a t each qu estio n
or demand. Meter is h ig h ly ir r e g u la r and other th an the
"Munro . . . a lso " r e f r a i n endings, nothing rhymes.
Our l a s t v a ria n t of "The False Knight upon the Road"
has been considered. W e may now pause and make our f i r s t
4 2
b r ie f summarizing comments on th e com parison of American
" s u rv iv a ls " w ith the E nglish and S c o ttis h v a r ia n ts e d ite d by
P ro fe s s o r C h ild . A quick p e ru s a l of the v a r i a n t s l i s t e d in
Appendixes A through I w i l l show t h a t th e American v a r i a n t s
do not tend to become more fragm entary or meager in n a r r a tiv e
or dialo g u e d e t a i l . Indeed, the Nova S c o tia D e v i l 's Isla n d
v a r ia n t d is p la y s an even g r e a t e r w ealth of d e t a i l th a n
C h i l d 's lo n g e st v e rs io n . American v a r i a n t s g e n e ra lly eq u al
t h e i r Old World c o u n te rp a rts in m e tric a l e x c e lle n c e . Ver
sio n s on both s id e s of the ocean lack m e tric a l r e g u l a r i t y
and rhyme c o n s is te n c y . The American b a lla d s have developed
more ly ric is m ; by th a t we mean more singable ness or song
lik e q u a l i t i e s . C r e ig h to n 's A v e rs io n i s d i s t i n c t i v e by
reaso n of i t s sta n z a -lo n g r e f r a i n of nonsense s y ll a b le s
which the r e c i t e r may dance t o . Three of the New World v ar
ia n ts have e i t h e r the f a l s e knight or the c h ild re p e a tin g
h is lin e of dialogue in each sta n z a , th u s c o n trib u tin g to
i t s l y r i c a l smoothness and to a more p le a s in g to n a l e f f e c t .
American d i c tio n and grammar are the equal of S c o tti s h d ic
t io n and grammar, w ith the ex c ep tio n of those found in the
Sharp B North C a ro lin a v a r i a n t , but even th e re the language
i s no worse th a n the language used in C hild C. The New
World v a r i a n t s of "The F alse Knight upon the Road" do con
form t o the t r a d i t i o n a l te c h n ic a l req u irem en ts of the Eng
l i s h and S c o ttis h popular b a lla d , w ith the p o ssib le excep
t i o n of the b a lla d m eter, and th e re the Old World v e rs io n s
do no b e t t e r . The American fo lk were as su c c e s sfu l as t h e i r
B r i t i s h c o u sin s in p re s e rv in g , molding, and tr a n s m ittin g
t h i s b a lla d of the s u p e rn a tu ra l.
CHAPTER I I I
"EDWARD”
"Edward" has long been considered one of the b est
specimens of the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d ; th e re fo re i t should be
of added i n t e r e s t and importance to study com paratively the
English and S c o ttis h v e rsio n s of t h i s b a lla d and t h e i r Amer
ican c o u n te rp a rts . P ro fesso r C hild found only th re e v er
sions and a fragment (see Appendix J ) . C h i ld 's S c o ttis h
t e x t s , Aa and Ab , from M otherw ell's M anuscript and h is Min
s tr e l s y . have a man commit f r a t r i c i d e as the r e s u l t of a
p e tty q u a rre l over the " c u ttin g of a willow wand/ That would
never been a t r e e . " By steady q u e stio n in g , h is mother
e v e n tu a lly g ets from him the f a c t s of the crime p lu s the
manner in which he i s to s u ffe r penance. "Edward" i s d ia
logue throughout. In the f i r s t stanza the b a lla d h e a re r
fin d s him self immediately th r u s t in to the f i f t h act of the
play as the mother asks Son Davie, "What b l u i d 's t h a t on thy
coat lap?" Davie l i e s th a t i t is the blood of h is g re a t
hawk, but h is mother p o in ts out th a t hawk's blood was never
so red and urges him to t e l l the t r u t h . Davie l i e s again by
saying th a t i t is the blood of h is greyhound, which would
not run fo r him. F in a lly he adm its th a t i t is the blood of
44
h i s b ro th e r John and, questioned f u r th e r by h is mother,
t e l l s how the f a t a l q u a rr e l began. The irony of tragedy
r e s u l t i n g from a t r i v i a l d e t a i l i s p o rtra y ed with s t a r t l i n g
s im p lic ity . D isclosure of the f r a t r i c i d e o r d in a r ily would
be the clim ax, but more te n s io n b u ild s up as the mother asks
Davie how he would lik e to d ie , i . e . , what punishment must
he s u ffe r fo r h is crim e. He r e p l i e s th a t he w ill set h is
foot in a "bottom less s h ip ," which in d ic a te s an an cien t
heroic punishment of death by exposure in an open d r i f t i n g
b o at. Then in answer to q u e stio n s concerning the legacy he
w i l l le av e , Davie s i g n i f i e s th a t he w i l l leave " g rie f and
sorrow a l l her l i f e " to h is w ife, "the weary world to wander
up and down" to h is "old son," and, in a s t a r t l i n g f i n a l
sta n za , "a f i r e o c o a ls to burn h e r, wi h e a rty cheer" to h is
"mother d e a r." T h is p a t t e r n of e v e n ts i l l u s t r a t e s the ten
dency fo r a t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d to co n c e n trate more on the
climax of i t s sto ry and to focus on but one unstable s it u a
tio n . As a r e s u l t of o ra l tra n s m is s io n , the b a lla d n a rra
tiv e sh o rte n s , w ith the r e a l story becoming confused and
some of the remaining d e t a i l s b a f f lin g to the r e c i t e r him
s e lf . The l a s t stanza c e r t a i n l y adds unlooked f o r r e v e la
t i o n , drama, and even t e r r o r to the s to ry . I t p o in ts up
sharply the b a l l a d 's in te n se c o n c e n tra tio n upon climax with
omission of antecedent e v e n ts. At the middle of the b a lla d
we have what we th in k is the climax but we wonder what r e a l l y
caused the tragedy (perhaps the fo lk might take the cause
46
aiven a t face v alu e), but then in the l a s t stanza we are con
fro n te d by the m other's im p lica tio n in the se n sa tio n a l crime
and must r e o r ie n t our whole th in k in g .
In a d d itio n to t e l l i n g a sto ry sw iftly and econom ically
and employing a maximum of question and answer d ia lo g u e ,
"Edward" i l l u s t r a t e s most of the b a lla d devices* I t has
th a t e f f e c tiv e s tr u c t u r a l device, the "climax of r e l a t i o n s , "
in which the w ife, son, and mother are mustered in th a t or
der to show t h e i r importance to Davie p e rso n a lly and to
throw lig h t upon the sto ry and help reso lv e i t . Coupled to
t h i s is the testam ent d ev ice, the dramatic way in which we
le a rn who is the v i l l a i n , or at le a s t in s t ig a t o r or a g ita
to r to the crim e. An e x c itin g q u a lity of the co n v e rsatio n
of "Edward" l i e s in the r e p e t i t i o n of the m other's i n s i s t e n t
questioning and the so n 's evasive answering. This b u ild s up
the sto ry b i t by b i t and in c re a se s the l i s t e n e r 's suspense
with every li n e . The mother re p e a ts the i n i t i a l q u e stio n
and twice re p e a ts the r e f r a i n "and the t r u th come t e l l to
me," and a f t e r twice i n f e r e n t i a l l y r e je c tin g D av ie 's explan
a tio n s , draws f o rth the tr u t h at l a s t . The use of id e n tic a l
words each time has the e f f e c t of making the in s is te n c e of
the mother f e l t r a th e r than expressed. The b a lla d adm irably
dem onstrates the use of increm ental r e p e t i t i o n to b u ild to a
clim ax. The r e p e t i t i o n of the rin g in g p h rase s, w ith t h e i r
v arie d and ap p ro p riate endings, c r e a te s a r i s i n g a c tio n and
te n sio n . T his excitem ent i s capped by the l a s t two lin e s of
47
the poem which give the key to the s to ry .
D ivested of i t s re f ra in * "Edward" may be seen to con
t a i n q u a tr a in s w ith a l t e r n a t i n g 4 and 3 s t r e s s l i n e s of
iambs rhyming abcb. When the a l t e r n a t i n g r e f ra in * "Son
Davie* son Davie . . . Mother lady* mother lady*" and the
p u re ly r e p e t i t i v e t h i r d l in e s are d e le te d from the f i r s t
two stanzas* a f o u r - lin e 4 a 3b4 a^b q u a tra in rem ains. Stanzas
3 and 4* b and b, and 8 and 9 may be combined in t h i s man
ner* but sta n z a s 7, 10* 11, and 12 w i l l be seen to f i t t h i s
p a t t e r n only i f the r e f r a i n , "And the t r u t h come t e l l to
me," is in s e rte d in place of the r e f r a i n , "Son D avie, son
D avie." Three of the r e s u l t i n g q u a tr a in s are short one foot
in t h e i r opening lin e s and th re e o th e rs c o n ta in to o many
f e e t in t h e i r t h i r d l i n e s . I r r e g u l a r i t i e s of m e tric a l p a t
t e r n , however, may be expected in fo lk b a lla d r y .
The v a r ia n t in P e rc y 's R eliques (176b), communicated by
S ir David Dalrymple, was the e a r l i e s t "Edward" b a lla d th a t
C hild was able to o b ta in (see C hild B, Appendix J ) . Pro
fe s s o r C h ild was a l i t t l e concerned about the a f f e c t e d ly
antique s p e llin g of the Percy v e rsio n . The a u t h e n t i c i t y of
the language and of the b a lla d has been suspect* but* as he
s ta te d in h i s in tro d u c tio n to the b a lla d :
as s p e llin g w i l l not make an old b a l la d , so i t w i l l not
unmake one. W e have, but do not need, the l a t e r t r a d i
t i o n a l copy (A) t o prove the o th e r genuine. 'Edward' is
not only unimpeachable* but has ev er been regarded as one
48
of the n o b lest and most s te r l in g specimens of the popular
b a l l a d .1
O ther e x p e rts , however, have since expressed doubt th a t
the Percy "Edward" is r e a l l y a popular fo lk b a lla d . These
e x p e rts include such men as T. F. Henderson in The B allad in
L ite ra tu re (1912), Archer T aylor in h is Edward and Sven I
Rosenaard (1931), Bertrand H. Bronson, w ritin g in the March
1940 Southern Folklore Q u a rte rly , and H. M. Belden and
A. P. Hudson, e d i to r s of the Frank C. Brown C o lle c tio n of
North C aro lin a F olklore (1952). The sto ry o u tlin e i s much
the same as th a t of C hild A. The mother asks about the
blood, not on D a v ie 's co at lap, but on h is "brand" (a l i t
e ra ry term f o r sword or b lad e): "Why d o is your brand sae
drap wi b lu id , Edward?" Here the language, the unusual
r h e t o r i c , i s suspect. Bronson asks, "Is t h i s the language
of o ra l t r a d i t i o n or of an embryonic Macbeth? I t w i l l hard-
2
ly pass muster as good b a llad d i c t i o n ." I t c e r t a i n l y con
t r a s t s w ith the p la in e r d ic tio n of the C hild A v ersio n .
Edward's second lie concerns h is "re id -ro a n s t e i d ," r a th e r
than the greyhound of C hild A. Then Edward confesses th a t
he has k ill e d h is f a th e r . The English v ersio n is the only
one in which p a t r i c i d e , r a th e r than f r a t r i c i d e , i s the
crim e. For penance he w ill set h is " f e i t in yonder b o a t,"
a s in the A v ersio n . Subsequently, h is mother asks him
^■Francis J . C h ild , e d . , E nglish and S c o ttis h Popular
B allads (Boston, 1882-1898), I, P a rt I, 167.
2 "Edward. Edward. A S c o ttis h B a lla d ," Southern Folk
lore Q u a r te r ly . 4:10. March 1940.
what he w ill do w ith h is "tow irs" and " h a .M In a most un-
con v en tio n al but highly dram atic speech he r e p l i e s , " l i e l e t
thame stand t u l they down f a ." To h i s sons and h is wife he
w ill leave "the w a rld is room, la te them beg th ra e l i f e " ; and
f i n a l l y in the t e r r i f y i n g co n clu sio n , to h is mother he leaves
the "curse of h e l l" because of the counsel she gave him.
The concluding stanza gains s t i l l g r e a te r dram atic e f f e c t by
two f e a tu r e s th a t are a ls o unconventional. F i r s t , in s te a d
of the q u estio n put w ith the usual t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d imper
s o n a lity , the mother a sk s, "And what wul ye leiv e to your
ain m ither d e i r ?" implying an em otional bond between h e r s e lf
and her son. Second, Edward r e p l i e s , "The curse of h e l l
fra e me s a i l ye b e i r , / Sic c o u n se ils ye gave to me O," th u s
tu rn in g upon her the f u l l force of d i r e c t address in ste a d
of continuing the t h i r d person re fe re n c e .
From the beginning, the q u estio n and answer dialogue in
P e rc y 's "Edward" i s unusual, judging by standards of the
conventional fo lk b a lla d such as "Lord R andal," in which
d i r e c t , simple q u estio n s by the mother are answered by the
son in a s tra ig h tfo rw a rd manner. For o rd in ary answers,
th e re is
s u b s titu te d a lying ev a sio n , which, in tu r n , i s an
swered by a statem ent of in c r e d u lity th a t in each case
does duty f o r another q u estio n . Moreover, the form of
the m o th e r's re p ly to each successive evasion i s unusual
in b a lla d ry . She should ex p ress her d i s b e l i e f more d i
r e c t l y or she might even omit a lto g e th e r the reaso n fo r
her d i s b e l i e f , l e t t i n g the ac c u sa tio n of u n tru th stand
50
alo n e. But In ste a d she om its the a c c u s a tio n i t s e l f and _
merely s t a t e s the re a s o n s , leav in g the r e s t t o in fe re n c e .
As Bronson has p o in te d o u t, no o th e r b a lla d makes use
of in crem en tal r e p e t i t i o n , legacy form ula, and clim ax of
r e l a t i v e s w ith "anything lik e the same s o p h i s t i c a t i o n . 1,4
"Lord Randal" u se s the same fo lk b a lla d d ev ices and in a
sim ila r p a t t e r n , but the e f f e c t produced i s naive when com
pared w ith t h a t of "Edward."
Even th e r e f r a i n i s handled w ith such ric h n e s s and v ar
i a t i o n t h a t i t g e n e ra te s su sp ic io n as to i t s a u th o rs h ip .
In ste a d of something lik e the common r e f r a i n of C h i l d 's
M otherwell v e rs io n A, "And the t r u t h come t e l l to me O ,"
r e c u r r in g throughout the b a lla d , in the a l t e r n a t e q u a tra in s
appears the follow ing v a r ie ty :
"And why sae sad gang yee O?
My d e i r son I t e l l thee 0 .
Sum o th e r dule ye d rie 0.
My d e ir son, now t e l l me O
That were sae f a i r to see 0?
Whan ye gang o v ir the sea 0?
And in s te a d of the form ula, "For I'm w earied wi hunting f o r .
For I'm sick a t the h e a r th , and f a in wad l i e down," as in
"Lord R andal," the corresponding lin e in the in te rm ed ia te
3
Bronson, p. 7.
^Bronson, p. b.
q u a tra in s shows th e follow ing a rra y ;
"And I had nae mair hot hee 0.
That e r s t was sae f a i r and f r i e 0 .
A las, and wae i s me 0 .'
And l i e f a i r o v ir the sea 0 i.
For here n ev ir mair maun 1 bee 0 .
For thame n ev ir mair wul I see 0 .
Sic c o u n s e ils ye gave t o me 0 ."
The l i n e s above are most convincing in throwing su sp icio n
upon the Percy copy of "Edward." The r e f r a i n s of genuine
fo lk b a lla d v e rsio n s provide p o in ts of r e s t — easy r e p e t i t i v e
lin e s — in which the audience chorus can j o i n . The b a lla d
audience c o u l d n 't p o s s ib ly jo i n in w ith the singing of the
changing l i n e s above. They would be l o s t . The ric h n e s s and
i r r e g u l a r i t y of the r e f r a i n i s f u r t h e r added t o by the a l
te r n a t i o n of "Edward, Edward" with "M ither, m ither" in the
o th e r h a lf of the r e f r a i n . T h is i s an e x p l o i t a t i o n of
dram atic p o s s i b i l i t i e s not found in o th e r fo lk b a lla d r e
f r a i n s . Furtherm ore, u n lik e the i r r e g u l a r b a lla d meter of
the M otherwell v e rs io n , the Percy v a ria n t is in p e r f e c t b a l
lad m eter, a4 b3 C4 b3 , w ith only one e x tra fo o t in the e n t i r e
poem.
To add f u r th e r f u e l to the f i r e s of su sp ic io n , the
q u e stio n in the f i r s t stanza of the Percy copy, "And why sae
sad gang yee 0 ?" i s most u n h ero ic , if not downright s e n t i
m ental, and a l i e n to the fo lk h a b i t. And when the mother
52
says* "Your a te id was au ld , and ye hae got m a ir,/ Sum other
dule [.grief} ye d r ie ^suffer} 0 ," the i s being much more
reasonably argum entative than a fo lk b a lla d mother should
be. As P ro fesso r Bronson so a p tly s t a t e s , t h i s b a lla d "in
i t s whole ordonnance, i s the ap o th eo sis of convention, push
ing the d ev ices i t employs q u ite beyond t h e i r t r a d i t i o n a l
manners and use s.
In an a r t i c l e e n t i t l e d "A Footnote to Edward. Edward."
P ro fesso r Bronson p o in ts out why, from the stan d p o in t of
c h a r a c te r i z a t io n or conduct of the n a r r a tiv e , P e rc y 's "Ed
ward" should be regarded with suspicion if proposed as an
a u th e n tic example of popular b a lla d ry .^ He b e lie v e s th a t in
view of the im p lic a tio n of the mother in her so n 's g u i l t in
the f i n a l sta n z a , the e n tire dialogue is an i n t e l l e c t u a l
fencing bout. Since she alread y knows everything and Edward
knows th a t she knows, why does she put f o r th her q u e rie s and
why does he postpone adm itting the t r u t h by lying and evad
ing them? From the standpoint of c h a r a c te r , to give p la u s
ib le answers to these q u estio n s is to
c o n s tru c t psy ch o lo g ical p o r t r a i t s of co n sid erab le com
p le x ity . One cannot j u s t i f y the dialogue w ithout presum
ing two h ig h ly s e lf-c o n s c io u s beings. From the psycho
lo g ic a l p o in t of view, th e re i s no simple e x p lan atio n of
such r e tic e n c e and in d ir e c tio n as t h e i r s . ^
5
Bronson, p. 11.
6Southern F olklore Q u a r te r ly . 4:159-161, September,
1940.
7 "A Footnote to Edward. Edward.1 1 p. 160.
53
As an a l t e r n a t i v e th e re i s a sim pler e x p la n a tio n from the
n a r r a tiv e p o in t of view: the dialogue arrangem ent i s de
signed not to e x h ib it s u b tle ty of c h a ra c te r but to keep the
b a lla d l i s t e n e r in the dark u n t i l the l a s t sta n za . N either
e x p la n a tio n is ac cep tab le because the tr u e f o lk b a lla d por
t r a y s n e ith e r s u b tle ty of c h a r a c te r nor cunningly c o n triv e d
s u rp rise en d in g s. B ronson's "Footnote" seems to have r e a l
m erit; however, when he s t a t e s th a t h i s remarks apply s o le ly
to the Percy v ersio n and th a t i t s s u p e r io r ity is due c h i e f ly
t o i t s s u rp ris e ending, I must d isa g re e in t h a t the Mother-
w ell t e x t s a ls o have the s u rp ris in g im p lic a tio n of the
m o th e r's g u i l t in the f i n a l stanza and th a t th e re fo re sus
p ic io n must a ls o be c a s t on the only o th e r s u b s t a n tia l v a r i
a n ts of C h i l d 's No. 13. This, I b eliev e, i s unw arranted. 1
f e e l t h a t P e r c y 's v e rsio n should be co n sid ered as having
been "tampered w ith" because of the overwhelming evidence
p re se n te d in previous p arag rap h s. Now, why have 1 taken so
much time and tro u b le in b u ild in g a case to show th a t
C h i l d 's "Edward" B is not a fo lk b a lla d ? Because I do not
want to have American fo lk s in g e rs competing w ith a B r iti s h
l i t e r a r y p r o fe s s io n a l. That would not be f a i r . The B r itis h
I s l e s have a good enough "champion" in the No. 13 C h ild A.
I have a ls o e le c te d to drop from c o n s id e ra tio n as a
fo lk b a lla d the amazing t e x t subm itted to Helen F lan d e rs in
1934 by Mr. George J , Edwards of B u rlin g to n , Vermont, "as i t
came down through the Douglas branch of h i s fa m ily ." Mr.
54
Edwards w rote: " 'Rosslyn Woods (as my g ra n d fa th e r used to
s p e ll i t ) was very near to th e famous R o slin C a s tle , one of
the famous old c a s t l e s of S c o tla n d .'" ® Miss F la n d e rs
s t a t e s t h a t f o r t h i s te x t "Vermont i s due c o n g r a tu la tio n s
from a l l American c o l l e c t o r s . " but I have found none f o r t h
coming in a r t i c l e s about "Edward" t h a t 1 have re a d . Ber
tra n d Bronson has not included i t under No. 13 in h i s r e
c e n tly p u b lish e d Volume I of The T r a d iti o n a l Tunes of the
C h ild B a lla d s . He has appended i t to "The Two B rothers"
(No. 49) w ith m isgivings: "M e lo d ic ally , t h i s v e rs io n i s as
d is t u r b in g l y independent as i t is t e x t u a l l y . The words are
a too l i t e r a r y rifa c im e n to of "The Two B rothers" and "Ed
ward" (13) c o m b i n e d . C e rta in ly t h i s tw en ty -fiv e stanza
te x t (in clu d ed fo r re fe re n c e in Appendix K) i s nothing lik e
the v e rs io n s of "Edward" found in o r a l t r a d i t i o n in t h i s
country.
Miss F lan d ers has included in her c o l l e c t i o n , on the
other hand, a t r a d i t i o n a l v e rsio n of "Edward" as sung by
Miss E dith P rice of Newport, Rhode Isla n d (Appendix L ).
Miss P ric e learned t h i s v e rs io n when she was a small c h ild
and heard i t sung by a f r ie n d in Amherst, M a ssac h u setts,
about 1910. I t g e n e ra lly fo llo w s the C h ild A v e rs io n except
®Helen F la n d e rs and M arguerite Olney, c o l l . , B allad s
M igrant in New England (New York, 1953), p. 96.
^B ertrand Bronson, The T r a d i t i o n a l Tunes of the C h ild
B allad s (P rin c e to n , 1959), p. 402.
55
fo r th e absence of the legacy stanzas* the lack of any im
p l i c a t i o n of the m o th er's g u ilt* and the f a c t th a t the son
is not about to s u ffe r a p e n a lty fo r h is crime such as
dying on a "bottom less s h ip ." The m other's and so n 's
presence in the colloquy must be in fe rre d from t r a d i t i o n ,
since the term of endearment used, "O dear lo v e ," could ap
ply e q u a lly w ell to husband or sw eetheart. The ao th er in
q u ire s about the blood on h is s h i r t sleeve and i s to ld th a t
i t comes from h is "old gray hound" and then h is "old gray
mare" before he c o n fesse s th a t i t i s the blood of h is
b ro th e r-in -la w . The same i n s i s t e n t q uestioning and e f f e c
tiv e increm ental r e p e t i t i o n occur. The k i l l i n g took place
o s te n s ib ly over an argument about such a t r i v i a l th in g as "a
l i t t l e b i t of bush th a t never would have growed to a t r e e . "
The mother does not ask him what death he d e s ire s to die but
r a th e r what he w ill "do now." He in d ic a te s th a t he w i l l es
cape by s e ttin g foot " in to yonders ship" and s a ilin g across
the sea* to come back "when the sun s e ts in to yonders
sycamore t r e e / And th a t w ill never be, be, be--and th a t w ill
never be.'" T h is compares with the ending on C h i l d 's No. 51,
"Lizie Wan" ( f i r s t p rin te d in H erd 's S c o ttis h Sonos. 1776):
"And when w ill thou come home again,
O my son Geordy Wan?"
56
"The sun and the moon s h a ll dance on the green
That night when 1 come hame."10
D ivested of i t s r e f r a i n , c o n s is tin g of the r e p e t i t i o n of
lin e fo u r and the end words in lin e s two and four of each
s ta n z a :
"And i t ' s what did you f a l l out about,
O dear love, t e l l me, me, me?"
"About a l i t t l e b i t of bush
That never would have growed to a t r e e , t r e e , t r e e ,
th a t never would have growed to a t r e e . "
the v a ria n t w i l l be seen to adhere to re g u la r 8 4 6 3 0 ^ 3
b a lla d meter and rhyme. The only i r r e g u l a r i t y in the e n tir e
te x t occurs in the fo u rth lin e of the example above. It
c o n ta in s an e x tra fo o t of meter and an improper verb form.
D iction i s extrem ely simple,
A rthur Davis r e p o r ts sev eral v a r ia n ts of "Edward" (see
Appendix M), each known in V irg in ia by i t s rep eated f i r s t
lin e : "How Come That Red Blood on Your Coat?" "What Is That
on the End of Your Sword?" and "What Is That on Your Sword
So Red?" The Davis v a r ia n ts follow the Rhode Island versio n
in sto ry o u tlin e . Brother has rep laced b ro th e r-in -la w as
the v ictim . A fter committing f r a t r i c i d e . Son John (in Davis
A) is t o take refuge in f l i g h t over the sea in "yonders
boat" with h is " p re tty l i t t l e wife" by h is side and h is
"sweet l i t t l e baby" between h is knees. Absent is the p i t i
*Q Enolish and S c o ttis h Popular B a lla d s , ed. George L.
K ittredge and Helen C. S argent, The Cambridge E d itio n of the
Poets (New York, 1932), p. 94.
57
able tragedy of g u i l t and penance. In i t s place i s cowardly
f l i g h t from the law. And, of co u rse, absent is the awful
tragedy and t e r r o r which comes to lig h t in the l a s t stanza
of the S c o ttis h v e rsio n . W e must take a t face value the
understanding th a t John k i l l e d h is "poor l i t t l e b ro th er"
over a t r i v i a l argument about a "chestnut bush which you
might c a l l a t r e e . " In stead of asking what he w ill leave to
h e r, the mother asks when he w ill be back, to which he r e
p l i e s , "When the sun and moon set on yonders h i l l , / And th a t
w ill never be."
The d ic tio n of the Davis v a r ia n ts is very simple; the
"g illigohound" of Davis A and "gay g ille o n " of D are back
woods c o rru p tio n s or lo c a l terms fo r greyhound. Ballad con
v en tio n s and d evices of colloquy between mother and son,
climax of r e l a t i o n s , legacy form ula, increm ental r e p e t i t i o n ,
and r e f r a i n are a l l th e re . The th re e fo ld r e p e t i t i o n of the
m o th er's i n i t i a l q u estio n lacks the in te r e s ti n g response of
the "hawk's bluid was neer sae re d ," and the e f f e c tiv e a l
te r n a tio n of the "Son Davie, son Davie . . . Mother lady,
mother lady" p o rtio n of the r e f r a i n i s m issing in the New
World v ersio n ; but ty p ic a l b allad meter and rhyme is p rese n t
and, although i r r e g u l a r , equal in q u a lity to the meter and
rhyme of C hild A. Davis B d i f f e r s from A in minor r e s p e c ts .
In h is f i r s t and only evasion of the t r u t h , the son in d i
c a te s th a t the blood on the end of h is sword is from an
English crane h is f a th e r had sent him. As in C hild A, the
reaso n she w ill not accept h is answer i s made in the l i n e ,
"C rane's blood i s not so r e d ." No reason at a l l i s given
fo r the blood s p i l l i n g . Unlike the speaker in C hild A, he
s e n tim e n ta liz e s over h is deed in speaking of h i s "dear l i t
t l e b ro th e r" and w ishing " i t had never been." While he
ta k e s h i s wife with him in f l i g h t , h i s "dear l i t t l e boy" and
"sweet l i t t l e g i r l " he w i l l leave w ith the g ran d p aren ts to
make them "th in k of me." The s tre n g th and tr a g ic v ig o r of
the S c o ttis h "Edward" has slip p ed away. In Davis C, the
c r a n e 's blood has become the blood of an English crow and
a b a f f lin g e x p la n a tio n of how the crime occurred is given:
"'Twas digging round the hollow tr e e .
And I wish i t had never been."
In Davis D, the son f le e s not from the law, as in A, but
from h is f a t h e r . Mention of o n e-stanza fragm ents o r d in a r ily
w ill not be made, but the poem has c e r t a i n l y degenerated
from the English v e rs io n , in which Edward's mother asks him
about the blood on h is co at lap and he answers e v a siv e ly
t h a t i t i s the blood of h is g rea t hawk, to t h i s American
v a r ia n t (Davis E):
"W illie , my son, what have you done.
With blood a l l over your c lo th e s ? "
He mumbled out w ith a l l h is might,
"Been bleeding out of my nose."
John H. Cox's v a r ia n t (Appendix N), taken from a manu
s c r ip t song book compiled from the singing of school c h i ld
ren a t Hindman, Knott County, Kentucky, i s b e t t e r than
D avis' V irg in ia v a r i a n t s in th a t i t does not se n tim e n ta liz e
59
and i s much b e t t e r m e tr ic a lly . I t s l y r i c a l q u a l i t i e s stem
from i t s r e g u l a r i t y of b a lla d p a t t e r n , i t s p le a s in g r e p e t i -
t i o n , and i t s su p e rio r r e f r a i n which r e p e a ts those of the
Rhode Isla n d v a r ia n t recorded by Helen F la n d e rs. The c h ild -
ren a t Hindman had a very singable fo lk b a lla d . The "old
gray horse th a t ploughed th a t f i e l d " has ta k en the place of
the " fin e horse th a t ra n away" in a Davis A V irg in ia v a r i
a n t. Backwood r u s t i c i t y i s in c o rp o ra te d in the p ic tu re sq u e
l i n e , "When the sun s lin k s in to yonder sycamore t r e e . " The
Cox v a r ia n t c lo s e ly resem bles the F lan d e rs v e rs io n , down to
the blood appearing on th e " s h i r t s le e v e ," the lack of iden
t i f i c a t i o n of the female q u e s tio n e r, and the b ro th e r-in -la w
v ic tim .
There i s nothing e x c e p tio n a l about the th r e e v a r ia n ts
of "Edward" in the Frank C. Brown C o lle c tio n of North
C a ro lin a (Appendix 0 ) . In Brown A, the blood is a l l over
the s o n 's s h i r t , and he evades the t r u t h th r e e tim es. F i r s t
i t is the blood of h is "guinea p ig ," then t h a t of h is " l i t
t l e h unting d o g ,” and th en th a t of h is "old roan horse" be
fo re he f i n a l l y accedes to h is m o th e r's in s is te n c e and ad
m its th a t he has k i l l e d h i s " l i t t l e b ro th e r B ill" in the
" f i e l d to d a y ." D eparting from the "blood i s not so red"
r o u tin e , the mother says in re p ly to h is b ald -fac ed l i e :
"Your dog l i e s yonder, 0 my son,
And t h i s i t could not be."
In the l a s t stanza the mother asks him what h e ' l l do when
60
h i s f a t h e r comes home. He answers t h a t h e ’l l put h is f e e t
in the bottom of a boat and s a i l a c ro s s the sea. In the
o ra l tra n s m is s io n p ro c e ss the clim ax of r e l a t i o n s and the
legacy d e v ic e s have been l o s t ; and perhaps h e re , to o , the
b o tto m less boat id e a , in d ic a tin g the medieval punishment f o r
f r a t r i c i d e , has been dropped. Brown B i s a th r e e - s ta n z a
fragm ent in which the son t e l l s th a t he k i l l e d h is b ro th e r
because
"He c u tte d down th a t h a z e l-n u t bush
That once would 'a ' made a t r e e . "
He s t a t e s t h a t he w i l l leave h is th re e c h ild re n w ith h is
mother to bear her company u n t i l he s a i l s over the sea. He
i s going to take h is wife on "yonders big ship" to bear him
company. Brown C i s a ls o r a t h e r fragm entary. "My youngest
son" f i n a l l y adm its th a t the blood on h is knife i s the blood
of my " l i t t l e b r o th e r ," who "walked the roads w ith me."
They f e l l out about the l i t t l e b r o t h e r 's c u ttin g down a
"haze nut bush" which might have made a t r e e .
C e c il Sharp has recorded six v e rs io n s and se v e ra l short
fragm ents in h i s English Folksongs from the Southern Appala
ch ia n s (Appendix P ). Mention of the "old grey mare" is
made in S h a rp 's A v a r i a n t , which comes from Hot S p rin g s,
North C a ro lin a . The son k i l l e d h i s youngest b ro th e r " th a t
hoed t h a t corn" f o r him because he "cut yon h o lly bush/
Which might have made a t r e e . " As in the Brown B North
C a ro lin a v a r i a n t , the son has th re e o f f s p r in g , "th re e l i t t l e
61
babes*" he i s going to leave behind, but S h a rp 's v a ria n t has
the son th o u g h tfu l enough to provide fo r them by leaving h is
"house and land" in care of h is mother "for to se t my c h ild
ren f r e e ." He i s not com pletely s e lf-c e n te r e d in th in k in g
only of ta k in g h is "sweet l i t t l e w ife" w ith him in h is
cotoardly f l i g h t . S h a rp 's A v a ria n t i s good in being almost
re g u la r m e tric a lly . One lin e i s a s y lla b le short and one is
a s y lla b le long. Ballad rhyme is p e r f e c t . R e frain , in c re
mental r e p e t i t i o n , a short climax of r e l a t i v e s , and a legacy
formula are a l l p rese n t in acceptable popular b a lla d fa s h
ion. Louise Pound se le c te d t h i s v a ria n t fo r in c lu sio n in
her American B allads and Songs (1922).
S h arp 's B and C are merely one-stanza fragm ents from
North C a ro lin a , notable only fo r a re fe re n c e to the "old
coon dog." S harp's D v a r ia n t, from Tennessee, i s very simi
la r to the v ersio n sung by the school c h ild re n a t Hindman,
Kentucky. I t has the same singable r e f r a i n but i s more i r
re g u la r m e tric a lly . In S h arp 's E v a r ia n t, from North Caro
l i n a , the son a lso avers th a t i t i s the blood of h is coon
dog on the p o in t of h is k n ife . A pparently the name "Edward"
has become a s so c ia te d with the b ro th er who f e l l v ictim in
the f a t a l f ig h t over the h o lly -b u sh . Homely backwoods d ic
tio n and re fe re n c e s abound in t h i s v a r ia n t, which has the
son and h is wife p u ttin g a fo o t in a "bunkum b o a t," a "dear
l i t t l e babe" l e f t in " th i s lone world" to "dandle" on the
grandm other's knee, and an "old gobbler" l e f t "to gobble"
62
a f t e r the son when he i s gone. The language i s c o l o r f u l and
shows a p ic tu re sq u e a d a p ta tio n to the new backwoods en v iro n
ment, but in com parison to the a r i s t o c r a t i c and t r a g i c tone
of the M otherwell v e r s io n , th e New World v a r ia n t le a v e s much
to be d e s ir e d . M eter, rhyme, r e f r a i n are e x c e lle n t in the
American v e rsio n .
S h a rp 's f iv e - s ta n z a G v a r i a n t , from C allaw ay, V ir g in ia ,
has the son g e ttin g the " l i t t l e blood red" "out of the l i t
t l e grey hawk" and "out of t h a t l i t t l e red c o l t " and f i n a l l y
"out of" the "poor l i t t l e b ro th e r" in a r a t h e r d i s t a s t e f u l l y
graphic way. The so n 's avowed purpose i s to set h is "foot
in a b o tto m less s h ip ." T h is i s the only New World v a r ia n t
to c o n ta in the a l lu s io n to the a n c ie n t heroic penance fo r
f r a t r i c i d e , which seems incongruous am idst re fe re n c e s to
"papa," "yonders t r e e , " and "yonders h i l l . "
In S h a rp 's H "my good old cow/ That gave the milk f o r
me" j o i n s the group of co u n try anim als as the source of the
s p il le d blood. Like the Brown North C a ro lin a v a r i a n t s , t h i s
V irg in ia te x t has a h a z e l-n u t bush as the source of the quai»-
r e l , but i t d i f f e r s from most of the o th e r v e rs io n s in th a t
the son le av es h is babe not w ith h is mother but w ith h is
papa t i l l he comes home again. This i s as clo se as any
American v e rsio n g e ts in suggesting th a t a l l i s not p e r f e c t
between mother and son. S h a rp 's J t e x t , from North Caro
l i n a , i s s im ila r to the o th e rs from t h a t s t a t e . I t r e f e r s
to the blood " a l l on your s h i r t , " the l i t t l e g u in e a -p ig , as
63
w ell as the old grey mare and old greyhound, h o lly bush, and
bunkum b o a t, and s p e c i f i c a l l y r e f e r s to h is " o ld e st son"
whom h e ' l l leave with h i s mother "to dance around her
k n ees," and h is "o ld e st d a u g h te r," whom h i s mother w i l l r e a r
in order to remember him. S h a rp 's G, H, and J t e x t s are
more i r r e g u l a r m e tr ic a lly , but the J v a r ia n t has a w ell de
veloped r e f r a i n .
"The Blood of F a ir Lucy," the fo u r-s ta n z a fragment
(Appendix Q) sung by Mrs. Ewart Wilson of Pensacolo, North
C a ro lin a , in 1939, and recorded by B ertrand Bronson in The
T r a d i t i o n a l Tunes of the C h ild B alla d s (1959) is unusual in
th a t i t is the only "Edward" v e rsio n to have the son murder
Lucy, who was a p p a re n tly h is w ife. I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g to
sp e cu la te on the reaso n fo r t h i s s t a r t l i n g v a r ia tio n . Per
haps some farm er with c h ild r e n in the re g io n did murder a
woman named Lucy and t h i s ac t was s u f f i c i e n t to a l t e r the
"Edward" in c u rre n t t r a d i t i o n . "The Blood of F a ir Lucy" is
a lso the only v a ria n t in which the son e x p la in s the blood
on h is s h i r t sleeve as coming from h is "gross hog." An in
t e r e s t i n g re fe re n c e to h is conscience i s made in the lin e s
"This blood i t came from f a i r Lucy
And, Mama, i t ' l l follow me."
The son w i l l leave h is " c h ild re n th re e " w ith h is mother to
keep her "sweet company." When h is f a th e r comes home he
w ill put h is fo o t "in yon l i t t l e b o a t."
Dorothy S carborough's A v e rs io n , from South C a ro lin a
64
(Appendix R ), has nothing t o d is tin g u is h i t from t e x t s a l -
ready noted. I t i s very s im ila r to the Cox te x t from Ken
tucky and the Sharp t e x t from Tennessee. The b ro th e r-in -la w
is the one murdered, and the son w ill be back
"When the sun s e ts yonder in the sycamore t r e e , t r e e ,
t r e e .
And th a t w ill never be."
S carborough's V irg in ia B v a ria n t i s c a lle d "The Murdered
B ro th e r." I t s v a r ia tio n l i e s in the strange fu sio n of the
guinea pig of some North C a ro lin ia n v a r ia n ts with the con
v e n tio n a l greyhound and horse to get the c ro ss-o v e r e p i
t h e t s , "guinea greyhound" and "guinea grey mare." A modern
touch l i e s in the referen ce to the "yonder steamboat" in
which the son i s to escape alone. He w ill not be ta k in g h is
c h ild and not even h is wife but w ill leave them w ith h is
mother to keep her company. When h is mother asks him what
he w ill do with h is house and land he r e p l i e s , "For you to
s e l l fo r me." From t h i s we get a p ic tu re of a com pletely
s e l f i s h in d iv id u a l, a base, s e lf- c e n te r e d fellow . T his is
not the tr a g ic fig u re of the S c o ttis h t e x t s .
The " g a g illio n " of Robert Gordon's v a ria n t which ap
peared in the New York Times (Appendix S) is another strange
c o rru p tio n of greyhound which became " g i l l i g o hound" and
"gay g ille o n " in D av is' V irg in ia t e x t s . The q u a rre l cen
te re d about the c u ttin g down of a " la u r e l bush" and the son
w ill come home
65
"When the tun and the moon s i t on yonder h i l l
And th a t w ill never be.'"
A lton M o rris 's F lo rid a v a r ia n ts (Appendix T) r e t a i n the
same n a rr a tiv e elem ents as o th e r t e x t s alre a d y d iscu ssed ;
however, minor b a lla d v a r ia tio n s are p re s e n t, including the
strange "guinea gay hawk" e p i t h e t , the " l i t t l e gray pony,"
and the v ic tim iz e d "dear b ro th er" who " ro lle d away w ith" the
k i l l e r over a "willow sp ro u t." Unlike the Scarborough C
m urderer, who has th o u g h ts only f o r a solo getaway, t h i s
b ro th e r i s going to take both h is wife and c h ild with him by
p la c in g them in the "bottom of the boat"; and f a r from hav
ing h is mother s e l l h is house and land fo r h is b e n e f it, he
i s w illin g them to h is "dear old mother, who thought so
much" of him. Thus is reached the h eig h t of f i l i a l love and
devotion in American t e x t s of "Edward." And with t h i s f i l
i a l s e n tim e n ta lity go the customary e x c e lle n t r e f r a i n and
sin g a b len e ss. In M orris B we fin d a strange team of b a lla d
e p i t h e t s in the same stanza: " lily -w h ite s h ir t" and "old
gray mare." Ballad convention i s s t i l l o p e ra tin g , however
incongruously. A "hickory nut tr e e " is the ob ject of quar
r e l in t h i s v a r ia n t. Also strange i s the so n 's re p ly to
h is m other's qu estio n about what he i s going to do w ith h is
"own tru e love":
"She can put her fo o t on board another ship
And s a i l along by me."
Why she must s a i l alongside in convoy i s a m atter f o r con
je c tu r e .
The fragm entary Eddy v a r ia n t from Ohio (Appendix U)
o r i g i n a l l y came from M isso u ri, and t h i s perhaps accounts
f o r the re fe re n c e to the " l i t t l e gray mule t h a t plowed the
f u r r e r f o r me." In s te a d of s a i l i n g a c ro s s the se a, t h i s
Edward p la n s t o " s a i l t h i s ocean round" and w i l l not r e tu r n
u n t i l the time
"When the sun and the moon both s i t s in the n o rth .
And you know t h a t never w i l l b e."
"Edward" t e x t s from M is s is s ip p i were c o lle c te d by Ar
th u r P. Hudson (Appendix V). The A v a r ia n t i s s im ila r to
the Sharp North C a ro lin a v e rs io n s in th a t the sons fought
over a h o lly bush and the o ld e s t one i s leaving h is " p r e tty
l i t t l e house and lo t" f o r h is c h ild re n ; however, he i s not
leav in g them in the care of h is mother. He is giv in g the
p ro p e rty to h i s "good old f a t h e r / To bring my c h ild r e n up
fo r me." T his legacy may in d ic a te t h a t a l l is not w ell be
tween mother and son, as in S h arp 's H V irg in ia t e x t . The
l a s t stanza has the son s a i l away with h is wife a c ro ss the
"deep blue s e a ." "The C ru el B ro th e r." in Hudson's B t e x t ,
sk ip s the m o th e r's p e r s i s t e n t q u e stio n in g about the blood
and s t a r t s in the f i r s t stanza w ith her asking her son why
he k i l l e d h is b ro th e r. In tru e f i l i a l form, he le av e s h i s
house and land t o h i s mother.
When we tu r n to Vance R andolph's Arkansas v a r ia n ts
(Appendix W ) we behold h i l l b i l l y d i c t i o n in i t s f u l l flo w er
ing. "Blood on t h ' P 'i n t O' Your K nife" (Randolph A) was
r e c i t e d by C a rrie Langley, who remarked th a t " h i t ' s a l l
'bout a f e l l e r whut k i l t h is b ro th e r a n ' run o f f . " ^ "01'
guinea sow t h a t e t t h ' c o rn ," "Whut did you an' him f ig h t
about?" "W e f i t , " "Pap," "p u rty l e e t l e w if e ," "bumken b o a t,"
"h y ar," and "dandle" w i l l aiqply i l l u s t r a t e the p e c u l i a r i t i e s
in language, grammar, and p ro n u n c ia tio n t h a t c h a ra c te riz e
th e se v a r i a n t s . The d ic tio n of the once tr a g ic "Edward" has
not made any g a in s in the hands of the Ozark f o lk , although
once more the ex cellen ce of th e singing r e f r a i n i s not found
wanting. Randolph's B, in Ozark Folksongs (1946), i s one
stanza s h o rte r th an the v e rsio n noted above, but i s the same
in every o th e r re s p e c t except fo r the d i c t i o n , which i s no
longer pure h i l l b i l l y (Appendix W). R andolph's M issouri C,
"The L i t t l e Yellow Dog," found the fo lk fav o rin g a new c o lo r
as they sang of the " l i t t l e yellow dog" and " l i t t l e yellow
h o rs e ." They spoke of " th a t s ta in " on the s o n 's s h i r t
sleeve and a "sprout t h a t might have made a tr e e " and a
"Yondo ship" on which to s a i l a c ro ss the sea w ith "Katie
d e a r ." Whether K atie i s h is wife or sw eetheart we do not
know. The son w ill come back
"When the sun r i s e s never to s e t .
And you know t h a t ' l l never be.'"
T his v e rsio n found i t s way in to MacEdward L each's The B allad
Book (1955). Randolph D i s a 1942 v a r ia n t from an Arkansas
^ V a n c t Randolph, Ozark Mountain Folks (New York,
1932), p. 205.
68
woman who learned I t from an Oklahoma farmhand in 1910. I t
ia noteworthy f o r l y r i c a l a tre tc h in g of the vowel in the
la a t word of the f i r a t lin e of the r e f r a i n ;
'T hat flew acroaa the f i e - e e - e e l d .
That flew acroaa the f i e l d . "
"That would have made a t r e e - e e - e e ,
That would have made a t r e e . "
Rare in the "Edward" v a r ia n ts i s the rhyme of the f i r s t and
t h i r d lin e s of the follow ing stanza;
"What w i l l you do when your f a th e r comes home?
Dear son come t e l l to me."
" I ' l l b u ild a ship and s a i l the ocean foam
I ' l l s a i l ac ro ss the se a-e e -ee .
I ' l l s a i l acro ss the sea."
"Old coon dog" and "old gray mare" are f a m ilia r American
r u s t i c term s. Both v ictim and k i l l e r are named in t h i s v ar
ia n t— b ro th e r John and son Edward, r e s p e c tiv e ly . A depar
tu re from the customary re p ly to the m other's query about
her s o n 's r e tu r n i s the follow ing;
"I w ill come back when two Sundays come a t once.
And th a t w ill never b e -e e -e e .
And th a t w ill never b e."
"Ronald," the Randolph E tw o-stanza fragm ent, is note
worthy f o r i t s name and the "Ronald, Ronald . . . Mother,
Mother" d ir e c t address in the a l te r n a ti n g sta n za s, which is
rem in iscen t of the C hild v e rsio n s . Ronald has k ille d h is
" l i t t l e gray hawk."
Two Texas t e x t s as recorded by William Owens in h is
Texas Folksongs (Appendix X) show no major v a r ia tio n s . Ed
ward t r i e s to ex p la in the blood on h is s h i r t sleeve as being
69
the blood of an "old grey g o o s e ," the b ro th e rs f a l l out
about " th a t l i t t l e ju n ip e r t r e e , " and the son w i l l be coming
back "when the sun goes e a s t and w e st." The l i n e s , "What
you gonna do with your p r e t t y l i t t l e w ife" and "What you
gonna do w ith your p r e t t y l i t t l e c h i ld r e n ," d is p la y awkward
d ic tio n and ir r e g u la r m eter. Owen's B v a ria n t co n ta in s the
"yonders bush," "yonders green h i l l , " and " lily -w h ite hand"
e p i th e t s and the concern w ith "c h ild re n th r e e ."
During a C hristm as vacation in C a lifo rn ia in 1945,
Burton Lowrimore's mother r e c ite d a f u l l te n -s ta n z a v e rsio n
of "Edward" (Appendix Y) which many years e a r l i e r she had
learned in Oklahoma. I t i s c h a ra c te riz e d by i r r e g u l a r i t y
of len g th of lin e and meter and ex cellen ce of r e f r a i n . I t s
c o n trib u tio n to the growing l i s t of o b je c ts over which the
b ro th e rs f ig h t is a "chinquapin bush." The son l i e s th a t
the blood i s from " th a t yellow hound" and " th a t bay pony."
A unique n a rra tiv e d e t a i l comes when the mother, not s a t i s
f ie d w ith le arn in g about what caused the q u a r r e l, asks her
son where he buried h is b ro th e r. He r e p l i e s , "I buried him
under t h a t chinquapin bush." He p la n s to leave h is house
and land to h is dear mother in order th a t she may r a i s e h is
c h ild re n " f r e e ," and he i s coming home "when the sun and the
moon both go down to g e th e r ," and he hopes th a t "never w ill
be."
I t i s tru e th a t change of s e ttin g does not r a d i c a l l y
change the s to ry . T ransm itted down through the y ea rs,
70
Edward's sto ry remains the same, whether the s e ttin g i s of
h a l l and bower or Appalachian c a b in , or whether he e x p la in s
the blood s ta in as coming from h is greyhound, symbol of
c h i v a lr ic s p o rt, or the o l ' hound dog th a t tr a c k s 'coon and
'possom fo r him on moonlight n ig h ts in the Smokies. Whether
the blood was from h is g re a t hawk or h is l i t t l e guinea pig
or old grey mare th a t ploughed does not g r e a tly change the
mood or fla v o r of the n a r r a tiv e . Whether the argument
a r i s e s over the "c u ttin g of a willow wand/ That would never
been a tr e e " or a c h e s tn u t, h azel nut, h o lly , la u r e l,
h ic k o ry -n u t, ju n ip e r, or chinquapin bush makes no m a te ria l
d if f e r e n c e . These minor changes are accep tab le; they mean
th a t the American fo lk singer has placed h is sto ry in a
f a m ilia r s e ttin g and are obvious evidence of h is complete
adoption of the b a lla d . But when the New World tr a n s m itte r
t e l l s of an Edward th a t i s going to put h is foot in a "bum-
ken boat" or "yonder steam-boat" to s a i l to a d if f e r e n t land
in ste a d of a bottom less ship (or a modern eq u iv a le n t) never
to be seen again on t h i s e a r t h , the tone and e f f e c t of the
n a r ra tiv e does change co n sid e rab ly . The v erb al economy th a t
i s p a r t i c u l a r l y p o ten t in the ex p ressio n of the "never" idea
of the S c o ttis h b a lla d has lo s t i t s power in the American
t e x t s . The American Edward w ill never re tu rn to h is mother,
but here the v iv id and concrete f i n a l i t y of d eath , the
f a ta lis m th a t shrouds the S c o ttis h popular b allad w ith the
tr a g ic " irre v o c a b le ," has been d isp lace d by the com pletely
71
unheroic and u n tra g ic f l i g h t of a man who makes arrangem ents
to take along h is sweet wife and sometimes even h i s c h ild
ren .
Much more damaging to the New World v e rs io n s of "Ed
ward" i s the omission in the f i n a l stanza of the im p lic a tio n
of the m o th e r's g u i l t in the crim e. As has been discussed*
here i s a r e a l lo s s of dram atic f o rc e . Without im p lic a tin g
the mother in the crime* what have we? A com paratively un
d is tin g u is h e d n a r r a tiv e in which an unprem editated murder of
a l i t t l e b ro th e r d riv e s a man to cowardly f l i g h t . T his
s t r i k i n g v a r i a t i o n shows very w ell the tendency f o r the b a l
lad in o r a l tra n sm issio n to co n c e n tra te more on the clim ax
of i t s sto ry and to focus on but a sin g le u n sta b le incident*
i .e .* the f a t a l q u a rre l between the b ro th ers* w ith the r e
s u lt th a t im portant " lin k s " are om itted and the r e a l sto ry
confused. Even the S c o ttis h v e rs io n has enough t o b a f f le
r e c i t e r and l i s t e n e r a l i k e . Archer T aylor (Edward and Sven
I Rosenoard) b e lie v e s th a t most of the o r i g i n a l sto ry has
been lo s t in B rita in * America* and S can d in av ia . By way of
an e x p la n a tio n of the f r a t r i c i d e , T ris tra m C o ffin reaso n s
th a t since the b a lla d has a s s o c ia te d i t s e l f w ith in c e s t
songs* i . e . * p o rtio n s of i t have been added to C h i l d 's No.
49 and No. b l , "The Twa B ro th e rs" and "L izie Wan," and be
cause " in c e s t i s a theme t h a t might w ell vanish from such a
story* an in tr a f a m ily f i x a t i o n i s probably the cause of the
crime in the o ld e r, now l o s t , t e x t s . " * 2 Whether t h i s be
t r u e , and i t seems to be a lo g ic a l enough e x p lan atio n fo r
the s t a r t l i n g conclusion to M otherw ell's t e x t , and whether
the change in the New World t e x t s i s the r e s u l t of the Amer
ican fo lk s i n g e r 's squeamishness and r e lig i o u s sc ru p le s or
the r e s u l t of f i l i a l s e n tim e n ta lity or of an unconscious
r a t i o n a l i z a t i o n of u n n atu ral c o n v e rsatio n between mother and
son, the f a c t remains th a t in t h i s im portant re sp e c t the
v a r ia n ts of "Edward" in America are not the equal of the
S c o ttish v e rs io n s . In not having a strong marriage of the
t r a d i t i o n a i b a lla d d evices of climax of r e l a t i o n s and t e s t a
ment as found in M otherw ell's t e x t , the American t e x t s su f
f e r by comparison. In clim axing with the mother and in
leaving her the legacy,
"A f i r e o c o a ls to burn h e r, wi h ea rty ch e er,
And s h e 'l l never get mair o me.'"
C hild A i s f a r su p e rio r. The b est of the American t e x ts
hold t h e i r own in w ealth of n a rra tiv e d e t a i l , conventional
e p i t h e t s , d i c t i o n , question and answer tech n iq u e, increment
a l r e p e t i t i o n , r e f r a i n , and b a lla d meter and rhyme. Give or
take a l i t t l e in t h e i r follow ing of th e se c r i t e r i a , the
S c o ttis h and American v e rsio n s are about equal in q u a lity ;
e . g . , the p le a s in g , dram atic e la b o ra tio n in the a l t e r n a t i o n
of "Son Davie, son Davie" with "mother lady, mother lady" in
12r r is tr a m C o ffin . The B r i t i s h T r a d itio n a l B allad in
North America (Phi lade l p F i T . ' l ^ t f V p." 4 3 . ' -------------------- L
73
one p o rtio n of the S c o ttis h r e f r a i n i s equaled and p o s s ib ly
surpassed by the e x c e lle n t l y r i c a l and h ig h ly singable sta n
za endings of many of the American v a r ia n ts . Old World
t e x t s may be a l i t t l e more uniform ly e x c e lle n t in d i c t i o n ,
but th e b e s t of th e New World v a r ia n ts are more n e a rly regu
l a r m e tr ic a lly . In o v e r a ll e x c e lle n c e , however, the Scot
t i s h "Edward” i s the su p e rio r v e rs io n , f i r s t , because "Ed
ward” is supposed to be a tr a g i c fo lk b a lla d and r e a l tr a g
edy i s achieved by the so n 's in te n tio n to submit him self to
exposure and death in an open b o at, medieval punishment fo r
f r a t r i c i d e ; and, second, because a f t e r the enormous dram atic
te n s io n developed through the dialogue th e re i s a g re a t
shock and pow erful clim ax coming as the r e s u l t of the sur
p r is e im p lic a tio n of the m other's g u i l t in the l a s t two
lin e s of the b a lla d .
CHAPTER IV
"THE CHERRY TREE CAROL"
"The C herry Tree C arol" i s not r e a l l y a c a r o l and i t
does not r e a l l y concern a c h e rry t r e e . I t Is p ro p e rly a
fo lk b a lla d derived from the Pseudo-M atthew's g o sp e l. Chap
t e r XX, which t e l l s of the t h i r d day of J o se p h 's and M ary's
f l i g h t in to Egypt. Oppressed by the h e a t, Mary t e l l s Joseph
th a t she wishes to r e s t fo r a time under a palm t r e e . Jo
seph h e lp s her down from her b ea st of burden. Looking up,
Mary sp ie s the palm t r e e f u l l of f r u i t and asks Joseph to
get h er some. Joseph i s somewhat su rp rise d and annoyed th a t
she should suggest t h a t he clim b such a t a l l t r e e to get her
some d a te s . He is much more concerned w ith securing w ater.
Seeing J o s e p h 's r e lu c ta n c e , J e s u s , from h is p o s i t i o n on h is
m o th er's la p , o rd ers the palm tr e e to bow low and r e f r e s h
h is mother with i t s f r u i t . Immediately the palm bends i t s
top to M ary's f e e t . What occurs in the l a t e r sta n z a s of
some of the b a lla d v e rsio n s i s no doubt based on the a n g e l's
words to th e shepherds in Luke 2 and on the p r e d ic tio n s
Je su s makes in the a u th e n tic go sp els.
Many good fo lk t a l e s came from the Bible and the apoc
ry p h al g o sp e ls, but as Evelyn W ells p o in ts o u t, they
74
75
were ap t in r e t a i l i n g t o tak e on a moral tone which the
b a lla d cannot s u c c e s s fu lly manage— the sin g e r does not
lik e to be d i s t r a c t e d from h is main i n t e r e s t , the s to ry
i t s e l f . The m oralizing b a l la d , i f i t liv e d , was of an in
f e r i o r n a tu re ; and i f i t l o s t the moral i t o fte n l o s t as
w e ll a l l t r a c e s of the r e l i g i o u s s to ry . At bottom, how
e v e r, t r a d i t i o n has r e je c te d r e l i g i o u s b a lla d s because
th e y d e a l w ith s p e c ia l ex p e rie n c e s of s p e c ia l p eo p le,
r a t h e r th a n the ex p e rie n c e s of humanity as a whole. So,
lik e th e Robin Hood, Border R aid, and h i s t o r i c a l b a l la d s ,
th e y have su ffe re d com parative o b l i v i o n .1
A rthur Friedman suggests t h a t "in the Middle Ages th e y were
probably the dominant s p e c ie s , but a f t e r the Reform ation the
P r o te s ta n t fo lk must have found t h e i r tone u n co n g e n ial."^
A p e ru s a l of th e t e x t s recorded by C h ild (Appendix Z) w ill
show why, of th e few C h r i s t i a n s t o r i e s to ld by the f o lk ,
t h i s in c id e n t in the l iv e s of Joseph and Mary and the C h r is t
C hild i s one of only a handful th a t have reached us in b a l
lad form. The fo lk savoured t h i s b a lla d p rim a rily fo r the
s i t u a t i o n p o rtra y e d in the follow ing two sta n z a s (Child A
v e r s i o n ) :
4. 0 then bespoke Mary
so meek and so mild:
"Pluck me one c h e rry , Joseph,
fo r I am w ith c h i l d . "
5. 0 th en bespoke Joseph,
w ith words most unkind:
"Let him pluck th e e a c h e rry
t h a t brought thee w ith c h i ld ."
In p o rtra y in g Joseph as the je a lo u s husband speaking roughly
^Evelyn W ells, The B allad Tree (New York, 1950), p. 178.
, . k2 A i b *^ ed~• Ihf ViKfoq B 9 9 ); °f F & m .
gf_ the E nglish-S peaking World (New YorkT 19b6). p. **1?
76
t o h i s w ife , in p re s e n tin g th e ag e-o ld fo lk problem of d i s
puted p a t e r n i t y , th e b a lla d sin g e r i s b rin g in g the e x p e ri
ences of s p e c ia l people down to the e x p e rie n c e s of humanity
a s a w hole. The b a lla d l i s t e n e r i d e n t i f i e s him self w ith the
s i t u a t i o n of Joseph and Mary. T his fo lk r e l a t i o n s h i p in no
way d e t r a c t s from the im pressiveness of the m iracle as the
C h r is t C h ild speaks from h is m o th e r's womb. Perhaps in no
o th e r medium can the f a u l t s and f o i b l e s of r e a l people be
p reserv ed so r e a d i l y in the persons of sacred s to ry . Crude
and everyday, yes, but f a m ilia r d e t a i l s help the b a lla d r e
c i t e r and h e a re r make the b a lla d sto ry t h e i r own. I t is
u n d erstan d ab le th a t elem ents of the church have fought
a g a in s t the d iss e m in a tio n of sacred sto ry in popular form.
Without the c o n d itio n of J o s e p h 's je a lo u s y and la ck of f a i t h
in h i s w ife , "The C herry Tree C arol" probably would not have
survived through o r a l tra n sm issio n to the p re se n t day.
C h i l d 's Aa , c a lle d "Joseph Was an Old Man," tak en from
the f i r s t lin e of the b a l la d , i s a twelve stanza v e rsio n
from the west of England which r e l a t e s the Joseph and Mary
in c id e n t in nine stan za s and a llu d e s to the r e s u r r e c t i o n of
C h r is t in the l a s t th re e sta n z a s. The l a t t e r could w ell
have been l e f t off to p rese rv e the u n ity of the "ch erry -
t r e e " e p iso d e , the palm t r e e having become the c h e rry t r e e
in England as the fo lk made i t s a d a p ta tio n . A time lag oc
cu rs between stanza nin e, in which Mary plucks a c h e rry and
goes home "with her heavy load"— the C h r i s t C h ild in her
77
womb— and stanza te n , in which Mary s i t s Je su s on her knee
and asks him "what t h i s world w ill b e." The C h ild r e p l i e s
th a t he w ill be as dead as "the stones in the w all" and th a t
the "sto n es in the s t r e e t s " w i l l a l l mourn f o r him. He w ill
r i s e on E aster-d ay ; and unlike the l a s t stanza of "Edward"
in which Edward w ill r e tu r n "When the sun and the moon s i t
on yonder h i l l , / And th a t w ill never be.'" the l a s t stanza of
"The Cherry Tree C arol" has the "sun and moon . . . both
r i s e " with C h r is t.
A ll the lin e s of "The F alse Knight upon the Road" and
"Edward" co n ta in d ialogue; only h a lf of the lin e s of C h ild 's
No. 54 are composed of c o n v e rsa tio n . Enough ta lk in g occurs,
however, to make i t e a s i l y adaptable to a p la y le t upon the
stag e. Cliche's and co n v en tio n al e p i t h e t s abound, e . g . ,
"Joseph was an old man,/ and an old man was h e," "an orchard
good," "so meek and so m ild," "a c h e rry as red as the blood,"
"dead . . . as the sto n e s." Some of the conventional de
v ic e s of the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d found in the aforementioned
b a lla d s are not used in the "The Cherry Tree C arol" from the
west of England. The quest ion-and-answer technique is not
used, and s u rp ris in g ly no increm ental r e p e t i t i o n or r e f r a i n
has been employed, although th e re i s some r e p e t i t i o n and
lin g e rin g in the second and th i r d stanza as Joseph and Mary
walk through the c h e rry orchard f u l l of " c h e r rie s and ber
r i e s " and " b e rrie s and c h e r r i e s ." The lack of r e f r a i n may
be accounted fo r by the f a c t th a t the fo lk tr a n s m itte r s had
78
no d i f f i c u l t y remembering the l i n e s of such a simple and
well-known s to ry . The lack of increm ental r e p e t i t i o n oc
c u rs because th ey were not concerned w ith b u ild in g up any
g re a t suspense about t h i s sto ry of sacred f o lk . A p a r a l l e l
to the clim ax of r e l a t i o n s technique i s employed in sta n z a s
fo u r, f i v e , and six when f i r s t Mary, th en Joseph, and th e n
the Babe, speak. The meter i s i r r e g u l a r . The b a lla d has
been p r in te d in the form of f o u r - lin e s ta n z a s, but the num
ber of l i n e s w ith fem inine endings which can be jo in e d t o the
f i r s t s y ll a b le s of succeeding v e rse s to produce a n a p e stic
f e e t , and the rhyme of the second and fo u rth lin e s in every
stanza but two, lead one to the co n c lu sio n th a t the o r i g i n a l
form of the poem had twelve c o u p le ts r a th e r th a n twelve
fo u r-v e rse sta n z a s.
C h i l d 's v a r ia n t c o n ta in s minor changes, which may be
noted in Appendix Z. S tanzas th r e e and nine through twelve
are m issing a l to g e t h e r . Three iambic and a n a p estic c o u p le ts
have been added a f t e r the eig h th sta n z a , which t e l l th a t
Joseph and Mary then went to Bethlehem where a l l the inns
were f i l l e d and where the Saviour was born on C hristm as day
in an o x 's s t a l l . Smoother t r a n s i t i o n is made from one
event to the next in the A^ v e rsio n .
C h i l d 's B v e rsio n c o n ta in s eig h tee n s ta n z a s , e ig h t of
which r e l a t e the c h e rry t r e e ep iso d e. The next fiv e sta n
zas t e l l of J o s e p h 's hearing an angel sing of the humble
b i r t h and c h r is te n in g of C h r i s t . In the l a s t fiv e sta n za s
Mary asks h er young son about the f u t u r e , and Je su s answers
more f u l l y here th an in t e x t A as he t e l l s about Ash Wednes
day, Good F rid a y , and E a s te r. Three sep arate e v e n ts take
place in t h i s v e rs io n which i s marked by abrupt t r a n s i t i o n s .
In p lace of one of the r e p e t i t i o u s "walked through an o r
chard" sta n z a s of A, C h ild B 's second stanza r e v e a ls th a t
when Joseph was m arried and brought Mary home, she was preg
n a n t, and he did not know i t . L a te r, Joseph and Mary walk
through a "garden g a y ,/ Where the c h e r r i e s they grew upon
every t r e e . " T h is compares w ith the A t e x t ' s "orchard
g r e e n ,/ Where was b e r r i e s and c h e r r i e s , as th ic k as might be
seen." Joseph i s not abashed in B when the "uppermost sp rig
bowed down to M ary's knee." In A when the " t a l l e s t tr e e "
bows down f o r Mary, Joseph sees th a t he has "done Mary
wrong" and bades her to "cheer up" and not be "cast down."
A ll he says in the B te x t is
"0 e a t your c h e r r i e s , Mary,
O e a t your c h e r r i e s , now;
0 e a t your c h e r r i e s , Mary
th a t grow upon the bough."
Numerous minor d if f e r e n c e s may be seen by comparing the two
t e x t s side by side in Appendix L . The meter of B i s j u s t as
rough as t h a t of A, and fo u r of the c o u p le ts are unrhymed.^
q
S o p h is tic a te d or a r t i s t i c verse c o n sc io u sly avoids
s t r i c t r e g u l a r i t y in m eter. B a llad ry s t r i v e s to achieve
r e g u l a r i t y . The roughness of b a lla d meter is th u s f e l t to
be a d e f e c t. In rhyme the same p r in c ip l e i s tr u e . The
correspondence of end sounds i s p le a s in g and expected in the
t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d . I t i s d is c o n c e rtin g when rhyme does not
80
The d iffe re n c e between Ba and B^ are p resen ted in
Appendix Z. From h is m other's womb Je su s speaks not to the
tr e e but to h is mother:
M Go to the t r e e , Mary
and i t s h a ll bow down.
Go t o the t r e e , Mary,
and i t s h a ll bow to th e e .
And the h ig h e st branch of a l l
s h a ll bow down to Mary's knee.
And she s h a ll gather c h e r r ie s ,
by one, by two, by th r e e ."
'ftow you may see, Joseph,
those c h e r r ie s were fo r me."
The command t o the ch erry tr e e i s im p lic it. The rep ea ted
commands to Mary from her son w ith in h eig h ten s the drama of
the l i t t l e c la sh between Joseph and Mary. For stan zas nine
through t h i r t e e n . C hild has found a separate c a ro l t r a d i -
ti o n a l in Som ersetshire which t e l l s of Mary's c h ild being
born a t midnight and ends on a m oralizing note not u su a lly
to be found in the popular b a llad :
Then be ye g la d , good people
t h i s night of a l l the year,
And lig h t ye up your c an d les,
fo r h is s ta r i t shineth c le a r .
In answer to M ary's query about what i s to be, Jesus s t a t e s
th a t the world w ill be lik e "the stones in the s t r e e t , / For
appear a t the expected p o in ts , or when the rhyme i s f a u lty .
Thus a " s la n t rhyme" which might be agreeable in Emily
Dickinson would be u n s a tis f a c to r y in a b a lla d .
^ C h ild 's and B^ v a r ia n ts , which co n tain c e r ta in ad
d i t i o n a l minor d if fe re n c e s , may also be found in Appendix Z.
81
the sun and the moon s h a ll bow down a t thy f e e t . H
C h i l d 's C te x t c o n ta in s f o u rte e n iambic pentam eter
c o u p le ts , some of which are a fo o t sh o rt or a fo o t over.
Many an ap ests and tro c h e e s have been s u b s t itu te d . Only h a lf
of th e se sta n z a s r e l a t e the ch e rry t r e e in c id e n t; o th e rs
p re se n t Joseph walking and h earin g the an g els singing and
prophesying the b i r t h of Je su s in a s t a l l , and stanza
t h i r t e e n has Mary take her Baby and lay him in the manger
a f t e r d re s s in g him "so sw eet." The l a s t stanza has Mary
stand over him, in ta b le a u fa s h io n , as the an g els sin g , "Oh
b le s s our dear S a v io u r ,/ our heavenly k in g ." Mary does not
take her young son on her knee, as in Child B, and ask him
about the f u t u r e , but th e re are th re e lo c a le s and time p e r
iods and two abrupt t r a n s i t i o n s in the C te x t as w e ll as in
the B t e x t . A major d e v ia tio n occurs a f t e r Joseph unkindly
t e l l s h is wife th a t he w i l l not pluck any c h e r r i e s fo r her
c h ild (no remark is made about the f a t h e r ) . In stea d of the
Saviour in the womb commanding the c h e rry tr e e to bow down,
Mary h e r s e lf commands i t to do so:
Mary said to c h e r r y - tr e e ,
Bow down to my knee,
That I may pluck c h e r r i e s ,
by one, two, and t h r e e . "
The l a s t lin e above i l l u s t r a t e s a f a v o r ite fo lk b a lla d con
v en tio n of a r r iv in g a t the t o t a l number of th re e by the
"m ilestone method," which more c o n c re te ly and e f f e c t i v e l y
conveys the a c tio n . The B te x t has an angel prophesy th a t
82
Je su s w i l l not be c h ris te n e d in "white wine nor r e d , / But
w ith f a i r spring w a t e r ,/ w ith which we were c h ris te n e d " ; the
C te x t has him to be c h ris te n e d n e ith e r in "milk nor in
w in e ,/ But in pure sp rin g -w ell w a t e r ,/ fre s h sprung from
B eth in e." A d i f f e r e n t custom and a s p e c ific place name have
been added.
The D t e x t , P ro fe sso r C hild in d ic a te s , was taken from
the mouth of a wandering gypsy g i r l in B erk sh ire. When Mary
and Joseph sauntered down to the "gardens c o o l," she spied a
c h e rry and asked B rother Joseph to pluck i t f o r her because
she was with c h i ld . When Joseph re fu se d , the Saviour spoke
from in sid e Mary;
"Mary s h a ll have c h e r r i e s ,
and Joseph s h a ll have none."
T h is s u rp ris in g touch of s p ite f u ln e s s may or may not be ac-
counted fo r by the g r e a te r v in d ic tiv e n e s s gypsies have in
t h e i r r e a c tio n toward unkindness of any s o r t. The en tre n ch
ment of the "by one, two, and th re e " convention in fo lk
b a lla d ry i s disp lay ed in the follow ing stanza in which Mary
plucks the cherry:
From the high bough the c h e rr y - tr e e
bowd down to M ary's knee;
Then Mary p lu ck t the c h e rry ,
by one, two, and th r e e .
The above stanza a ls o i l l u s t r a t e s the unevenness of the
lin e s of t h i s t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d in England. Only six
lin e s of the C hild D v ersio n n a rra te the c h e rry t r e e e p i
sode. Thus we find C h i l d 's A, B, C, and D t e x t s w ith nine,
83
e i g h t , seven, and s ix s ta n z a s , r e s p e c tiv e ly , devoted t o th e
t e l l i n g of the p r i n c i p a l s to ry . Undoubtedly, P ro fe ss o r
C h i l d 's v e rs io n s were a lp h a b e tiz e d according to the le n g th
of t h e i r prim ary n a r r a tiv e r a th e r th a n according t o t h e i r
t o t a l number of sta n z a s. Perhaps he co n sid ered the a n g e l 's
p ro p h ecies and the o th e r d e t a i l s r e l a t i n g to C h r i s t 's b i r t h ,
c r u c i f i x i o n , and r e s u r r e c ti o n as simply being ex tra n eo u s to
the r e a l f o lk b a lla d s to r y . In a c t u a l i t y , "The C herry-Tree
C arol" in England is what may be termed "The C herry-T ree"
or "Joseph and Mary" b a lla d p lu s a c a r o l tacked on commemo
r a tin g the b i r t h , d e a th , and r e s u r r e c ti o n of C h r i s t . I t
w i l l be i n t e r e s t i n g to see what happened to t h i s "combina
tio n " in America.
Nova S c o tia has fu rn is h e d an a b b rev iate d te x t of "The
C herry-Tree C arol" (see Appendix AA), which d i f f e r s markedly
in se v e ra l r e s p e c ts from the B r iti s h v e rs io n s . The i n t r o
d u ctio n has been om itted. The b a lla d has Joseph ta k in g Mary
"on h i s r i g h t knee" in the f i r s t stanza as he asks "when the
b irth d a y s h a ll b e." Mary answers th a t the b irth d a y w i l l be
"on th a t old C h ristm as n ig h t," and th e n they walk in the
garden. Mary walks " lik e a l i t t l e c h ild " and asks f o r c h e r
r i e s because she has been b e g u ile d . T his remark coming from
Mary h e r s e lf shows how d r a s t i c a l l y a fo lk b a lla d in c id e n t
can be d i s t o r t e d or "adapted" in o ra l tra n s m is s io n . Joseph
t e s t i l y r e p l i e s th a t he w i l l give her no c h e r r i e s and adds:
"Let the man give you c h e r r i e s who d id you b e g u ile ." In the
English v e rs io n s , e i t h e r the C h r is t C hild or Mary commands
the c h e rry t r e e to bow down. He speaks e i t h e r from h i s
m other's lap or m iraculously from w ith in her womb. N either
C h ris t nor Mary speaks in the Nova S c o tia v a ria n t; in s te a d ,
the t r e e t a l k s to Mary as i t bows down: "Mary, g ath er ch er
r i e s from the u tterm o st lim b." T his te x t c o n ta in s nothing
about the c o n d itio n s of C h r i s t 's b ir th or death and ends
as ab ru p tly as i t begins. The sto ry p o rtio n remembered by
the fo lk has to do with human f r a i l t i e s * The meter is i r
r e g u la r, and only th re e of the fiv e p a i r s of l in e s rhyme. A
r e f r a i n has been provided by the r e p e t i t i o n of the second
lin e of each stanza.
The Nova S cotia te x t c o n t r a s ts sharply with the compar
a tiv e ly f u l l te x t c o lle c te d by Helen F landers and Helen
N o rfle et in Vermont (Appendix BB). The com pleteness of the
l a t t e r may be explained p a r tly by the f a c t th a t i t was
learned "in a convent in Ire la n d , more than seventy years
ago," according to Mrs. L. M. S u lliv a n of S p rin g f ie ld , who
sang the song t o Miss F la n d e rs.'5 The usual sto ry is p re
sented as given in a com bination of Child A and B, and a
number of stan zas are added t e l l i n g where and how C h r is t was
born, and review ing, when the C h ris t C hild answers Mary’s
query, the main ev en ts of h is l i f e . Joseph is "St. Joseph"
°Helen F lan d ers and Helen N o rfle e t, Country Songs of
Vermont (New York, 1937), p. bO.
85
and Mary i s "Blessed Mary" in t h i s v a r ia n t. Mrs. S u lliv a n
explained th a t in the convent i t was taught th a t Mary was a
v irg in and Joseph appeared only when she needed p r o te c tio n .
The Vermont v a ria n t employs stanza two of C hild B, in which
Joseph m arries and b rin g s Mary home, not knowing th a t she is
w ith c h i l d , and stanza four of C hild A in which Mary asks
Joseph to pluck her a ch erry because she is with c h i ld . In
stead of walking through the "good orchard" or "garden gay,"
they walk through a "meadow so f a i r " where both c h e r r ie s and
blossoms are to be seen. Stanza fiv e r e f e r s to the b ab y 's
f a t h e r , whom Joseph w ill l e t pick the c h e r r ie s f o r Mary.
Among the B r iti s h v e rsio n s , the b ab y 's f a th e r is mentioned
s p e c i f i c a l l y only in C hild D. New term inology is used in
stanza six when the C hild in h is m other's womb says, "Bend
down, dear c h e r r i e s , l e t my Mama pick t h e e . ” Neat p oetic
a l l i t e r a t i o n and balance occur in stanza seven: "The h ig h e st
branch bended, the lowest branch bowed." Mary was able to
pick not only a ch erry or c h e rr ie s by one, two, and th r e e ,
but a lso a l l "her apron could h o ld ." The "purple nor p a ll"
of the B r iti s h t e x ts is " s ilk or s a tin " in the V erm ont-Irish
v e rsio n , and the Babe is wrapped in a "piece of fin e lin e n
by h is own Mama's s id e ." Stanzas twelve through fo u rteen
c l e a r l y p o rtra y the l a s t ev en ts of C h r i s t 's l i f e . The con
cluding stanza is ap p ro p riate from the standpoint of a fo lk
song trea tm en t of a m iraculous event:
86
"On Sunday morning* g re a t s ig h t you w ill s e e f
The sun and moon dancing in honor of me."
The meter i s h ig h ly ir r e g u la r and only h a lf of the l in e s are
rhymed. Some of the c lic h e s and co n ventional e p i t h e t s of
the B r iti s h v e rsio n s are p re se n t in the V erm ont-Irish v a r i
a n t, although "so meek and so mild" i s now "so so ft and so
m ild," and a unique com bination occurs in the "so keen and
so mild" manner in which Joseph speaks.
A rthur Davis rec o rd s one V irg in ia v a ria n t th a t i s near
ly complete and two one-stanza fragm ents (Appendix CC). The
l a t t e r p a r a l l e l C hild B and A, re s p e c tiv e ly . The Davis A
te x t was c o n trib u te d by Miss Agnes O 'H alloran of Lynchburg,
V irg in ia , who learned i t from her mother, who em igrated from
Ire la n d to V irg in ia j u s t p r i o r to the outbreak of the C i v i l
War in America. Miss O 'H alloran wrote to Mr. Davis in Janu
ary, 1916:
"These an cien t c a r o ls were learn ed seventy or seventy-
fiv e y ears ago in the south of Ire la n d , in sweet County
C la re , where the s i l v e r Shannon flow s. The neighbors
brought t h e i r f la x spinning wheels and c a rd s and k n i t t i n g ,
and whiled away the hours of labor by fo lk s t o r i e s and old
b a lla d s and c a ro ls th a t took the p e c u lia r c o lo rin g of the
p e o p le 's devotion to our Blessed Lady."6
The f i r s t two stan zas of the p r in c ip a l V irg in ia v a ria n t are
not to be found in any h i t h e r t o p rin te d v e rsio n . Joseph
t e l l s Lady Mary to l i e down and take "a long sleep" while he
goes to Jerusalem to weep over h is s in s . Mary t e l l s Joseph
^A rthur Davis, e d .. T r a d itio n a l B allads of V irg in ia
(Cambridge, M ass., 1929) , p. 1*74.
87
th a t she w ill go along w ith him, wherever he goes. A fter
the second stanza the Davis v a r ia n t proceeds much as the
E nglish v a r ia n ts do through C h ild Ag, Bg, C7 , and Dg, w ith
c e r t a i n d if f e r e n c e s of d e t a i l . Mary and Joseph are "walking
the green" when she asks him "so mild and serene" to p u ll
her a ch e rry . A fter the t r e e bows down, she g a th e rs ch er
r i e s u n t i l her apron overflow s, a d e t a i l which occurs e l s e
where only in the Vermont v a ria n t from Ire la n d . Unlike the
English or Vermont v e rs io n s , the V irg in ia v a ria n t c o n ta in s
no a d d i tio n a l sta n za s concerning the a n g e l's r e c i t a l about
the b i r t h of C h r is t or the f a c t s about h is l i f e . I t i s in
t e r e s t i n g to note th a t t h i s te x t c o n trib u te d by Miss O'Hal
lo ran on January 22, 1916, i s in the form of six sta n z a s,
each except the t h i r d c o n ta in in g four l i n e s . The same ver
sio n , w ith an equal number of words, recorded by Winston
W ilkinson of Lynchburg, V ir g in ia , on May lb , 1933, from the
singing of Miss O 'H a llo ran , is p rin te d in George P. Jack
so n 's Down-East S p i r i t u a l s and O thers (New York, 1942) in
four stan zas w ith the fo u rth lin e of the second stanza and
the t h i r d and f o u rth l in e s of the t h i r d stanza in d ic a te d as
missing (see Appendix DD). Only h a lf of the v erses rhyme
and meter i s i r r e g u l a r , the l in e s varying from four to six
iambic and an a p estic f e e t .
F. C. Brown's famous c o l l e c t i o n from North C a ro lin a
c o n ta in s one v a r ia n t of "The Cherry Tree C a ro l," which was
secured from the singing of a l i t t l e g i r l a t C hristm astim e
88
in the M i l l e r 's Gap School of Madison County (Appendix EE).
The f i r s t six stan za s of the Brown t e x t c l o s e ly resemble the
second, f o u r th , f i f t h , s ix th , seventh, and e ig h th sta n z a s of
C h ild A. A new term f o r the o b je c t of J o s e p h 's ir e is r e
vealed as he t e l l s Mary to have h er " lo v e r ” p ic k the c h e r
r i e s t h a t she c ra v e s. In the seventh and l a s t stanza of the
North C a ro lin a v a r ia n t the scene has suddenly s h if te d as
" a l l the stones in Bethlehem” and "in the s t r e e t s and in the
w all" c ry out in p r a is e of Mary. T h is sudden tu rn of e v e n ts
r e s u l t s a p p a re n tly from a c o rru p tio n of the l in e s of the
English t e x t s in which C h ris t i s as dead as the sto n e s in
the w a ll, and the sto n es in the s t r e e t s mourn f o r him.
Rhyme occurs in six of the seven sta n zas of the Brown t e x t .
A somewhat r e g u la r p a t te r n of hexameter emerges in most of
the sta n z a s.
Jean Thomas, of the mountain fo lk h e r s e l f , has recorded
th re e v e rs io n s of "The C herry-T ree C aro l" in her B allad
Makin* in the Mountains of Kentucky (Appendix FF). The
f i r s t , c a lle d "Joseph and Mary," was sung by J i l s o n S e t t e r s
of Lost Fiope Fiollow. The ex c ellen ce of t h i s v a r ia n t l i e s in
the dram atic c o n tin u ity of the scene between Joseph and Mary
a f t e r the c h e rry t r e e m iracu lo u sly bows down and Mary has
g ath ered her c h e r r i e s . Abashed, Joseph ta k e s Mary "on h is
r i g h t knee” and c r i e s , "What have I done, Lord have mercy
on me.'" Then he ta k e s Mary "on h is l e f t knee" and ask s,
"Oh, t e l l me l i t t l e baby, when th y b irth d a y w ill be?" P re-
sumably the C h r is t C h ild i s w ith in h is m o th er's womb. Je su s
answers w ith one of those m etaphorical gems ra re in fo lk
b a lla d com position:
"The s ix th of January my b irth d a y w i l l be.
When the s t a r s in t h e i r elem ents, s h a ll trem ble w ith
g l e e . "
The r e fe r e n c e s to C h r i s t 's b irth d a y do not appear in the
E nglish t e x t s . According to the J u lia n c a le n d a r, i n t r o
duced in 46 B .C ., January 6 was the date of C hristm as Day
between the y ears 1752 and 1799, because in 1751, when the
G regorian ca len d a r was adopted in t h i s co u n try , eleven days
were dropped out between September 2 and 14. Another day
was dropped from the ca len d a r in 1800 and in 1900 s t i l l
a n o th er, so th a t Old Christm as Day new f a l l s on January 7.
Miss Thomas remarks th a t "to t h i s day th e re are those in the
Kentucky mountains . . . who hold to 'Old C h ris tm a s '— Janu
ary s i x t h . S h e a lso notes th a t "stood around," r e f e r r i n g
to what Joseph did while Mary got c h e r r i e s , i s a mountain
e x p ressio n , which in d ic a te s th a t t h i s v a r ia n t has "taken on
the n ative Kentucky mountain touch as compared to the an
c ie n t and o r ig in a l v e rsio n of the caro l."® The ex cellen ce
of t h i s American v e rsio n of "The Cherry-Tree C arol" i s a t
te s te d to by the f a c t th a t i t was f i r s t published by
1939;?&p t h e Mountains of Kentucky (New York,
90
Josephine McGill in the J o u rn a l of American F o lk lo re (1916),
th e n in her F p H S o n fl* of th e. Kentucky Mountains (1917),
in Louise Pound's American B a lla d s and Sonos (1922), in Reed
S m ith's American Anthology of Old World B allad s (1937), and
in MacEdward L each's The B allad Book (1965).
The f i r s t te n v e rs e s of Thomas B, e n t i t l e d "The Sixth
of Ja n u a ry ," reproduce the fo u rte e n sta n z a s of C hild C le s s
sta n za s seven, te n , e le v e n , and tw elve. The e le v e n th and
l a s t verse of Thomas B c a r r i e s on the American t r a d i t i o n of
g iv in g C h r i s t 's b irth d a y :
'Twas on th e s ix th day of January a n g e ls did sing;
And the shepherds drew nigh t h e i r g i f t s fo r to b rin g .
U nity and dram atic te n s io n cease w ith the s ix th verse as the
b a lla d c o n tin u e s w ith the "angel" sta n z a s.
Thomas C, sung by John Buckingham C reech, i s the same
as J i l s o n S e t t e r s ' b a lla d with the a d d itio n of the n in th ,
t e n t h , e le v e n th , and tw e lfth stan zas of C h ild C.
Mary Wheeler has included a v e rsio n of the b a lla d in
her Kentucky Mountain Folk-Songs which is C hild C ag a in ,
minus sta n z a s seven, t h i r t e e n , and fo u rte e n (Appendix GG).
No mention i s made of Old C hristm as Day. With the ex cep tio n
of the e x c e lle n t v e rsio n f i r s t d isco v ered by Josephine
McGill in 1916, the Kentucky t e x t s seem to in d ic a te from
t h e i r c lo s e resemblance to the E n g lish v e rs io n s th a t not
much b a lla d growth or a d a p ta tio n took p la c e . Perhaps t h i s
p a r t i c u l a r b a lla d or "c aro l" was w r i tte n down by im m igrants,
91
or perhaps th e lack of change may be explained by th e f a c t
t h a t th e s e Kentucky fo lk f e l t t h a t the words and p h rase s of
a r e l i g i o u s b a lla d such as t h i s were not to be tampered
w ith .
The Kentucky mountain b a lla d recorded by Ft. W . Gordon
under the t i t l e T h e Cherry Tree" and p r in te d in The Golden
Book Magazine (Appendix HH) shows a l i t t l e "a d ap ta tio n " by
the h i l l f o lk , e s p e c i a lly in the d i c t i o n of the f i r s t v erse:
When Joseph war an ol* man
An o l ' man war h e .
He h itc h e d to V irg in Mary,
The Queen of G a lile e .
T h is f iv e - s ta n z a v a r ia n t i s e s s e n t i a l l y the "Joseph and
Mary" v e rs io n sung by J i l s o n S e t t e r s of Lost Hope Hollow,
le s s the i n t e r e s t i n g d e t a i l s of Joseph ta k in g Mary on h is
knees and le a rn in g when the b irth d a y w i l l be.
The fo u r-v e rse fragm ent uncovered by Henry M ellin g er
and included in h i s Folk-Songs from the Southern H iohlands
g iv e s n e ith e r the essence of the dram atic c o n f l i c t between
Joseph and Mary nor the p e r tin e n t d e t a i l s of J e s u s ' b i r t h
(Appendix I I ) .
John N iles has unearthed an unusual v a r ia n t of the b a l-
l a r d , c a lle d "The C h e rry -T re e ." He recorded i t from the
singing of C h a rle s Mulleneoux during the T r o ttin g Horse Race
Meeting in 1912 a t L exington, Kentucky. Mulleneoux, who was
born in B r e a t h i t t County, Kentucky, near the v ill a g e of
H a rd s h e ll, on Troublesome C reek, sang the b a lla d as a humor
ous piece (see Appendix J J ) . When John N ile s ex p lain ed to
him t h a t i t was an a n c ie n t C hristm as c a r o l , he merely smiled
and c l a s s i f i e d the b a lla d c o l l e c t o r "w ith a l l people who go
in f o r to o much read in g of b o o k s."9 In the beginning the
v a r ia n t resem bles R. W . G ordon's t e x t , but i t c o n ta in s nine
v e rse s in s te a d of f i v e , r e p l e t e w ith h i l l - b i l l y d i c t i o n and
d i a l e c t . Joseph i s an "olden man" who "h itch ed to V irg in
Mary, the Queen of G a l i l e e ." Mary i s "so backward and so
mild" in s te a d of so meek and so m ild. The h eig h t ( o r , the
"d ep th s") of backwood a d a p ta tio n comes in the t h i r d sta n z a ,
which i s unique in t h a t i t s e q u iv a le n t does not e x i s t in any
o ther e x ta n t t e x t :
Then Joseph sa t and wondered
How h i t had come to b e ,
An' he s a id , "M istress Mary:
Yer babe h a in t nothing t o me."
In no o th e r v a r ia n t i s th e re a stanza which e x p re s s e s t h i s
befuddlement and sentim ent about the "babe." In a l l o th e r
English and American v e rs io n s , M ary's re q u e s t fo r a c h e rry
(or c h e r r i e s ) i s follow ed im m ediately by J o s e p h 's i l l - h u
mored re p ly and in s in u a tio n of her i n f i d e l i t y . Joseph f l i e s
"up in anger" in stanza four and r e t o r t s : "Let the pappy of
your baby/ Climb the c h e r r y - tr e e f o r t h e e ." Je su s r e f e r s to
Mary as "my mammy" when he has the c h e rry t r e e bow down.
Although no re fe re n c e i s made to i t , Je su s must have spoken
9Seven Kentucky Mountain Tunes (New York, 1928), p. 4.
93
m iracu lo u sly from the womb since Mary has spoken as being
"with c h i l d . " In common w ith o th e r Kentucky v a r i a n t s , t h i s
t e x t has Mary g a th e r c h e r r i e s w hile Joseph "stood around."
Joseph i s abashed and ta k e s Mary upon h i s knee, saying,
"I'm f e a r f u l s o r r y / If I'v e done h u rt t o t h e e ." Then in the
most o r i g i n a l d e p a rtu re from a l l o th e r t e x t s , Mary makes a
w ife ly b a rg a in w ith Joseph:
Then said V irg in Mary,
A - s i t t i n ' on h i s knee:
" If y o u 'l l g et me some more c h e r r i e s
The b ir th d a y I ' l l t e l l to ye.
" 'T is g o in ' to be a t C h ristm a s-tim e ,
H is b irth d a y h i t w i l l be.
When a l l th e f o lk s on e a r t h w i l l be
A -singing out w ith g le e ."
O ne's f i r s t im pression would be "what a comic d e t e r i o r a t i o n
of the old B i b l i c a l s to r y ," and yet in t h i s "humorous" back
woods v e rs io n i s not Mulleneoux doing j u s t what a l l fo lk
b a lla d s in g e rs have been p rim a r ily i n te r e s te d in doing down
through the ages— t e l l i n g a sto ry ? And does not t h i s v a r i
ant do j u s t t h a t in a more d i r e c t , d ra m a tic, and u n if ie d way
th a n a l l the English v e rsio n s ? There are no ex tra n eo u s
v e rse s h e re , no C hristm as c a r o l tacked on to the b a lla d of
Mary and Jo sep h , and yet the m iracle i s to ld and th e b i r t h
day and r e j o i c i n g . T h is is the f i r s t v e rs io n of "The Cherry-
Tree C arol" which has p e r f e c t rhyme, and a l l the sta n z a s but
the f i r s t and l a s t w i l l reduce to iambic hexameter c o u p le ts .
N ile s uncovered an o th er backwoods v e rs io n of nine sta n
zas from B r e a t h i t t County, in 1934 (Appendix KK). T his
v a r ia n t is a ls o p e r f e c t ly rhymed and a l l but the f i r s t two
sta n za s reduce to iambic septam eter c o u p le ts . The l a s t two
s y lla b le s of the second lin e of each stanza are r e p e t i t i o n s
of the p rev io u s two sy lla b le s* but t h i s v e rsio n does not
seem to have q u ite as much rhythm as the Mulleneoux b a lla d .
The "Joseph was an old man, an old man was he" c lic h e ' i s ab
se n t. Joseph co u rted and wedded the "Queen of Heav'n" in
stead of the Queen of G a iile e . W e are to ld th a t he was a
c a rp e n te r and th a t Mary "baked and spun," and th en in a
d i r e c t , r u s t i c manner we are informed th a t "when 'tw as r ip e -
c h e rry time a g a in / A fam ily was begun." Mary a r t f u l l y sug
g e s ts : "C h erries i s the b e s te s t t h i n g , / For wimmen b e a r in '
c h i l d ." Joseph r e t o r t s :
"Oh, i t ' s who has sire d your baby
T h a t's a - b o th e r in ' my mind.
"Go t e l l t h i s one, and stra ig h t-w a y .
That c h e r r ie s h a i n 't n o th in ' to me, t o mej
If h e 's e ' e r a man to s ire a c h i ld .
H e's a man to clim b a t r e e . "
Then the Saviour speaks m iraculously from "Mary's h e a r t ,"
saying th a t he w ill make the t r e e bend low and t h a t he w ill
take h is "mammy's p a r t . " When the t r e e bows low and Mary
h elp s h e r s e lf to the c h e r r ie s "without a sound," Joseph is
t e r r i f i e d and asks h is Queen of Heav'n to r e l a t e the s e c r e t.
In the l a s t sta n za , the V irgin Mary says th a t the se c re t she
w ill share is th a t "on C hristm as Eve, in a o x 's s t a l l , / The
C h ris t-C h ild I w ill b e a r," One of the most noteworthy ch a r
a c t e r i s t i c s of these Kentucky v a r ia n ts is th a t th ey weave
95
d e t a i l s of the B i b lic a l sto ry in to a dram atic u n ity .
C e c il Sharp has recorded two s u b s t a n t i a l v e rs io n s of
the b a lla d from North C a ro lin a and one from Knott County,
Kentucky, in a d d itio n t o th r e e fragm ents from Kentucky (Ap
pendix LL). Sharp A, sung by Mrs. Tom Rice a t Big L au rel,
North C a ro lin a , in c o rp o ra te s the Kentucky v a r i a n t s ' charac
t e r i s t i c s of Joseph ta k in g Mary on h i s l e f t and r i g h t knees
and asking fo r mercy f o r what he has done. A fter having
seen the c h e rry tr e e "bowed lik e a bow1 1 so th a t Mary could
p ick c h e r r i e s from the "uppermost bough," Joseph exclaim s:
"0 my l i t t l e S aviour, when your b irth d a y s h a ll b e , / The
h i l l s and high mountains s h a ll bow unto t h e e . " Then the
Babe speaks in the concluding stan za:
"On old C hristm as morning my b irth d a y s h a ll be
When the h i l l s and high mountains s h a ll bow unto me."
The u su al f i r s t stanza which in tro d u c e s Joseph as an old man
who wed the Queen of G a l l i l e e i s m issing. Joseph and Mary
walk where ap p les and c h e r r i e s abound. When Joseph t e l l s
Mary to l e t the "daddy of the baby" get the c h e r r i e s , the
Baby speaks from the womb: "Bow down you lo f t y c h e rry t r e e s ,
l e t my mammy have some."
Sharp B, sung by Mrs. Jane Gentry at Hot S prings, North
C a ro lin a , c o n ta in s s e v e ra l in n o v a tio n s. For the f i r s t tim e,
Joseph i s a "young man" when he c o u r ts the V irg in Mary.
When Mary asks him to g a th e r h er some c h e r r i e s , he f l i e s in
"angry." In place of the C h ris t C h ild speaking from the
96
womb, the Lord speaks from Heaven in o rd erin g the t r e e to
bow down. Joseph ta k e s Mary f i r s t on h is r i g h t knee and
th en on h i s l e f t , but h is remarks come in re v e rse o rd e r.
F i r s t he ad d re sses the " l i t t l e baby" and asks him when h i s
b irth d a y w i l l be. As soon as he le a r n s t h a t i t w i l l be th e
f i f t h day of January "when the s t a r s and the elem e n ts/ S h all
trem ble w ith f e a r , " he asks the Lord to have mercy on him
f o r what he has done. The meter is rough and the l i n e s of
f iv e of the nine sta n za s do not rhyme.
Sharp C i s a Kentucky v e rs io n sung by Mr. W illiam
Wooton at Hindman, Knott County. I t i s e s s e n t i a l l y the same
as Sharp B, w ith th re e changes. "Lord Jesu s" speaks to the
c h e rry t r e e s , and Joseph c r i e s fo r mercy in the c o n v e n tio n a l
order before he asks the Baby when h is b irth d a y w i l l be.
Ihe l a s t two lin e s of each stanza are rep eated as a r e f r a i n .
The fiv e sta n za s of the v a r ia n t recorded by Geneva
Anderson in her "A dditional E n g lish and S c o ttis h B allads
Found in E ast Tennessee" (Appendix M M ) c lo s e ly correspond to
sta n zas one through s ix , le s s stanza t h r e e , of the C hild A
v e rsio n . The c h e r r i e s and b e r r i e s are as red as "His
b lood," and the C h r is t C hild commands "ye c h e rry tr e e " to
"bow down, low down." The v a r ia n t i s ir r e g u l a r in meter and
rhyme.
"Sweet Mary and Sweet Joseph" is the t i t l e of the v e r
sion A lton M orris recorded in F lo rid a (Appendix NN). Every
one is "sweet" in t h i s v a r i a n t , even Joseph when he speaks
9 7
to Mary "so crabby and so c rim e ." T h is e p i t h e t i s s im ila r
to t h a t of the " fa ls e tru e lover" of o th e r fo lk b a lla d s .
The syntax of the b a lla d i s r a t h e r poor* as may be seen by
the f i r s t verse and the fragm entary l a s t v e rse :
Sweet Mary and sweet Joseph walked out on the green*
Where a p p les and c h e r r i e s a p le n ty to be seen.
Then the rig h te o u s of the body s h a ll r i s e from the tomb.
A g r e a t e r m iracle occurs in the F lo rid a t e x t th a n one in any
o th er v e rs io n . Jesu s is in h is m o th e r's womb* but n e v e rth e
le s s he him self breaks down the limbs of the tr e e "so low
in to M ary's hands" th a t she can g a th e r the c h e r r ie s "off the
endmost bows." Joseph i s not abashed* but ta k e s Mary on h is
r i g h t knee to ask her when His b irth d a y w i l l be and th e n on
h is l e f t knee to ask when His death w ill be. Mary does not
give Joseph the answer to h is f i r s t q u e s tio n , but in r e
sponse to h is second q u e s tio n , she r e p l i e s :
"All on th a t same F rid a y when a l l th in g s are c l e a r .
The e a rth i t s h a ll be darkened and the sun d is a p p e a r."
The day of the R e su rre c tio n is allu d ed to in the fragm entary
concluding v e rs e .
Vance R andolph's Ozark Folksongs c o n ta in s a tw o-stanza
fragment sung by Mrs. Marie W ilbur, of P i n e v i l l e , M isso u ri,
who learn ed i t from people who came from Tennessee (Appen
dix 0 0 ). The second stanza i s c h a r a c te riz e d by a b u sin e ss
lik e a i r :
98
Je su s spoke a few words*
An' a very few words spoke he.
My mother wants some c h e r r i e s .
Bend over, c h e rry -tre e .'
Numerous American t e x t s are but fragm ents and the
t y p i c a l " f u ll" v e rsio n i s about e ig h t or nine sta n za s long.
P ro fe ss o r C hild has recorded se v e ra l English v a r i a n t s rang
ing from twelve to e ig h te e n s ta n z a s. W e might be tempted to
conclude t h a t "The C herry-Tree Carol" in the New World has
d eg en erated , or a t l e a s t become a b b rev iate d through lo s s of
memory on the p a r t of the f o lk . Such is not the c a s e , how
e v e r, because in the t y p i c a l l y American v a r i a n t s , the fo lk
have shown even more than in the E nglish v e rs io n s th a t they
p r e f e r the p se u d o -g o sp e l's human i n t e r e s t tre a tm e n t of
C h r i s t 's l i f e to the in s p ire d B ib lic a l n a r r a tiv e . The Eng
l i s h v e rs io n s and e s p e c i a lly the American backwoods v a r i a n t s
show r a t h e r c o n c lu s iv e ly why the c le rg y frowned on lay b a l
lad s and why so few b a lla d s on r e l i g i o u s themes have been
tr a n s m itte d o r a l l y . T h is seemingly s a c r ile g io u s a t t i t u d e on
the p a r t of the fo lk is not r e a l l y ir re v e r e n c e , however, be
cause the fo lk b a lla d was never intended to be a v e h ic le fo r
m oralizing or s e n tim e n ta liz in g . T h e re fo re , when the back
woodsmen or mountain fo lk allowed the "angel s ta n z a s ," the
d e t a i l s of J e s u s ' b i r t h , the t i d i n g s of glad jo y , and the
f a c t s of h is death to la p s e , th e y were not showing un-
C h r is t ia n a t t i t u d e s or d is p la y in g t h e i r uncouthness or ig
norance. R a th er, they were unconsciously fo rc in g "The
C herry-T ree C arol" in to the t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d mold by con
c e n tr a tin g on the h u m a n -in terest c o n f l i c t between Joseph and
Mary in t h e i r unusual s i t u a t i o n . They c u t off the append
ages which made the English v e rs io n s h a l f - f o l k b a lla d and
h a l f - c a r o l and changed "The C herry-Tree C arol" t o "The Cheriy
Tree B a l l a d .” W e have the long Vermont v e rsio n of f o u rte e n
stanzas* which does go on fo r the l a s t seven stan za s ex
pounding on the l i f e of Jesus* but we must remember th e pe
c u l i a r circ u m sta n ces of i t s h i s t o r y . The sin g e r has been a
s h u t- in f o r y e a rs . She had learn ed the piece in a convent
in Irelan d * and q u ite con ceiv ab ly th e re has been l i t t l e
chance f o r b a lla d a d a p ta tio n or v a r i a t i o n . Two t e x t s from
Kentucky and the mediocre v a r ia n t from F lo rid a end w ith the
"extraneous" d e t a i l s of C h r i s t 's l i f e , but the m a jo rity of
the New World t e x t s c o n ta in only those d e t a i l s which concern
the c o n f l i c t between Joseph and Mary. The C h r is t C h i l d 's
p a r t looms large in the b a lla d , but i t extends only as f a r
as h i s a c tio n s c o n trib u te to the dram atic u n ity of the l i t
t l e sto ry about t h i s p e c u lia r r e l a t i o n s h i p between a man and
h is w ife.
I have in f e r re d th a t the t y p i c a l American t e x t s in
t h e i r dram atic u n ity are su p e rio r to the E nglish t e x t s . It
may be said th a t a l l we need to do then i s d e le te the stan
zas beyond C h ild A^, Bg, C^, and in order to have E nglish
v e rs io n s eq u al to t h e i r New World c o u n te r p a r ts in t h i s r e
sp e c t. T h is i s t r u e , but the English fo lk singer* h im se lf,
100
d id not see f i t to p rese rv e t h i s b a lla d i n t e g r i t y . More
over, th e American f o lk sin g e r has woven a few more d e t a i l s
in to the Joseph and Mary sto ry in the b e t t e r v e rs io n s c i te d
above. The d i c t i o n may not be as good, but I f e e l th a t the
American fo lk s in g e r, p a r t i c u l a r l y in the Mulleneoux v e rs io n
from Kentucky, has done a b e t t e r job in molding and p re s e rv
ing a d ram a tic, u n ifie d fo lk b a lla d . Even in i t s meter and
rhyme scheme, the s o - c a lle d humorous Mulleneoux v e rsio n is
su p e rio r to the C hild v a r i a n t s . "The C herry Tree" v a r ia n ts
from Kentucky smack of the backwoods and mountain f o lk , who
have adapted "The C herry-T ree C arol" as t h e i r very own. Un
co n sc io u sly they not only have c re a te d a r t i s t i c b a lla d
p ie c e s , judging by f o lk b a lla d s ta n d a rd s, but a ls o have ex
p e r t l y woven in to t h e i r human i n t e r e s t sto ry of Joseph and
Mary and the C h r is t C h ild , n o tice of the joyous event of
C hristm as.
CHAPTER V
"HENRY MARTYN"
Because the P ortuguese had seized a ship commanded by
h i s f a t h e r , Andrew Barton had l e t t e r s of r e p r i s a l from the
king of S cotland a g a in s t Portuguese merchant sh ip s. Appar
e n tly Barton abused t h i s p r i v i l e g e , however, and w ith the
consent of Henry VIII in l b l l S ir Thomas and S ir Edward
Howard in two sh ip s hunted him down. A fte r a hard f i g h t .
Barton was k i l l e d and h is ship ca p tu re d . The king of Scot
land demanded r e d r e s s , which was re fu se d by Henry on the
ground t h a t Barton was a p i r a t e . Based on t h i s h i s t o r i c a l
event came the b a lla d of "S ir Andrew B a rto n ,” C h i l d 's No.
167, in eig h ty -tw o q u a tra in s , recorded in the Percy MS., c .
lbbO. C hild has recorded two o th e r v e rsio n s : B, a b roadside
v a r i a n t , and C, from a s ix te e n th -c e n tu ry MS. in York M inster
L ib rary . I t i s understandable t h a t a b a lla d of t h i s le n g th
would not have much of a popular t r a d i t i o n in America, and
indeed no reco rd of "S ir Andrew Barton" having been p re
served in t h i s co u n try has come to l i g h t , alth o u g h , accord
ing to P h i l l i p s B arry,
C ap tain C h a rles L. Donovan, of Jo n e s p o rt, whose memory
of the c o n te n t of songs sung by h is s a i l o r s i s e x c e ll e n t,
even though he can r e c a l l no t e x t s , has said t h a t the
101
102
o ld er b a lla d [" S ir Andrew Barton'Q was s t i l l sung in h is
d a y .1
Barry f u r th e r s t a t e s th a t no broadside or songster te x t of
the long ballad* p rin te d in the New World* i s known to have
e x is te d .
On the o th er hand* "Henry M artyn," a b a lla d of from six
to fo u rte e n stanzas* which "must have sprung from the ashes
of 'Andrew B arton*'" according to P ro fe sso r Child* has been
widely tra n s m itte d and recorded in both the B r itis h I s le s
and America. C hild has placed the new b a lla d as No. 250 in
h is The English and S c o ttis h Popular B a lla d s . Three b ro th
e r s in merry Scotland c a s t l o t s to determ ine which one of
them should tu rn robber on the sea to m aintain him self and
h is b ro th e rs . The youngest* Henry Martyn, "wins," and soon
he engages an English merchant ship* which he sin k s. The
bad news reaches England in the concluding stan za. Left out
are the in c id e n ts of the k in g 's search fo r an avenger* the
chase, and c a p tu re.
Of the e ig h t v ersio n s recorded by Child (see Appendix
PPJ six (Aa , A^, Ba , B^, Bc , and C) are very sim ila r. D
is a New Hampshire fragment d is tin g u is h e d only by having the
p ir a te c a lle d Andrew Bodee* which C hild says "may ju s t con
c e iv a b ly be a c o rru p tio n of Andrew Wood* who d is p la c e s
^ P h illip s Barry* Fannie Eckstrom, and Mary Smith, e d s .,
B r i t i s h B allads from Maine (New Haven, 1929), pp. 257-258.
2 lBoston. 1882-1898), IV, P a rt I I , 393.
103
P a tr ic k Spens in two v e rs io n s of No. 58 (A^ and D )."^ E i s
an American v a r ia n t sent to P ro fe s s o r C hild in time to be
included in the l a s t volume of h is work. T h is b a lla d from
South C a ro lin a w i l l be d isc u sse d l a t e r in t h i s c h a p te r as a
t y p i c a l l y New World v e rs io n . All of the E nglish and almost
a l l of the New World v e rs io n s of "Henry M artin*" or the ab
b re v ia te d form of "S ir Andrew B arto n ," begin w ith the f o l
lowing C h ild Aa stanza or i t s c lo se e q u iv a le n t:
In merry S cotland, in merry S cotland
There liv e d b r o th e r s th re e ;
They a l l d id c a s t l o t s which of them should go
A robbing upon the s a l t sea.
The lo t f a l l s on the youngest b r o th e r , Henry Martyn, in a l l
of C h i l d 's Old World v e rs io n s except C, in which he i s Robin
Hood. C h ild does not c o n sid e r t h i s unusual, f o r he remarks:
Robin Hood . . . i s always a t the se rv ic e of any b a l
lad monger who wants a name fo r h i s hero. But i t w i l l be
remembered t h a t he i s c r e d ite d w ith ta k in g a French ship
in 'The Noble F ish erm an ,' No. 148, and t h a t is enough to
e x p la in h is appearance h e r e .4
The p i r a t e en co u n ters an English ship during the f i r s t day
in C h ild Aa , Ba , B^, and C; the t h i r d , A^; the f i f t h , Bc .
The ship i s a " lo f ty old ship" in Aa ; " r ic h merchant s h ip ,"
Ba and Bc ; " lo f ty fin e s h ip ," B^; " t a l l , t a l l s h ip ," C; and
in A^ "he spied the king h i s gay g a l l a n t s h ip ." In the
t y p i c a l fa sh io n of the fo lk b a l la d , the sh o rt time span i s
^C hild, p. 393.
^C h ild , p. 393.
104
e f f e c t i v e l y conveyed by the two lin e s : "He had not a s a ile d
a long w in te r 's n i g h t , / Nor yet a sh o rt w i n t e r 's day."
The s h i f t from n a r r a tiv e to dialogue in the fo lk b a lla d
almost always comes a t a c r u c i a l p o in t in the sto ry to make
one of the heightened moments. In stanza fo u r of Aa the
f i r s t dialogue is the merchantman's p ray er (we must in f e r
th a t the c a p ta in i s speaking) th a t Martyn w ill l e t them go,
but the p ir a te c a p t a i n 's t e r s e and t e l l i n g re p ly i s "0 no.'
God wot, t h a t , th a t w ill I n o t , / 0 th a t w ill I never do."
The stanza i s m issing in Afa. Stanza fo u r of Ba , B&, and C
has Martyn ask fo r the merchant s h ip 's i d e n t i t y . The Bc
fragment ends with stanza fo u r, which r e l a t e s th a t the mer
chant ship "got wounded by h e , / And r i g h t down to the bottom
of the s a l t sea went she." Then in the A v a r ia n ts the
p ir a te c h ie f c r i e s , "Stand o ff! stand o ff!" T h is is in Aa
because the merchantment " s h a ll not pass by me;/ For 1 am a
robber a l l on the s a l t s e a s ,/ To m aintain us b ro th e rs
th re e " ; in A^ because "The lif e - g u a r d s they are a b o a rd ;/ My
cannons are loaden with powder and s h o t , / And every man hath
a sword." In stanza six of the A v e rsio n s Martyn c r i e s ,
"How f a r £ fa irj do you make i t ? " The p r in c ip a l B v e rsio n s
have e f f e c tiv e lin e s in stanza s ix . Ba :
"Now lower your t o p s a i l s , you alderman bold.
Come lower them under my le e ;"
Saying, "I am reso lv ed to p ir a te you h e re .
To m aintain my two b ro th e rs and me."
"Heave down your main ta c k , lik ew ise your main t i e .
And l i g y o u rse lf under my le e ;
For your r i c h glowing gold 1 w i l l take i t away.
And your f a i r bodies drown in the s a l t se a ."
A b r i s k f i g h t "m errily" ensues. The time le n g th of the bat*
t i e i s e f f e c t i v e l y p o rtra y ed by the p e c u lia r b a lla d method
in Aa : "For th r e e long hours they m e rrily f o u g h t ./ For
hours th ey fought f u l l t h r e e ." The f ig h t ta k e s th re e hours
in the A v e r s io n s , "two or th re e hours or more" in Ba and
"fo r f u l l y two hours or th re e " in B^. The E n g lish ship is
sunk by shot ("b ro ad sid e") in A and B. I t is plundered and
s c u ttle d in C:
O he has gone in and plundered t h e i r ship.
And h o les in her bottom bored th r e e ;
The w ater came in so th ic k and so f a s t
That down, down to the bottom gade she.
During th e f i g h t "many a blow d e a lt many a wound./ As th ey
fought on the s a l t , s a l t sea" in A^. Only in Aa does the
p i r a t e c h i e f t a i n get a "deep wound" and f a l l down by the
mast. Only t h i s copy p re se rv e s the t r a i t of B a rto n 's d e a th ,
"an in c id e n t ," as C hild rem arks, "not q u ite in keeping w ith
the r e s t of the sto ry of the new b a lla d .
The i t e r a t i v e double stanza tre a tm e n t of the bad news
reach in g England i s very e f f e c t i v e in C h ild A_. F i r s t the
a
sad f a c t s come to the people th a t a " ric h m erch an t's v e s s e l
is c a s t aw ay,/ And a l l her brave seamen drown"; then the bad
bC h ild , IV, P art I I , 393.
106
news comes to the king "fo r a l l the brave l iv e s of the mari
n ers l o s t , / That are sunk in the w atery main." The o th er
complete v e rs io n s have only one concluding stanza r e l a t i n g
the outcome of the b a t t l e . V ariant C i s q u ite s p e c ific as
to the r e s u l t s :
Bad news, bad news to old England i s gone.
Bad news to our king, old H enrie,
That h i s merchant-goods were tak en on board.
And t h i r t y - f i v e seamen drownd in the sea.
No. 250, "Henry M artyn," i s not as f u l l of i n t e r e s t i n g
sto ry d e t a i l s as the eig h ty -tw o -sta n z a No. 167, "S ir Andrew
B arton," obviously; yet i t is a fin e b a lla d giving a sketchy
but s t i r r i n g account of p ira c y on the high seas and inv o lv
ing n a tio n a l a n im o s itie s The t r a d i t i o n a l o b je c tiv e impas
s i v i t y in t e l l i n g a t r a g i - h e r o i c t a l e i s observed. Dialogue
does not bulk so large in t h i s b a lla d as in the o th e r re p r e
s e n ta tiv e s we have d isc u sse d , but enough sta n z a s of conver
sa tio n are p re se n t to m aintain the dram atic e f f e c t so ch a r
a c t e r i s t i c of the t r a d i t i o n a l ballad* A f a i r number of
co n crete d e t a i l s are given. The v a r ia n t v e rsio n s have been
w ell preserved by the f o lk . They d is p la y e x c e lle n t d ic tio n .
They are p le a s in g to the e a r , employing as they do the t r a
d i t i o n a l r o l l i c k i n g b a lla d meter and rhyme scheme and the
i t e r a t i v e fo lk -so n g s t y l e . The A v e rsio n s are f a i r l y regu
la r ; only the second lin e of the f i r s t stanza d e v ia te s from
b a lla d m eter, and only the l a s t stanza of Aa d e v ia te s from
b a lla d rhyme, although the next to the l a s t stanza rhymes
107
only a t the expense of good grammar. T h is r e g u l a r i t y stan d s
only i f the l a s t s y lla b le of "S cotland" and "Martyn" i s ac
c e n te d , as indeed i t was in the olden days. Ba i s p e r f e c t l y
r e g u la r m e tr i c a l ly , although the "more . . . sh e," " a l l . .
. drownd" com binations of sta n z a s seven and e ig h t do not
rhyme. Two l i n e s of have an e x tr a f o o t , but the rhyme i s
r e g u la r if the end sounds of "day" and "sea" are made to
c o in c id e . The fragm entary Bc v e rs io n c o n ta in s many ir re g u
l a r i t i e s , as a p e ru s a l of i t s meter and rhyme scheme in
Appendix PP w i l l show. Five l in e s of the seven-stanza C ver
sion have an e x tr a f o o t. The E nglish "Henry Martyn" i s lack
ing in increm ental r e p e t i t i o n or any r e g u la r r e f r a i n or cho
r u s , but i t s swinging b a lla d rhythm and the r e p e t i t i o n of
c e r t a i n words and p h ra se s, p r i n c i p a l l y "ro b ," "ro b b in g ,"
"ro b b e r," " a l l on the s a l t , s a l t s e a s ," "to m aintain . . .
b ro th e rs and h e ," give i t p le a s in g l y r i c a l q u a l i t i e s which
undoubtedly have aided i t s o r a l tra n s m is s io n down through
the y ea rs.
The time has come to see what tre a tm e n t "Henry M a rtin ,"
or the ab b rev iated form of "Andrew B arto n ," rece iv ed in
America. Five of twenty-one New World v a r ia n ts recorded in
the appendixes of t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n follow the English
t r a d i t i o n . As might be ex pected, Helen C re ig h to n 's nine-
stanza Nova S co tia v a r ia n t (Appendix QQ) fo llo w s the English
t e x t s . The p r i n c i p a l d e v ia tio n l i e s in the very f i r s t l i n e ,
which has the th r e e b r o th e r s from " f a i r London town" r a t h e r
108
th a n from S c o tla n d . With the p i r a t e s and t h e i r v ic tim s a l l
E n g lish , the i n t e r e s t g enerated by n a tio n a l r i v a l r y i s l o s t .
More dialo g u e and drama i s added as the merchantman b o ld ly
c h a lle n g e s the order of Henry Martyn:
" I ' l l not p u l l down my top m a in sa il or square my fo re
yard
Or bring my ship under your le e .
But 1 w i l l f i g h t you fo r my r i c h flow ing gold
And my m ariners safe on the se a ."
Six l i n e s of t h i s t e x t have too many f e e t f o r the b a lla d
meter p a t t e r n , and one stanza does not conform to the so-
c a lle d b a lla d rhyme. The v a r i a n t 's ly ric is m i s enhanced by
the t y p i c a l New World r e f r a i n , which c o n s i s t s of the rep e
t i t i o n of the l a s t two l i n e s of each sta n z a , and by the i t
e r a te d p h rase s such as "sink in the s e a ," "safe on the s e a ,"
"sank on the s e a ."
Maud K a rp e le s ' Newfoundland v e rsio n (Appendix RR)
b rin g s the th r e e b ro th e rs back to merry S co tlan d , as do a l l
the rem aining t e x t s . They had to c a s t l o t s "to see who
would g o ,/ To stand p i r a t e a l l on the s a l t s e a ." When the
merchant ship p ray s to be l e t go f r e e , Martyn c r i e s "no"
because he had "to c a s t l o t s f o r to see which would g o ,/ To
m aintain my two b r o th e rs and me." A s e r i e s of strong verbs
h elp s to make t h i s stanza v iv id :
"0 throw back your main t o p s a i l and heave your ship to .
And l i e c lo s e up under my le e .
For your r ic h m e rc h an t's goods I w i l l h o is t them on board,
on board.
And your m ariners sink in the se a ."
An a d d itio n a l graphic d e t a i l adds to the p o r tr a y a l of the
109
scene: "'Twas yard-arm on yard-arm those two ships did la y ."
In the l a s t stanza the bad news "of a r ic h m erchant's goods"
being l o s t , and " t h i r t y - f i v e m ariners drowned" comes to
"George our King," which advances the a c tio n from the six
te e n th c e n tu ry to the e ig h te e n th or n in e tee n th c e n tu ry , de
pending on which George i s r e f e r r e d t o . The meter i s n early
re g u la r and the rhyme almost so. The l a s t word or two words
of the t h i r d lin e of each stanza are rep ea ted f o r a r e f r a i n
e f f e c t .
"Bolender M artin ," the t i t l e of W. Hoy Mackenzie’s
Nova S cotia fragment (Appendix SS), i s obviously a corrup
tio n of "Bold Andrew M a r tin ." Nothing more needs to be said
about t h i s incomplete t e x t .
The short s ix -sta n z a v a ria n t recorded in 1950 in the
Jo u rn al of American F olklore by P h i l l i p s Barry (Appendix TT)
under the t i t l e " T ra d itio n a l B allads in New England" was
a c tu a lly communicated to him "by A. C. G., M inneapolis,
Minn., as sung over f i f t y years ago."^ T his v ersio n i s as
condensed as i t can be and s t i l l give the e s s e n t i a l d e t a i l s
of the p ir a te sto ry . A lone stanza of dialogue rescu es i t
from sheer n a r r a tiv e . I t i s the only American v ersio n of
"Henry Martin" p a tte rn e d a f t e r the English prototype which
has the p ir a te c a p ta in rece iv e "his death wound." As C hild
would say, t h i s i s not in keeping with the r e s t of the
6 18:135.
110
b a lla d , in which "bad news" reaches England because her r ic h
merchant ship i s lo s t and h er m ariners sunk. The l y r i c a l
q u a lity of the v a r ia n t i s enhanced by the assonance of words
rhyming w ith "sea" in every sta n z a , and by a r e f r a i n con
s i s t i n g of the r e p e t i t i o n of the l a s t two words and the l a s t
two l in e s of each stan za.
H erbert H aufrecht c o lle c te d American fo lk b a lla d s as a
re p r e s e n ta tiv e of the United S ta te s R esettlem ent Adminis
t r a t i o n in West V irg in ia in 1936. The v ersio n of "Henry
Martyn" recorded in h is The Wavfarin* S tra n o er (1945) con
t a i n s e ig h t sta n z a s, th re e of which c o n s is t of dialogue be
tween the c a p ta in s of the p ir a te ship and the merchantman.
H a u fre c h t'$ v a ria n t (Appendix UU) is very sim ila r to the
e ig h t-s ta n z a C hild Ba and B^ v e rs io n s , and yet i t has i t s
own unique phraseology and minor d if fe re n c e s in d e t a i l s .
In stead of "bearing s t r a i g h t down" on him, the merchant ship
comes "a-bibing down on s tr a i g h t way"; in stea d of ta k in g
away the merchantman's " ric h glowing gold" M artin w i l l give
i t a " f a s t flowing b a l l" ; in stead of "a death-wound," "the
death s h o t." To achieve more song-like q u a l i t i e s , the New
World r e c i t e r s have seen f i t to re p e a t the l a s t phrase of
each t h i r d lin e twice more.
The l a s t and most dram atic v e rsio n of the English
"Henry Martyn" appearing in the appendices i s the te x t
c a lle d "The P ir a te s " (Appendix BBB), recorded in Mary Eddy's
B allads and Songs from Ohio (1939). Mrs. Anna Housley was
m
liv in g a t the age of 91 in Canton, Ohio, when she sang t h i s
v e rs io n as she used to sing i t in her e a r l y home in Penn
sy lv a n ia . I say th a t i t i s the most dram atic v a r ia n t be
cause fiv e of i t s te n sta n z a s are composed of d ia lo g u e. For
the f i r s t time the l a s t stanza has been put in dram atic
form:
"Bad news.' Bad news'" c rie d Henry M artin ,
"Bad news X bring unto th e e .
I 'v e ta k en from you your r i c h goods and gold,
Your bodies I'v e given to the sea, . . . "
I t must be in f e r re d th a t M artin i s ad d ressin g h is remarks to
the King of England or the country as a whole. As in the
C reighton Nova S c o tia v a r ia n t, the th re e b ro th e rs are Eng
l i s h , not S c o tti s h ; the merchant s a i l o r s s to u tly t e l l M artin
th a t they w i l l not su rre n d e r; and the r e f r a i n c o n s is ts of a
r e p e t i t i o n of each s ta n z a 's l a s t two l i n e s . The l a s t phrase
of each fo u rth lin e i s rep ea ted once, not tw ice. The b a lla d
meter i s r e g u la r except fo r fo u r l in e s which have an e x tra
s y lla b le because of a fem inine ending. T y p ical b a lla d rhyme
i s found in a l l but the f i r s t sta n z a . In d iv id u al d i f f e r
ences occur in the time elem ents: M artin "plowed o 'e r the
blue ocean" fo r "six weeks or more" before he spied a ves
s e l, and found the merchantman only "one long hour or more"
before sinking i t . A q u ain t e p i t h e t comes in the second
stanza when the o ld er M artins "rigged" t h e i r younger b ro th er
"up, both g a l la n t and sto u t" to plunder the seas.
W e have now a rriv e d a t the p o in t of d is c u s s in g the most
112
s i g n i f i c a n t c o n tr ib u tio n of the American fo lk to the t r a d i
ti o n of "Henry Martyn" or "S ir Andrew B arton." Let us f i r s t
note the s a l i e n t p o in ts of the two v e rs io n s recorded by
P h i l l i p s Barry in B r i t i s h B allad s from Maine (Appendix W ) .
Barry A, c a lle d "Three B ro th ers of Merry S c o tla n d ," has
twelve s ta n z a s , the f i r s t fiv e of which c lo s e ly follow the
p a t te r n of "Henry Martyn" alre a d y d isc u sse d . Andrew Battam,
however, i s the name of the sea ro b b er. W e are not to ld in
stanza six th a t the merchantman i s sunk:
"Go home, go home!" c r ie d Andrew Battam,
"King Henry he wears the crown;
I t i s now th a t he o f f e r s a la rg e sum of g o ld .
If t h i s Andrew Battam can be found."
W e may assume t h a t the p i r a t e s have ta k en away the merchan
d is e b u t, in outlaw bravado to f la u n t the king, have allowed
the crew to proceed to England to bring news of the lo s s .
In a sudden s h i f t of lo c a le . C aptain C h a rles S tew art, suc
ceeding S ir C h a rles Howard of the "S ir Andrew Barton" b a l
la d , answers what we must assume is King H enry's d i r e c t p lea
fo r an avenger:
"Go b u ild me a s h ip ," c rie d C aptain C h a rle s
S te w a r t,
"Go b u ild i t strong and su re.
And I w i l l bring you t h i s Andrew Battam,
Or my l i f e I ' l l no longer e n d u re ."
S tan zas e ig h t through te n are an e f f e c t i v e i t e r a t i v e ren
dering of sta n z a s th re e through fiv e except th a t now C a p tain
Stew art i s the pursuer: increm ental r e p e t i t i o n has been
added to the b a lla d . A fter "an hour or two" of b a t t l e .
113
C ap tain S tew art g iv e s up, and ag ain the p i r a t e c h ie f f l a u n t -
in g ly sends h is v ic tim home to ta u n t King Henry w ith th e se
two concluding l i n e s :
"If he r e ig n s King upon dry land,
I t i s I who r e ig n s King on the s e a ."
Barry B i s an e ig h t- s ta n z a v a r ia n t c a lle d "Andrew Mar-
t i n e . " S tanzas one through four are " s ta n d a rd ." Then we
must in f e r t h a t M artine has indeed tak en over the ship and
cargo of the E n g lish s a i l o r s and given t h e i r bodies to the
s a l t sea* T h is tim e, Kino George of England a c ts :
The news i t came to merry England,
And to King G eorge's e a r s ,
And he did f i t out a nice l i t t l e band,
For to c a tc h t h i s Andrew M artine.
In the next lin e C ap tain C h a rle s S tu a rt i s h a ilin g the p i
r a te sh ip , and in the increm ental r e p e t i t i o n of v e rse s six
and seven, the two c a p ta in s are echoing the words of v e rse s
th re e and fo u r in re v e rse d r o l e s . The b a lla d ends dram at
ic a l l y :
They fought and fo u g h t, and fought ag a in .
U n til the l i g h t did appear.
And where was Andrew, and a l l h is brave crew?
T h eir bodies were in the s a l t sea.
Barry r e f e r s the Maine t e x t s to C h ild No. 167 r a th e r
th an to C h ild No. 250. He b e lie v e s t h a t C h i l d 's th e o ry
th a t "Henry M artin" must have sprung from the ashes of "S ir
Andrew Barton" is c o r r e c t , but th a t "the p re c is e r e l a t i o n
. . . to each o th e r, of the o ld er and l a t e r forms of the
b a lla d — fo r "S ir Andrew Barton" and "Henry M artin" are not
114
two ballads* but one— has been made c l e a r only through the
evidence of the American t e x t s . " 7 The s a lie n t d e t a i l s of
" S ir Andrew Barton" are (1) the name of the hero him self*
(2) the name of the king* i . e . * Henry* (3) B a rto n 's p u rsu e r,
Lord C h a rles Howard, o f f i c e r of the king* (4) the d e fe a t of
S ir Andrew, who d ie s of wounds receiv ed in action* and whose
head i s brought to London. As we have seen, Barry A ag rees
with the f i r s t th re e of th e se d e t a i l s , although Stew art has
superseded Howard. Likew ise, Barry B, which i s s t i l l c lo s e r
to "Sir Andrew Barton" because the p ir a te is k i l l e d in ac
t i o n , although George, not Henry, i s the king.
Barry has an i n te r e s ti n g "explanation" of the name
C h arles S t u a r t , which has replaced the Howard of the o lder
t r a d i t i o n of "S ir Andrew B arton." Apparently some b a lla d
c o l l e c t o r s have been confused by the in tro d u c tio n of King
George and C harles Stewart or S tu a rt and have thought th a t
the Young C h ev alier was meant.
But Bonnie P rince C h a rlie was no sea-dog or s a i l o r 's
hero. The absence of any re fe ren ce to any C h arles Stewart
in E nglish t e x t s of e i t h e r the e a r l i e r or l a t e r form of
the b a lla d fo rc e s us to look elsewhere than in English
h is to r y fo r the source of the name of the k in g 's o f f i c e r . 8
Barry goes on to b u ild a f a s c in a tin g and convincing hypo
t h e t i c a l case fo r the h i s t o r i c a l American C aptain C h a rles
Stew art (1778-1869), who was one of the most dashing and
7Barry, B r itis h B allads from Maine, p. 254.
®Barry, p. 256.
115
p o pular naval h e ro e s , the p o sse sso r of a long reco rd of out
standing se rv ic e in th e French c r i s i s of 1799, the Barbary
War, and the War of 1812. Barry h a p p ily concludes t h a t to
put C h a rle s Stew art
in to a good sea song as an o f f i c e r of the k in g 's navy
might be as d o u b tfu l a compliment as i t was a se rio u s
breach of h i s t o r y , — n e ith e r of which o ffe n s e s are unknown
in b a lla d t r a d i t i o n . As a working th e o ry of the reason
fo r th e s u b s t i t u t i o n of "Stew art" f o r "Howard" i t does, a t
l e a s t , no more v io len ce to h is t o r y or to p e rs o n s ^
th an the Bonnie P rince C h a rlie h y p o th e sis.
Before co n tin u in g w ith B a rry 's t h e s i s t h a t "S ir Andrew
Barton" i s a b a lla d e x t i n c t in English t r a d i t i o n but which
has survived in America, I would lik e to d is c u s s the C hild
E t e x t which was from South C a ro lin a and which I have in
cluded in Appendix W W as p r in te d , w ith " fu rth e r s li g h t c o r
r e c t i o n s . . . made by Leonard L. Mackall in c o n s u lta tio n
w ith G eneral E. P. A lexander, h is g r e a t-u n c le , a f t e r seeing
C h i l d 's p r in te d v e r s io n ," in Reed S m ith 's South C a ro lin a
B a lla d s . ^ T h is v e rs io n of t h i r t e e n s ta n z a s , c a lle d "An
drew B a r tin ," was communicated to P ro fe ss o r C h ild by Miss
Louise H a sk e ll, "as d eriv e d from General E. P. Alexander
. . . and deriv ed by him from the singing of a cadet a t West
P oint M il ita r y Academy in the w in ter of 1856-7. The
9B a rry , B r i t i s h B a lla d s from Maine. p. 257.
■^(Cambridge, 1928), p. 156.
AiC h ild , V, P a rt I I , 302.
116
f i r s t fiv e sta n z a s cover the same d e t a i l s as Barry A; stanza
six i s lik e stanza f iv e of Barry B in which the news of the
s h i p 's lo s s reac h es King George; sta n za s seven through te n
of C h ild E and Barry A are a lik e in which C aptain C h arles
Stew art answers the c h a lle n g e , g iv e s p u r s u i t , and answers
Andrew j u s t as the p i r a t e answered the merchantman when i t
asked f o r safe passage. Stanza e le v e n , m issing in Barry A,
g iv e s a main clu e t o the t r a d i t i o n which has predom inated in
the New World:
"Come on! come on.'" says Andrew Bart in ,
"1 value you not one pin ;
And though you are lin e d w ith good b ra ss
w ith o u t,
I ' l l show you I'v e fin e s te e l w ith in ."
T h is sta n z a , and sta n za s twelve and t h i r t e e n (eleven and
twelve in Barry A), in which B a rtin b e a ts C ap tain Stew art
and o rd e rs him to go home and t e l l King George t h a t "he may
re ig n king of the merry dry l a n d ,/ But th a t I w i l l be king
of the se a ," are d e riv e d , a s noted by P ro fe sso r C h ild , from
'C a p tain Ward and the Rainbow" (No. 287, sta n za s e ig h t and
t e n ) . Barry ag rees th a t th e se p a ssa g e s, in which the p i r a t e
ta u n ts h i s would-be c a p to r and the King of England, have
come from the b a lla d o f'C a p ta in Ward and the Rainbow," but
he focuses a t t e n t i o n on t h i s stanza from "S ir Andrew Barton"
(A27, C h ild , I I I , p. 340):
"Hee i s brasse w ith in , and s te e le w ith o u t.
And beames hee b e a re s in h is to p c a s tle stro n g .
His shipp hath ordinance clean e round about;
Besid**. my lo rd , hee i s v e rry w ell mand."
1X7
Barry su g g e sts t h a t
i t i s not beyond the bounds of p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t a
rem iniscence of t h i s very stanza may have suggested to
the au th o r of 'C a p tain W ard,1 the p i r a t e boast of s t e e l
w ith in to match b ra s s w ith o u t. The denouement of the b a l
lad of 'C ap tain W ard,' which le av es tne p i r a t e a w inner,
i s not l e s s s a t i s f a c t o r y to the b a lla d s in g e r, who lo v es
a good f i g h t e r always, and perhaps a l l th e b e t t e r if he
happens to be a g a l l a n t rogue or a merry outlaw . Hence the
in tr u s io n of th e p i r a t e ta u n ts in to one form of th e t r a d i
t i o n of 'S i r Andrew B a r t o n .'^ 2
There are th e n , th re e sto ry ty p e s of the "S ir Andrew
Barton" - "Henry Martyn" b a lla d s : one has the king le a r n of
the p ira c y and send C ap tain Steward (Howard, in England) out
t o c a tc h the ro b b e rs, who are d e fe a te d and disposed o f, as
in B arry B; the second i s much the same except th a t the p i
r a te c a p ta in d e f e a ts S tew art and c o n tin u e s on h is way, as in
Barry A and C h ild h (Smith, South C a ro lin a ); and the t h i r d ,
the "Henry Martyn" ty p e , ends w ith the ca p tu re of the mer
chant ship and the bad news reach in g England, as in a l l the
C hild E nglish v e rs io n s and the f i r s t fiv e New World v a r i a n t s
a lre a d y d isc u sse d . Barry c o n s id e rs the l a s t type to be "a
mere t o r s o , so to speak" since " i t has p reserved of the
sto ry of the o ld e r b a lla d only the account of the p ir a c y ,
w ith nothing of the p u r s u it and capture."^-3 He concludes
th a t "S ir Andrew Barton" (Child No. 167) e x i s t s in two forms
in America: the sto ry in which Andrew i s k i l l e d , and the
*^Barry, B r i t i s h B allads from Maine, p. 256.
*3B arry, p. 255.
118
sto ry in which, through c o n ta c t w ith "C aptain Ward and the
Rainbow" (Child No. 287), the p i r a t e c h ie f wins and escap es.
A ctu a lly the sto ry has undergone a change in the theme, due
to t h i s c ro s s in g with "C aptain Ward." Barry b e lie v e s t h a t
the a b b r e v ia tio n s of th ese ty p e s which do not c o n ta in the
chase and the ca p tu re should be p ro p e rly co n sid ered as
"Henry Martyn" v e rsio n s of "S ir Andrew B arton." He f u r t h e r
b e lie v e s in the p r o b a b i l i t y t h a t the group of American t e x t s
re p re s e n te d by Barry A and B and C hild E should be reckoned
as of an o ld e r t r a d i t i o n th an th a t of "Henry M a rtin ." They
c o n s t i t u t e , he a rg u e s, a f u l l e r and o ld e r in te rm ed ia te
s ta g e .
B a r r y 's t h e s i s i s im pressive; n e v e rth e le s s , as is e v i
dent by the t i t l e of t h i s C h a p te r, I have not seen f i t to
c o n sid e r the v a r i a n t s p r in te d in the appendixes of t h i s d is -
s e r a tio n as "S ir Andrew Barton" b a lla d s . I b eliev e t h a t
a l l the t e x t s are p ro p e rly en te re d under C hild No. 250,
"Henry M artyn," because a l l v e rs io n s given in The English
and S c o tti s h Popular B allad s under "Henry M artin" and a l l
v a r ia n ts recorded from t r a d i t i o n since C h i l d 's tim e— whether
the p i r a t e c a p ta in is c a l l e d Martyn, M artine, Bodee, B a rtin ,
or Battam--have a c o n v en tio n al lik e n e s s t h a t by i t s e l f is
s u f f i c i e n t to j u s t i f y c l a s s i n g them to g e th e r as a d i s t i n c t
f o lk b a lla d . As has been p o in te d o u t, a l l begin w ith th re e
b r o th e rs (from S co tlan d in a l l but two t e x t s ) c a s tin g l o t s
to see which b ro th e r s h a ll become the p i r a t e to m aintain the
119
fam ily. All of them have the encounter w ith the merchant
ship. The m a jo rity , to o , re p re se n t the p i r a t e c h ie f as
being the v ic to r over the k in g 's o f f i c e r ; b u t, as Henry
Belden has s a id , "form i s a more tru stw o rth y mark of iderv-
t i t y th an p a r t i c u l a r s of p l o t ." * 4
P h i l l i p s Barry p rin te d another v e rsio n of "Henry Mar
tyn" (he would have said "S ir Andrew Barton") in The Maine
Woods S o n o ste r. published te n y ea rs a f t e r the p u b lic a tio n
of B r i t i s h B a lla d s from Maine. C a lle d "Andrew B rito n , or.
The Three B ro th e rs," the te x t (Appendix XX) was sent in by
Mr. Lamont Forbuss of Monson, Maine. I t i s very s im ila r to
the C h ild E-South C aro lin a te x t . "King George was wearing
the crown"; C aptain C h arles Stewart vowed to bring in young
Andrew or die in the attem pt; the p ir a te c h ie f ta u n ted h is
adversary and King George in the "Captain Ward and the Rain
bow" t r a d i t i o n . Seven of i t s t h i r t e e n stan za s c o n s is t of
dialogue (a sim ila r p ro p o rtio n e x i s t s in the o th er Barry
t e x t s and C hild E), which i s a n a tu ra l and e x c e lle n t conse
quence of the a d d itio n a l c o n f l i c t developed in the chase and
the f ig h t between Barton and Stew art in the American v ersio n s
of the b a lla d . More drama r e s u l t s in the two American ty p e s
than in the English type of t h i s b a lla d . T ypical of the
minor in d iv id u a l d if f e r e n c e s , Andrew B riton "had not been
s a ilin g p a st two in the n i g h t , / Before a l o f t ship they did
^ " B a l l a d s and Songs," The U n iv e rs ity of M issouri
S tu d ie s . 15:88, January 1940.
120
s p y .” "Two bold p i r a t e s " ask t o p ass by. The toughness of
the f i g h t is brought out in the i t e r a t i v e s ty le of t h i s
s ta n z a :
They fo u g h t, they fought f u l l fo u r hours long
While cannon lik e thunder did ro a r;
They fo u g h t, th e y fought f u l l fo u r hours long.
When C a p ta in C h a rles S tew art gave o 'e r .
The v a r i a n t , which la c k s th e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c New World r e
f r a i n c o n s is tin g of the r e p e t i t i o n of the l a s t two l i n e s of
each v e r s e , i s very singable because of i t s i t e r a t i v e
p h ra se s. As in a l l the New World v a r i a n t s in c o rp o ra tin g the
chase and the c a p tu r e , in crem en tal r e p e t i t i o n a id s not only
the ly r ic but a ls o the dram atic q u a lity of the b a lla d .
Also from Maine is Helen F la n d e rs ' A v a r i a n t , "An
drew M arteen," sung by Mr. Hanford Hayes in S ta c e y v ille on
September 22, 1940 (Appendix YY). The t y p i c a l American
r e f r a i n i s h e re . The b a lla d m eter i s r e g u la r except f o r
fiv e fem inine en d in g s, and the rhyme i s r e g u la r except f o r
a "crown . . . drowned" p a ir in g . The name "Stew art" w ill
account f o r most of the feminine endings in l in e s of the
New World v a r i a n t s . T e x tu a lly t h i s b a lla d d i f f e r s prim ar
i l y in i t s l a s t two sta n za s from the o th e r American v e rs io n s
d isc u sse d so f a r . In i t s e le v e n th v e r s e , ^ in the "C aptain
Ward" manner, Marteen ta u n ts S tew art by t e l l i n g him to " f i r e
on.'" because h is t a l k he d o e s n 't "value one pin"--"Y our
^ " V e rs e " and "stanza" w ill be used interchangeably.
121
b ra s s a t your side makes a very f in e show/ But I'm pure
s t e e l w ith in ." In th e concluding sta n z a , however:
Broadside to broadwide those two came to g e th e r;
T h e ir cannons lik e thunder did r o a r .
When C a p ta in C h a rle s S tew art took Andrew, f o u rte e n ,
And th e y hung him on Old E ngland's shore.
Thus th e C a p t a i n Ward and the Rainbow" t r a d i t i o n i s l e f t
a b ru p tly as th e b a lla d ta k e s on th e old " S ir Andrew Barton"
t r a d i t i o n which has th e p i r a t e c h i e f t a i n k i l l e d . Since Hen
ry i s named a s king, t h i s v a r ia n t i s c l o s e r to the o ld e r
b a lla d (C hild No. 167) th an even Barry B. The f a c t t h a t
Andrew i s only fo u rte e n adds to the poignancy of the s i t u a
tio n .
F la n d e rs B, "Andrew B atan," was sung on May 16, 1949,
by Mr. Oscar Degreenia of West C ornw all, C o n n e c tic u t. He
sang i t s twelve v e rs e s j u s t as h is p a re n ts used to sing them
to t h e i r e i g h t c h ild r e n , liv in g in a log c a b in in B arton,
Vermont. S tanza fo u r does not make sense since Andrew, and
not "Capting" C h a rle s S te w a rt, should be asking the ques
t i o n , and a h ap le ss merchantman, not the p i r a t e s , making the
answer. An e r r o r in rec o rd in g may have been made h e re .
Line one should read:"'W ho a r e , who a re ,* c r ie d Andrew
B atan." Line th r e e should read: "We are the r i c h merchants
from old England s h o re ." O ther than t h i s obvious m istake in
re co rd in g or sin g in g , the v a r ia n t d i f f e r s from F la n d e rs A in
only a few p a r t i c u l a r s : King George r a th e r th a n King Henry
"wore th e crown"; the young b r o t h e r 's age i s not s p e c ifie d ;
122
the b a t t l e took place "one cold w i n t e r 's night" in ste a d of
"one fin e summer's morning/ J u s t as the day did ap p ear."
On the l y r i c a l sid e , a l s o , t h i s v e rsio n has an oddity; only
in sta n za s fiv e and six are the l a s t two l i n e s rep ea ted fo r
a r e f r a i n . O ne-fourth of the sta n za s do not have b a lla d
rhyme.
Helen F la n d e rs ' C Vermont v e rs io n , "Andrew Bardeen"
(Appendix YY), was sung by Mr. Euclid W illiam s, who liv e d on
a high h i l l farm overlooking the C onnecticut R iver V alley.
C lo sely resem bling the Barry A v a r ia n t from Maine, i t c a r
r i e s the X a p ta in Ward and the Rainbow" ta u n t fo r the king
in the l a s t stanza but omits the "brass . . . s te e l" ta u n t
fo r C aptain C h a rles Stewart in the t h i r d from the l a s t
v e rse . Unlike Barry A i t has the customary American r e f r a i n
p a t te r n .
In h is Body. Boots & B r itc h e s . Harold Thompson has
p rin te d a New York S ta te t e x t , c a lle d "Elder Bardee" (Ap
pendix ZZ), which i s c lo s e r to the o ld er t r a d i t i o n of "S ir
Andrew Barton" than any e x ta n t New World v a ria n t la rg e ly by
v irtu e of i t s l a s t stanza:
B roadside, bro ad sid e, those ships th ey did come;
The cannon loud did r o a r .
The took E ld er Bardee and h is whole company
To the land of old E ngland's shore.
The o ld er b a lla d has Barton k ille d in a c tio n , but h is head
and a l l the surviving p ir a te crew are re tu rn e d to England.
In a d d itio n , of co u rse, the King named in "Elder Bardee" is
123
Henry. Thompson was one of the c o l l e c t o r s who b e liev e d t h a t
the C a p ta in C h a rle s S tew art s u b s titu te d f o r the noble S ir
C h a rles Howard was the Young P re te n d e r, C h a rle s S tu a r t. He
has an i n t e r e s t i n g h y p o th e sis fo r the e x p la n a tio n of h is
h e r o 's name: "From an A nglican p o in t of view, an adherent of
the Church of Scotland might w ell be c a lle d in d e r is io n
E ld e r , and Bardee c a r r i e s a more s a t i r i c a l r in g th a n Bar-
ton. T h e f a v o r ite number th re e i s prominent in t h i s v er
sio n . "Three loving b r o th e r s ," are involved; then Bardee
"had not s a ile d but one day, two, or t h r e e , / Before th re e
v e s s e ls he sp ied "— " th re e merchant v e s s e ls from old England
sh o re." When the news reac h es King H enry's e a r s t h a t "he
had l o s t th re e of h is s h i p s , / And h is merry men th ey were
a l l drowned.'" he i s p e rtu rb e d and c r i e s :
"Go b u ild a ship both strong and secu re.
As you s h a ll u n d ersta n d .
And on board place C a p ta in C h a rle s Stewart
To take t h a t bold command."
Conspicuous increm ental r e p e t i t i o n comes in the next stanza
a s the im perative "Go b u i l d 1 1 i s simply re p la c e d by the
d e c la r a tiv e "They b u i l t . " No r e f r a i n is p r e s e n t, but the
b a lla d m eter, i f not the rhyme, i s almost re g u la r .
A West V irg in ia v a r ia n t c a lle d "Three B ro th ers of
Scotland" found i t s way in to John C ox's Folk-Sonos of the
South. "Andrew B ardun"is the name of the hero in t h i s fo u r-
1 6(P h ila d e lp h ia , 1939), p. 37.
124
te e n -s ta n z a t e x t (Appendix AAA), which Is s im ila r to the
C hild E South C a ro lin a v e rsio n and o th e rs which bear the
^Captain Ward and the Rainbow" mark. The e x tra verse is
number e ig h t:
The ship was b u i l t a t h is command,
'Twas b u i l t both strong and sure;
And C aptain C h arles Stew art was placed th e re o n .
For to m aintain h is crew.
The b a t t l e between C aptain C h a rle s Stewart and Andrew Bar-
dun l a s t s " sc a rc ely a h a lf h o u r," fo r a reco rd of b re v ity .
The v a ria n t has no r e f r a i n , and rhyme i s lacking in six
stan zas.
W e have alre a d y d iscu ssed the Eddy A v a ria n t from Can
to n , Ohio. Eddy B is r e p re s e n ta tiv e of the New World t r a
d i t i o n which has the "fine b rass . . . fin e s te e l" passage
in which the p ir a te c a p ta in ta u n ts C ap tain C h a rles S tu a rt
but is captured by the k in g 's o f f i c e r , who " c a rrie d him to
old E ngland's sh o re." C alle d "Andrew Batan" (Appendix BBB),
i t c lo s e ly p a r a l l e l s the F lan d ers B (C onnecticut) v a ria n t by
the same name, in which the p i r a t e is hung on "England's own
shore." T his s im ila r it y i s not unusual since Eddy B i s from
Dr. James Hanford of C lev elan d , Ohio, who obtained the b a l
lad from L. C. W illiam s, whose home was in North C a ro lin a ,
where he learned i t from h is f a t h e r , a New Englander. Some
d if fe re n c e s , of course, appear. "King Henry wears the crown"
in stea d of King George. Stanza e ig h t i s e x tra .
"The Three Scotch Robbers" (Appendix QCC) was sung by
125
Mr. O tis E v i l s i z e r . a farm er from A lger, and recorded by
Emelyn Gardner and G eraldine C hickering in t h e i r B allads and
Sonos of Southern Michigan. The S c o t's name i s Andrew
B retan, the king i s George, and the E n g lish c a p t a i n 's name
i s James S tu a r t. From t h i s perhaps we can assume t h a t the
k in g 's o f f i c e r was James F ra n c is Edward S tu a rt (1688-1766),
The Old P re te n d e r. At any r a t e , in t h i s v a r ia n t C a p tain
S tu a rt g iv es in a f t e r "two hours and a h a lf" and i s to ld by
Bretan to go home and t e l l King George th a t " if h e ' l l re ig n
king o 'e r a l l the dry la n d ,/ I w ill re ig n king o 'e r the
se a." I t has taken "a week or te n days" fo r the c a p ta in s to
tra c k down t h e i r quarry. Added ly ric is m i s acquired by
r e p e t i t i o n of words and lin e s as in t h i s example;
There were th re e b ro th e rs in old Scotland,
Three j o l l y b ro th e rs were th ey .
For they c a s t l o t s , and th ey did c a s t l o t s .
To see which would m aintain the whole th r e e , th r e e , th r e e ,
To see which would m aintain the whole th r e e , th r e e , th r e e .
The b a lla d meter i s good, but o n e -th ird of the sta n za s do
not rhyme.
Louise Pound's v a r ia n t, c a lle d "Ander Bardeen" (Appen
dix DDD), was obtained from P ro fe ss o r R u ssell P re s c o tt of
the Nebraska C ollege of A g ric u ltu re , who learned i t from h is
f a t h e r , who had learned i t from h i s s te p f a th e r , who came to
Nebraska about 1880 from northern Ire la n d . Pound notes
t h a t the name of the k in g 's o f f i c e r —C ap tain Joe S tu a r t—
occu rrin g in a v a ria n t coming d i r e c t l y from Irelan d "makes
B a rry 's e x p la n a tio n [ o f C aptain C h a rle s Stewart] seem le s s
126
l i k e l y . " ^ 7 T h is e le v e n -sta n z a v ersio n does not show the
c ro ssin g of the b a lla d with "Captain Ward and the Rainbow."
The customary l a s t two stan zas In the American t r a d i t i o n
have been combined in to one concluding verse d e sc rib in g the
b a t t l e (but not t e l l i n g how long i t la s te d ) and c a p tu re :
The ships r o lle d on, r o lle d side by sid e ,
And now t h e i r cannons do r o a r.
And now th ey have captured young Ander Bardeen
And c a rrie d him home t o the shore.
Although King George i s on the th ro n e, and Bardeen is taken
back a liv e (in s te a d of h is head a lo n e ), as in the Barry B
v e rsio n , the v a ria n t is clo se to the o ld e r "S ir Andrew Bar
ton" t r a d i t i o n . Regular in m eter, the b a lla d i s poorly
rhymed and has no r e f r a i n .
Ozark F olksongs, e d ite d by Vance Randolph, c o n ta in s a
tw elv e-stan z a v a ria n t r e p le te with the p i r a t e ' s ta u n ts fo r
both C h a rles S tu a rt and "King George T h ird ." C a lle d "Andrew
Bardeen" (Appendix EEE), t h i s is the only v a ria n t in which
the George i s s p e c ifie d ; t h i s p o in ts up the A m ericanization
of t h i s b a lla d , because if th ere was ever any English King
who incurred the wrath of Americans, or whom they enjoyed
hearing d isc o m fite d , i t was George I I I . Time elem ents in
t h i s v a r ia n t have taken a cu rio u s tu rn : each c a p ta in "had
not s a ile d more than a week in the year" a f t e r h is prey, and
the two "had not fought more than a l a s t and a h a lf" before
i7," S i r Andrew B arton' in Nebraska," Southern F olklore
Q u a r te r ly . 2;205, December 1938.
127
S tu a r t gave up. Unlike some of the b a lla d s found in the
Ozarks, t h i s v a ria n t uses e x c e lle n t d i c t i o n , w ith only one
breach of grammar, which occurs in the lin e : "Three lo v in '
b ro th e rs was th e y ." Moreover, the b a lla d meter and rhyme
are e x c e ll e n t, with only one or two minor d is c re p a n c ie s .
S u rp ris in g ly , the v ersio n has no r e f r a i n . Randolph makes
note of comments by "another old-tim e O zarker," Mrs. Emma L.
Dusenbury of Mena, Arkansas, who knew a p o rtio n of the b a l
la d . She c a lle d i t
'Andy B r a ta n n ,' with a strong accent upon the second
s y ll a b le . 'So sad to t h i n k , ' she says, 't h a t them two
o ld er b ro th e rs would l e t the young-un c o n tra c t a l l the
e v i l fo r them. They'd o r te r share an' share a l i k e , if
th e re was wrong to be done, an' gold to be had. '*8
These sentim ents c l e a r l y po in t up the sympathy e n l is te d on
the p a r t of the fo lk audience fo r the p ir a te by the f i r s t
two stan za s of the b a lla d .
Included among "Five Old Country B a lla d s," recorded in
the Jo u rn a l of American F olklore of 1912, i s Henry B elden's
and George K ittr e d g e 's "Andy Bardan" (Appendix FFF), commun
ic a te d by Miss Lucy Laws of C h r is tia n C o lleg e, Columbia,
M issouri. T h is i s the " in t e r e s ti n g and im portant te x t" th a t
Barry included as v a ria h t C in h is c o l l e c t i o n from Maine
"fo r comparison" since i t
p re se rv e s th ese d e t a i l s { salien t d e t a i l s of "S ir Andrew
Barton"] of the old b a lla d sto ry more c lo s e ly than any
o th er known v e r s io n ,— t h a t i s , the hero i s Andy Bardan;
^ O z a rk Folksongs (Columbia, 1946), p. 177.
128
the king i s Henry; the k i n g 's o f f i c e r , C ap tain C h a rle s
Howard, has become C a p tain C h a rle s S te w a rt, while the
p i r a t e in s te a d of meeting death in a sea f i g h t £as in ]Q
Barry B}, i s ta k en t o England, a p r is o n e r , and hanged. v
Since Barry made t h i s sta te m e n t, o th er v e rs io n s have come to
l i g h t , and now B a ld en 's t e x t must "share honors" w ith
Thompson's New York v a r ia n t and Eddy's B v a ria n t from Ohio.
The M isso u ri te x t does not in d ic a te how long the b a t t l e
la s te d and shows no evidence of a c ro s s in g w ith "Captain
Ward and the Rainbow"; yet i t i s t h i r t e e n stan zas long be
cause i t c o n ta in s a verse in which Andy muses on the f a t e in
sto re f o r him in England and a concluding verse in which he
s e n tim e n ta liz e s :
"What now, what now," said Andy Bardan,
"What now my f a te i t s h a ll be.'"
"The gallow s are ready fo r Andy Bardan,
The bold robber around the s a l t s e a ."
"Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
And dig i t c lo se t o the sea;
And t e l l my b r o th e r s as th e y pass by,
I'm done robbing around the s a l t s e a ."
B e ld en 's v a r ia n t i s e x c e ll e n t because of i t s d e t a i l s , heavy
p ro p o rtio n of d ia lo g u e , good b a lla d m eter, and su p e rio r
rhyme.
Far from any p o r t , a f u l l fo u rte e n - s ta n z a v a r ia n t
c a lle d "Andy Bardean" (Appendix GGG) has come to l i g h t in
Utah. Sung by M ilas W akefield of Ogden, Utah, who learned
i t from A rlie Day in 1889 a t a sawmill in H untington Canyon,
^ B a r r y , B r iti s h B allad s from M aine, p. 254.
129
Emery County, t h i s v a r ia n t i s a ls o amazingly good te c h n i
c a l l y in meter and rhyme and b a lla d d ic tio n . I t , to o , has
i t s i n t e r e s t i n g in d iv id u a l v a r i a t i o n s . For the f i r s t time a
r e a l f i g h t develops between Andy and the " r ic h merchant ves
s e l , " t h i s d e s p ite the f a c t th a t the re p ly to Andy's h a i l i s
"We're th re e merchant v e s s e ls from old England sh o re ." The
b r i e f d e s c r ip tio n of the c o n te s t between the merchantman and
the p i r a t e ship p erm its a d d itio n a l increm ental r e p e t i t i o n to
occur in the b a lla d when C ap tain S tew art a c c o s ts the p i r a t e ,
engages him in b a t t l e , and lo s e s . Going f a r back in h i s
to r y , i t i s "young A lfred" who "wore the crown" and who
asks? " Is th e re anyone here l e a n f i n d / That w i l l run young
Andy Bardean down?" Quaint and v iv id d ic tio n i s used in
t h i s stanza:
The ship i t was r ic k e te d and ready f o r s a i l
With guns and men g a lo re .
And one c o ld , f r o s t y morning the anchor she
weighed
And s a ile d from old England shore.
The concluding stanza g iv e s evidence of t h i s v e r s i o n 's hav
ing come in c o n ta c t w ith "C aptain Ward and the Rainbow," f o r
Andy has Stew art r e la y h is ta u n tin g boast to the king.
R u s se ll M. H arriso n has recorded what he has numbered
as a f o u rte e n -s ta n z a v a r ia n t in h is "Folk Songs from Oregon"
in the Western F o lk lo re of J u ly 1952. A ctu ally fo u r of the
"stan zas" are j u s t summarized in prose form (see Appendix
HHH) between v e rse s fiv e and e i g h t , and elev en and f o u rte e n .
In the f i r s t stanza l e f t out (number six ) th e b a lla d sin g er
130
in d ic a te d t h a t news of the b a t t l e got back to the King of
S cotland, who complained b i t t e r l y th a t h is crown would be
w o rth less i f Andy Bardine could not be found and stopped.
T his does not sound in keeping w ith the s p i r i t of S c o ttis h
kings. Perhaps the b a lla d r e c i t e r or re c o rd e r made a mis
ta k e . xn both breaks in the p o etry the sta n z a s d e s c rib in g
the b a t t l e are m issing. C alle d "Andy B ardine," t h i s v e rsio n
was sung by Mrs. C la ric e Judkins of Eugene as la te as 1951.
The l a s t two lin e s of each stanza are rep ea ted as the r e
f r a i n . For those who are conscious of the d iffe re n c e be
tween a "boat" and a " s h ip ," C aptain S te w a rt's c ry , "Give me
a b o a t," may cause some d i s t r e s s . The t r a d i t i o n of in d iv id
u al d if fe re n c e s is stij.1 o p eratin g in t h i s b a lla d . T his i s
the only te x t in which the merchant v e s s e l has " s t o r e s ," the
p ir a te v e s se l is "b la ck ," the p i r a t e s are " j o l ly ro b b e rs ,"
and S te w a rt's King is c a lle d h is "M aster."
W e have tra v e rs e d 6,000 m iles— from England to Oregon—
in our study of the numerous v a ria n t v e rsio n s of "Henry
M arty n ." I t is now time to make summarizing statem en ts of
our fin d in g s on the q u a lity of t h i s b a lla d as found in the
New World. W e are cognizant of i t s r o l l i c k i n g b a lla d m eter,
i t s sin g a b len e ss with i t s customary r e f r a i n and i t e r a t i v e
p h rase s. Most of the American v a r ia n ts are j u s t as re g u la r
m e tric a lly as the b est of the C hild English v e r s io n s , and
many have the added advantage of a s u ita b le r e f r a i n . Most of
them have as good rhyme as the best of the Old World t e x t s .
131
There i s l i t t l e to choose from between the E nglish and Amer
ican t e x t s w ith re g ard to d i c t i o n and phraseo lo g y . A lb ert
Friedman s t a t e s t h a t the "Henry M artyn” b a lla d read s lik e
a h u rrie d summary of th e i n f i n i t e l y more v iv id and de
t a i l e d 'S i r Andrew B a rto n .' The p e rfu n c to ry tone t h a t per-
vades the p ie ce su g g ests t h a t b roadside p r i n t s played some
r o le in i t s tr a n s m is s io n .2^
I t i s tr u e t h a t broadside v e rs io n s of Henry Martyn c i r c u
la te d in both England and America in the l a s t c e n tu ry , but I
f e e l t h a t th e fo lk have r e - c r e a t e d or re-molded t h i s b a lla d
very s a t i f a c t o r i l y by c o n tin u a l f o lk - s in g in g . I t s ch a ra c
t e r i s t i c p r im itiv e i t e r a t i v e s t y l e , w ith i t s dram atic im
p r e s s iv e n e s s , e s p e c i a l l y in the American v e rs io n s i s e x c e l
l e n t . Of c o u rse , i t cannot be compared to the o u ts ta n d in g ,
e ig h ty -tw o -s ta n z a o ld er b a lla d . But if the English "Henry
M a rty n " i s merely a " to r s o ," as Barry has s a id , of the o ld er
b a lla d , a t l e a s t the t y p i c a l American v e rs io n , which has
p reserv ed the o u tlin e of the p u r s u it and ca p tu re as w ell as
the p ir a c y , can be said to be a body w ith hands and f e e t .
I t i s in the sto ry d e t a i l s , the f u l l e r t e x t s , t h a t the v e r
sio n s in the New World must be co n sid ered su p e rio r to those
in the Old World. Adding to the s u p e r io r ity of the American
"Henry Martyn" i s the a tte n d a n t in c re a se in dram atic fo rc e
brought about by a h ig h e r p ro p o rtio n of dialogue and in c re
m ental r e p e t i t i o n .
^ A l b e r t Friedman, e d . , The Viking Book of Folk B allad s
of the E nglish-S peaking World (New York. 1956). p p . 5bk-5b9.
CHAPTER VI
"THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE"
Of c o n s id e ra b le a n t i q u i t y i s the b a lla d of "The Farm
e r ' s C u rst W ife," number 278 in P ro fe sso r James F. C h i l d 's
monumental E nglish and S c o tti s h P opular B a lla d s * I t s obvi
ous p re d ec e sso r i s "The D evil and the S co ld ," of which th e re
are two e x ta n t e d i t i o n s , the e a r l i e r being in the famous
Roxburghe C o lle c tio n of th re e large volumes in f o l i o em
bracing n e a rly a thousand b ro ad sid e s in b lack l e t t e r . The
second i s in the Rawlinson C o lle c tio n , p ublished in a tra d e
e d i t i o n by C o le, V ere, and o th e r s t a t i o n e r s during the
r e ig n of C h a rle s I I .
As in d ic a te d by John P. C o l l i e r , e d i t o r of A Book of
Roxburghe B a lla d s . 1847, 'The D evil and the Scold i s c e r
t a i n l y
an e a r l y b a lla d : the a l l u s i o n , in the second sta n za , to
Tom Thumb and Robin Goodfellow (whose 'Mad P ra n k s' had
been p u b lish e d before lb88, . . .) i s h ig h ly c u r io u s , and
one proof of i t s a n t i q u i t y , although i t h a t reached us
only in an im pression 'P rin te d a t London fo r Henry Gosson,
dw elling upon London B ridge, neare t o the G a t e . 'l
A copy of t h i s b a lla d may be found in Appendix I I I and
^J. P. C o l l i e r , e d . , Roxburghe B a lla d s (London, 1847),
p. 3b.
132
133
should be compared w ith t h a t found in Appendix J J J , con
ta in in g P ro fe s s o r C h i l d 's A v e rsio n of 'The F arm er's C urst
W ife," which i s the same as "The F arm er's Old Wife" in
Ancient Poems.. B a lla d s , and Sonos. e d ite d by James H. Dixon
fo r the Percy S o c ie ty . From t h i s com parison, i t may be seen
t h a t during the many y ea rs e la p s in g between the Roxburghe
v e rsio n and the copy e d ite d by Dixon, the b a lla d was g r e a t ly
sh o rten ed . From n in e teen sta n za s of e ig h t l i n e s each, the
b a lla d was reduced to elev en c o u p le ts . To be su re, the
lin e s of the former are s h o r te r , but i t may be s a fe ly said
th a t the b a l l a d 's len g th has been c u t in h a l f . C e rta in ly we
are not given more th an h a lf of the su b je c t m atter in
C h i l d 's A v e rs io n , as a p e ru s a l of Appendixes I I I and J J J
w ill show. The l a t t e r does not c o n ta in an advertisem ent of
the fo lk so n g . D iscarded are the sta n za s s ta t i n g th a t we are
to be to ld a s to ry , th a t lorn Thumb i s not the s u b je c t, th a t
widows, w ives, and maids should a ls o l i s t e n ; gone are the
sta n z a s d e t a i l i n g info rm atio n about the im possible r e l a t i o n s
between a kind husband and h i s sco ld , and a lso m issing are
the f i n a l two stan zas m oralizing or p h ilo so p h iz in g on the
whole problem of sco ld s. Not u n t i l the n in th stanza does
"The D evil and the Scold” commence w ith the a c tio n n a rra te d
from the beginning of D ixon's "The F arm er's Old W ife," of
C h i l d 's A v e rsio n . A c tu a lly the l a t t e r v e rsio n has more of
the c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of a tru e popular b a lla d ; th a t i s , i t
does not invoke a t t e n t i o n , p a in t a background, muse or
134
m o ra liz e, but r a t h e r , i t jumps r i g h t in to the n a r r a tiv e . I t
may w e ll be t h a t the Roxburghe v e rsio n when w ritte n down was
com paratively new, had not had time t o become a r e a l t r a d i
t i o n a l b a l la d , and was s t i l l mainly the work of one bard or
m in s tr e l. At any r a t e , the l a t e r v e rs io n has gained in
homely v ig o r and r o l l i c k i n g humor what i t has lo s t in stanza
len g th and in tr ig u in g philosophy.
In the in tr o d u c tio n t o h i s A v e rs io n , P ro fe ss o r C hild
in d ic a te s th a t D ixon's "The F arm er's Old Wife" i s the same
as t h a t found in E d ito r Robert B e l l 's E a rlv B a lla d s . T h is
i s v i r t u a l l y tru e w ith the ex cep tio n t h a t in the l a s t lin e
of the form er, the D evil a s s e r t s : "But I n e 'e r was torm ented
so as w ith your w ife"; whereas in the l a t t e r he vows: "But I
n e 'e r was torm ented t i l l 1 met with your w ife ." B e l l 's in
tro d u c to ry comments t o th is "S u s se x W histling Song" are very
i n t e r e s t i n g :
T h is i s a countrym an's w h is tlin g song, and the only one
of the kind which we remember to have heard. I t i s very
a n c ie n t, and a g re a t f a v o u r ite . The f a rm e r's wife has an
adventure somewhat resem bling the h e r o 's in the burlesque
v e rsio n of Don G iovanni. The tune i s L i l l i b u r l e r o . and
the song i s sung as fo llo w s :— the f i r s t lin e of each verse
i s given as a solo; th e n the tune i s continued by a chorus
of w h i s t l e r s , who w h istle th a t p o r tio n of the a i r which in
L il l i b u rle ro would be sung to the words, L i l l i b u rle r o
b u lle n a l a . The so n g ster th e n proceeds w ith the tu n e ,
and sin g s the whole of the verse th ro u g h , a f t e r which the
s t r a i n i s resumed and concluded by the w h i s t l e r s . The
e f f e c t , when accompanied by the stro n g w h is tle s of a group
of lu s ty countrymen, i s very s t r i k i n g , and cannot be ade
q u a tely conveyed by d e s c r ip tio n . T h is song c o n s t i t u t e s
135
the “t r a d i t i o n a r y v erse s" upon which Burns founded h is
Sail*. .pf KUAytorn
D iscussing the e a r l i e r sources of h i s B v e rs io n of "The
F arm er's C u rst W ife," F. J . C h ild w r ite s of the tre a tm en t
given by Robert Burns, R. H. Cromek, and A llan Cunningham:
The b a lla d of "K e lly b u rn b ra e s," . . . was composed by
Burns as he him self informed u s, "from the old t r a d i t i o n a l
v e r s io n ." "The o r i g i n a l b a l la d , s t i l l p reserv e d by t r a
d i t i o n , " says David Laing, "was much improved in p assin g
B u rn s's hands. . . . " Cromek, Remains of N ith sd a le and
Galloway Song, . . . 1810 g iv e s us what he c a l l s the
"O rig in al of B u rn s's C arle of K elly-B um B ra e s," remark
in g , w ith some e f f r o n t e r y , t h a t th e re i s reaso n t o be
lie v e t h a t Burns had not seen the whole of the v e rse s
which c o n s t i t u t e t h i s copy. A llan Cunningham, Songs of
S c o tla n d , . . . undertook "to make a more complete ver
sion th an has h i t h e r t o appeared out of Burns, Cromek, and
some 4f u g itiv e c o p i e s . '" So we get the o r i g i n a l from none
of them, but a r e , r a t h e r , f u r t h e r from i t a t each s te p .
Whether B has come down p u re, u n a ffe c te d by Burns and
Cromek, i t i s im possible to say. That i t shows resem
b lan ces to both c o p ie s i s not a g a in s t i t s genuineness, i f
th e re was a f a i r leaven of the pop u lar b a lla d in each of
th e se re c o n s tru c tio n s ; and i t i s probable t h a t th e re would
be, a t l e a s t in B u r n s 's . 3
A comparison of C h i l d 's A and B v e rs io n s (see Appendix
J J J ) , the only t e x t s of t h i s b a lla d included in h is c o l l e c
t i o n , shows th a t th e re i s no g re a t d if f e r e n c e between the
two, although the l a t t e r i s ta k en from a much more re c e n t
source, namely, from the r e c i t a t i o n of Mr. Macmath's a u n t,
Jane W ebster, a t C rossm ichael, K irk c u d b rig h ts h ire , in 1892.
The l a t t e r v e rs io n i s in S c o ttis h d i a l e c t and the w h is tlin g
R o b e r t B e ll, e d . . E arly B allads (London, 1877), pp.
424-425.
3F. J . C h ild , e d . , E nolish and S c o ttis h Popular B a lla d s
(Boston, 1894), V, P a rt IX, lQ7.
136
of the Sussex chorus of the E nglish v e rsio n (A) i s re p la c e d
by nonsense sy lla b le s * such as "mushy t o o r i n an ant ta n
a i r a , " but the length i s approxim ately the same and the
sto ry lik e w ise . The d e v il comes f o r a f a r m e r 's wife and i s
made welcome by h er husband, th e man at the plough. The
scolding wife i s c a r r i e d away by the d e v i l but proves no
more c o n t r o ll a b le in h e l l than she had been a t home, and be
fo re she com pletely wrecks h is stro n g h o ld , the d e v il i s
compelled to rush h er back to her u n fo rtu n a te husband. In
the f i r s t stanza of the C hild A v e rs io n we are to ld t h a t
here was an old farm er who had a bad w ife. T h is i s om itted
in the C h ild B v e rs io n , but the in form ation i s e s s e n t i a l l y
given in the phrase " th a t old scolding woman" in the second
sta n z a . In B the d e v i l w ishes the farm er good luck in mak
ing h i s "sheugh" ( d i t c h ) . In A, he c ra v e s not the e l d e s t
son, in B, not the farm er or h i s oxen; in A, S atan got the
old w ife on h i s back, in B, she jumped on h is back (more
c lo s e ly resem bling the old Roxburghe v e rsio n — see Appendix
I I I ) ; when they got t o the h e l l ' s gate in A, the d e v il to ld
h i s c r o n ie s th a t here was "an old Sussex c h a p 's mate"; in B,
he was more vigorous and gave her a kick which landed her on
the f l o o r ; she saw " t h i r t e e n imps" in the former v e rs io n ,
only "seven wee d e i l s " in the l a t t e r ; in A, she not only
beat out the b ra in s of the imps, but a ls o knocked "old
Satan a g a in s t the w a ll." The main divergence in the two
v e rs io n s comes in the l a s t sta n z a s: Where the d e v il com
137
p la in s in the A t e x t t h a t although he has been a torm entor
a l l of h is l i f e , he him self has never been torm ented "so a s "
by the f a r m e r 's w ife; the wife in B has been away fo u rte e n
y e a rs , and when she r e t u r n s , she c r i e s f o r the "sowens
[flummery] she had l e f t in her p o t , ” Whether the l a t t e r
may be accounted f o r by the saving i n s t i n c t of the Scotch
man i s l e f t up to the r e a d e r.
Both v e rs io n s are rendered in the tw o -lin e stanza
re p re s e n tin g the o ld e r t r a d i t i o n of verse form, alth o u g h , of
c o u rse , in the a c tu a l sin g in g , the f i r s t lin e of each stanza
in A i s re p e a te d as in d ic a te d above, and in B a few nonsense
s y ll a b le s are thrown in a f t e r each lin e to make the o r a l
r e n d iti o n more p le a s in g t o the e a r. Both v e rs io n s c o n s is t
of te tr a m e t e r , predom inantly a n a p e s tic , though w ith many
iambic f e e t . Text A i s f a i r l y r e g u la r m e tr i c a l ly , w ith only
one lin e a h a l f - f o o t over te tr a m e te r . A ll of i t s l i n e s
rhyme. Text B i s i r r e g u l a r , w ith e ig h t l in e s a h a l f - f o o t or
more over te tr a m e te r . A ll of i t s l in e s rhyme except fo r the
l a s t two. The d ic tio n of both i s very sim ple, c o n ta in in g no
long, d i f f i c u l t , or remarkable words. Although d e s c r ip tio n
is not s tr e s s e d , although metaphors and s im ile s are absent
w ith but one e x c e p tio n , th e re are p ic tu re sq u e or d e s c r ip tiv e
elem ents which are e f f e c te d through the use of a few con
c r e t e p h ra se s such as "lugged her a lo n g ," " p e d l a r 's p ack ,"
"old Sussex c h a p 's m ate," " t h i r t e e n imps a l l dancing in
c h a in s ," and "up w ith her p a tte n s and beat out t h e i r
b ra in s* " in v e rs io n A; "scolding woman*" "seven wee d e i l s
a * s i t t i n g in a raw*" and "wee r e c k i t {smoky] d e il* " in v er
sion B. The a u th o rs and t r a n s c r i b e r s of th e se b a lla d s did
not o v e r - e la b o r a te , but th ey a p p a re n tly did see the value of
c o n c re te d e t a i l s fo r p ic tu re s q u e n e s s . Both v e rs io n s are
s t r i c t l y n a rra tiv e * although l y r i c a l q u a l i t i e s e n te r in the
w h is tlin g of th e s t r a i n or the singing of the nonsense
s y lla b le s* The d i r e c t n a r r a tiv e i s en liv en ed w ith te n l in e s
of dialogue out of tw enty-tw o in A, e ig h t out of tw enty in
B. No time elem ent is mentioned in A; fo u rte e n y ea rs i s the
time consumed by e v e n ts ta k in g place in B. The ev en ts took
place on a Sussex farm and in H ell in the former; only H ell
i s mentioned in the l a t t e r . Satan, the old farmer* h is
scolding w ife , and the "young imps" or "wee d e i l s " are the
c h a r a c te r s involved in both v e rs io n s . P lo t, m o tiv atio n , and
g e n e ra l e f f e c t and in te n t are the same in both t e x t s .
Now l e t us tu r n to the New World and see what happened
to "The F arm er's C u rst Wife" as i t was recorded in v a rio u s
c o l l e c t i o n s on t h i s c o n tin e n t. Nova S cotia has a lre a d y been
sin g led out as a place where one might expect to fin d the
old S c o ttis h and English popular b a lla d s preserved q u ite
n e a rly in t h e i r o r i g i n a l s t a t e . "The F arm er's C u rst Wife"
i s included in a group which Roy Mackenzie says came to the
p e n in su la in the w i s t f u l memories of the S c o ttis h s e t t l e r s
who m igrated westward about one hundred f i f t y y ears ago.
The n o rth c o a st of the p e n in s u la , where Mackenzie did most
139
of h is c o l l e c t i n g , was in h a b ite d during the good days of
b a lla d - s in g in g by a composite p o p u la tio n of Scotch, E n g lish ,
and F rench, the former im porting the b a l la d s , and the l a t t e r
p re se rv in g them. When the Scots a r r iv e d in Nova S c o tia ,
th e y had no in te n tio n of tu rn in g t h e i r b a lla d s over to peo
p le of an a l i e n r a c e , but as circu m stan ces turned o u t, dur
ing a r e l i g i o u s p urge, the S cots renounced many of t h e i r
b a lla d s as ungodly, whereas the newcomers of mingled French,
A ls a tia n , and Swiss blood, who had su ffe re d fo r the P ro te s
t a n t f a i t h , were in a mood to acquire f re s h t r a d i t i o n s — a
new language, new manners, and an e n t h u s ia s tic a lle g ia n c e
t o the B r i t i s h crown. The French were a singing and song-
loving p eo p le, and since th e y a rriv e d before the S c o tti s h
s e t t l e r s had given up t h e i r b a lla d r y , i t was in e v ita b le th a t
they should take up where the Scots l e f t o f f . Of co u rse ,
t h i s tra n s fe re n c e of the old S c o ttis h t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s
from one n a tio n a l group to another was not as p re c is e and
complete as i t sounds, and we may expect some changes in
the old b a lla d s . "The F arm er's C urst Wife" v e rsio n taken
down from the singing of David Rogers, P ic to u , P icto u Coun
t y , by Mackenzie and c a lle d "The D e v il's Song," may be found
in Appendix KKK. Mackenzie says th a t the v e rsio n is f a i r l y
s im ila r to C h ild A, and t h a t i s t r u e , but th e re are obvious
d if f e r e n c e s . The Nova S c o tia copy i s only seven sta n za s
long, w ith only four lin e s of d ialo g u e; the w h is tlin g chorus
has been rep la c e d by a "nonsense" chorus— fo u r lin e s of
140
"Sing f a l the d i daddy"; we are not to ld d i r e c t l y t h a t the
d e v i l re tu rn e d the troublesom e w ife; and the l a s t c o u p le t
stanza i s very plain* d o w n -to -earth p h ilo s o p h iz in g w ith em
p h a s is on humor a t th e expense of the "weaker" sex:
The women* th ey say* are te n tim es worse than the men*
For when t h e y 'r e in h e l l t h e y 'r e kicked out ag ain .
The meter i s not so p e r f e c t as t h a t of the C h ild v e r
sio n s. A napestic and iambic te tr a m e te r predom inates* but
th e re are awkward e x tr a s y lla b le s * and the n a tu r a l accent
does not always c o in cid e w ith th e m e tric a l a c c e n t. More
o ver, "York" and " h e ll" in the f i r s t c o u p le t do not rhyme.
O ther new notes are in je c te d in to t h i s l a t e r v e rs io n of
"The F arm e r's C urst W ife." In the f i r s t stanza* the farm er
wishes h is wife to be in H ell; and in the fo u rth c o u p le t,
the d e v il p u ts her in to a sack before he packs her o ff to
H e ll. The farm er l i v e s in York in the Mackenzie v e rs io n ,
and when the d e v il says th a t he must have one of the f a r m e r 's
fam ily , the man does not have to be to ld th a t i t is not h is
e l d e s t son, or h is oxen, or him self; i t is taken fo r granted
t h a t the old wife i s the one c a lle d f o r . The farm er i s more
anxious to g e t r i d of h i s w ife, whom he c a l l s a d e v il; "I
hope you two d e v i ls w i l l never p a r t . " The number of d e v ils
the woman sees in H e ll i s f u r t h e r reduced— only th re e now,
and she needs only to take off h er clo ak "to knock out t h e i r
damn b r a in s ." The l i t t l e d e v i ls "bawl" t o t h e i r f a t h e r t h a t
the old sh e -d e v il w i l l murder them a l l . Such e x p re s sio n s as
141
"damn b ra in s " and "bawl" might be in d ic a tiv e of modern
tre a tm e n t by a more v igorous and ru d er communal group. I t
must be adm itted t h a t some of th e i n t e r e s t i n g d e t a i l s of
t h i s t r a d i t i o n a l n a r r a tiv e song have been lo st* though the
p l o t , m o tiv a tio n , i n t e n t , and g e n e ra l e f f e c t rem ain the
same.
Miss Helen C re ig h to n 's A v e rsio n of "The F arm er's C u rst
W ife," sung by Mr. F aulkner of D e v il 's I s la n d , a s s i s t e d by
Mr. Henneberry, may be found in Appendix LLL. T h is v e rsio n
i s one stanza longer than C h i l d 's A and in c o rp o ra te s both
the w h is tlin g chorus of A and the nonsense chorus of B.
Moreover, i t c o n ta in s more humorous d e t a i l s than the C h ild
v e rs io n s . For example, when the d e v il rea c h e s H e l l 's door
w ith the w ife , he slams "her in among te n thousand more."
The bad wife not only k ic k s out the b ra in s of the l i t t l e
d e v i ls but a ls o t i c k l e s "the skin off the d e v i l 's backbone"
and kicks nine of the l i t t l e d e v i ls in to the f i r e . T h is
more r e c e n tly recorded te x t a ls o has a pronounced m o ralizin g
note in the concluding sta n za s. W e are to ld t h a t the d e v il
i s a fo o l fo r b rin g in g the old scold back, and th a t the wife
i s not worth a c u rs e , and having been a i l through H e ll, is
much worse th a n b e fo re . Even she says: "If the d e v il w on't
have me I d o n 't know who w i l l . "
The farm er l iv e s "on a h i l l " in the C reig h to n v e rs io n ,
and the d e v il comes d i r e c t l y to the p o in t t h a t he i s a f t e r
the fa rm e r's scolding w ife. "Slounced" i s a c o l o r f u l new
142
word used when the old d e v il "slounced her on h i s back";
" d e v i l 's backbone" i s r a t h e r p ic tu re s q u e ; and the mental
p i c t u r e s of l i t t l e d e v i l s " a l l hung on ch a in s" whom the old
woman upped w ith h er fo o t and "kicked out t h e i r b r a in s " and
those "hung on wire" whom she kicked "in the f i r e " are very
good. Again the meter i s very i r r e g u l a r , although the rhyme
i s as tr u e as th a t to be found in C h i l d 's t e x t s .
In T r a d i t i o n a l Songs f r o i Nova S c o tia , p ublished
e ig h te e n y ea rs a f t e r Songs and B alla d s from Nova S c o t i a .
Helen C reig h to n and Doreen S enior have p r in te d a v e rs io n
lik e the one l i s t e d as A in Appendix LLL. The newer v a r i
ant was sung by Ben H enneberry's son Edmund, a ls o of D e v il 's
Isla n d . Minor d if f e r e n c e s occur with the a d d itio n of "dol"
before "d id d le" in the nonsense r e f r a i n ; s u b s t i t u t i o n of
"flounced" f o r "slounced" in sta n za s fo u r and te n , " h e ll"
fo r "home" and "And say s, 'Here you old woman, i t ' s here you
must d w e ll'" fo r "She t i c k l e d the skin off the d e v i l 's back
bone" in stanza f i v e , and the a d d itio n of a t h i r t e e n t h
sta n z a , which i s s im ila r to the f i n a l verse of the Mackenzie
v a r ia n t:
Oh women they are so much worse th an men.
If you send them t o h e l l th ey g e t sent back ag ain .
^Helen C reighton and Doreen S e n io r, c o l l . . T r a d iti o n a l
Songs from Nova S co tia (Toronto, 19t>0). pp. 9 5 - 9 ^ m T ss
Cr e ig h to n n o tes th a t according to Mr. Ben Henneberry, the
l a s t stanza i s v a ria b le and may be the follow ing more iro n
i c a l v erse :
143
When Mr. Percy B ates heard Miss C reig h to n give a v er
sion of "The F arm er's C u rs t Wife" over her C.B.C. ra d io
b ro a d c a s t, he sent in a v a r ia n t which he had heard a Lan
c a s t e r s o ld i e r sing on the V eldt a t th e tu r n of t h i s ce n tu ry
(C reighton B, Appendix LLL). The farm er in B a te s 's te x t
"liv ed in a d e l l " and had a wife who was a lre a d y "acquainted
w ith d e v i l s in h e l l . " The d e v il announces t h a t he i s bound
t o take away some of the f a r m e r 's fa m ily , but the farm er
r e s o l u t e l y t e l l s him th a t he cannot take h i s son or daugh
t e r , only h is " c ru sty old w ife ." "You can take the b itc h
back," r e j o i n s the farm er. T h is would seem to in d ic a te t h a t
the wife has been to h e l l b efo re. The d e v il throws h er over
h i s back " ju s t lik e an old Scotchman c a r r i e s h is pack."
When he g e ts her j u s t o u tsid e h e l l he throws her " r ig h t in
a t a h e l l of a r a t e . " She smashes w ith her fo o t one young
d e v il t h a t comes up in a straw h at and w ith her clog dashes
out the b ra in s of another who comes by r a t t l i n g h is c h a in s .
A fter she has knocked around a l l the d e v i ls in h e l l , the old
d e v il says t h a t she must be tu rn ed o u t, and the b a lla d ends
on the same humorous note of women-baiting found in the p re
v ious C reig h to n v a r i a n t . T h is n in e -sta n z a v a r ia n t c o n s i s t s
of alm ost r e g u la r a n a p e stic t e tr a m e t e r , only two l i n e s con
ta in in g one and two e x tr a f e e t , and m a in tain s e x c e lle n t
T h is proves t h a t women are b e t t e r th a n men,
They can go through h e l l and come back again.
(Or,) They can go to the d e v il and come back again.
144
rhyme. I t c o n ta in s both a w h istle d chorus and a nonsense*
s y lla b le r e f r a i n . The v a r ia n t i s q u ite a c ce p tab le as a
t r a d i t i o n a l E nglish and S c o ttis h b a lla d , Although i t s raw
language, which can be expected in a s o l d i e r 's r e n d iti o n ,
and a s c a r c ity of d ia lo g u e , which lowers i t s dram atic f o rc e ,
cause i t to f a l l below the standard set by the C h ild v er
sio n s.
C reig h to n and S e n io r 's C v a r ia n t c o n ta in s i r r e g u l a r i
t i e s in meter and rhyme, and i t s seven v e rse s do not in co r
p o rate as many i n t e r e s t i n g d e t a i l s as the C h ild v a r ia n ts do.
Sung by Mr. Frank Sweeney of Yarmouth, the b a lla d has a non
sense chorus and a second lin e of each stanza w h is tle d . The
only damage the wife does in t h i s a b b rev iate d v e rsio n is to
l i f t her f i s t and knock out the d e v i l 's b ra in s as he comes
to h e l l ' s g a te . Then a b ru p tly we are to ld :
She was seven y ears going and fo u r coming back
And she c a lle d fo r the pudding sh e 'd l e f t in the p o t.
T his concluding stanza p a r a l l e l s the C hild B ending, the
woman ta k in g seven years coming back as w ell as going in
the l a t t e r .
C reig h to n and S e n io r 's D v a r ia n t i s a t e x t of te n sta n
zas sung by Mr. Sidney Grover of Whitehead. In d e s c rib in g
the wife i t c o n ta in s language more obscene th an th a t used in
the B ates t e x t . T h is b a lla d g e ts a dram atic s t a r t as the
d e v il a d d resses the farm er in the f i r s t v erse: "You owe me
a debt and you now got to p ay ." The d e v il q u ick ly a s s u re s
145
the man t h a t i t i s not he or h is d aughter t h a t he w ants,
but r a t h e r h i s w ife. When the d e v il b rin g s her to h e l l ' s
door, he t e l l s her to go in and "not g et out any more,"
which a ls o may in d ic a te t h a t she has been t o h e l l p r i o r to
t h i s . The wife swings h er l e f t leg and knocks down in to the
f i r e nine " l i t t l e blue d e v ils " who have been peeping over
the w a ll. A fte r the l i t t l e d e v i ls urge t h e i r f a t h e r t o take
her home, he b rin g s her to the farm er, saying, "H ere's your
wife back a g a i n , / I kept h er in h e l l t i l l she broke a l l my
c h a in s ." Undaunted, she goes w h is tlin g over the h i l l : "If
the d e v il w on't have me 1 d o n 't know who w i l l , " as in the
f i r s t C re ig h to n v a r ia n t from D e v i l 's Is la n d . In p ro p o rtio n ,
th e re are more lin e s of dialogue in t h i s v e rsio n th a n any
o th e r. D ra m a tic a lly , t h i s i s an e x c e lle n t b a lla d .
Cape Sable Islan d and Ralph Huskins f u r n is h the l a s t
v a r ia n t (E) recorded by C reig h to n and Senior in t h e i r T ra d i
t i o n a l Sonos from Nova S c o t i a . T h is v a r ia n t i s s im ila r to
the f i r s t C reig h to n te x t from D e v il 's Is la n d . I t has i t s
own p e c u lia r e x p re s sio n s such as the d e v il "muscled" the
scolding wife onto h is back and c a r r ie d h is pack "lik e an
old Jew." A fte r c a rry in g h er to "a big iro n d o o r," he
"tumbled her in w ith te n thousand more." She kicked nine
d e v i ls in to the f i r e a f t e r the old d e v il sa id t h a t th e y
would "hang her up h ig h e r." Whereas she " tic k le d the skin
off the d e v i l 's backbone" when he came in sig h t of h e l l in
the D e v i l 's I s la n d v a r i a n t , she "kicked a l l the skin off
146
the d e v i l 's backbone" when he got her in sig h t of her own
home as he was bringing her back in the Cape Sable Islan d
v e rsio n . The d e v il ex p re sses the im p o s s ib ility of the woman
in the l a s t lin e ; "S he's been through h e l l and s h e 's te n
tim es w orse." Nine l in e s of dialogue e n liv e n the twenty
l in e s of the b a lla d . The v a ria n t has an e la b o ra te r e f r a i n
and chorus which is rep ea ted in each stanza (see Appendix
LLL( v a r ia n t E ).
In the border country of Maine, we may view the area
searched f o r b a lla d s by e d i t o r s Barry, Eckstrom, and Smythe.
Before B r i t i s h B allads from Maine was published in 1929, as
s e r t the e d i t o r s , th e re was no co n sid erab le body of n o rth ern
t e x t s of old t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d s a v a ila b le fo r comparison
w ith those of the Appalachian Highlands of the South. Even
though New England had "long been the b e a co n -lig h t of a l l
stu d e n ts of b a l l a d r y , v e r y few old b a lla d s had been r e
po rted from th e r e . B r i t i s h B allads from Maine c o n ta in s
f i f t y - s i x of the C hild b a lla d s , including fiv e v e rsio n s of
"The F arm er's C u rst W ife." The e d i t o r s p o in t out;
When, upon the o uter is la n d s of the Maine co a st and in
the Appalachian Highlands of the South, we fin d not only
the same form of an old b a lla d but id e n tic a l minute p ar
t i c u l a r s , . . . we have to admit th a t the n o rth ern and
southern t e x t s are not only e q u a lly old but th a t th ey must
have a rriv e d about the same time from England, brought
P h i l l i p s Barry, Fannie Eckstrom, and Mary Smythe,
e d s ., B r i t i s h B allads from Maine (New Haven, 1929), p.
x v ii.
147
over th e sea by people who knew the same v e rsio n , and
th e re fo re most li k e l y coming from the same lo c a lity .®
T his a s s e r tio n lends added i n t e r e s t to our p e ru sa l of New
World c o l l e c t i o n s , fo r we may say t h a t d if fe re n c e s we do
fin d in the American t e x t s a r is e from changes made by fo lk
song r e c i t e r s over h ere.
Four of B a rry 's fiv e t e x t s are te n or eleven co u p let
stan zas in le n g th , and a l l c o n ta in the customary nonsense
chorus or burden. The four b est v e rsio n s in B r iti s h B allads
from Maine may be found in Appendix M M M . In B a rry 's A v er
sio n , i t i s not u n t i l the f i f t h stanza th a t the farmer knows
t h a t the Devil has come a f t e r h is scolding w ife. In the
e a r l i e r stan zas he i s concerned w ith not having oxen on h i s
h ire d farm and in yoking up "his hogs in order to plow ." He
has not plowed more "than a furrow or so" before the D evil
meets him and the old man c r i e s , "I'm su rely a l l done."' be
cause he th in k s th a t the D evil has come f o r h is e ld e s t son.
The D evil shoulders the wife on h is back, not lik e a "ped
l a r ' s pack" but lik e "an old Scotchman a -c a rry in g h is pack."
I t i s L u cifer a t H e l l 's door whose b ra in s she kicks out. As
in the Nova Scotia A v ersio n in Appendix LLL, " lik e a dam
f o o l," the Devil c a r r i e s her back, and since " s h e 's been
through h e l l . . . s h e 's te n tim es w orse."
In the Barry C v e rsio n (B arry 's B fragment has been
6Barry, B r iti s h B allads from Maine, p. x v iii .
148
d e l e t e d ) , the old man, who "had no oxen fo r to plough fo r
h i t c o m , " h i r e s the d e v il t o help him— a novel touch— and
when th e d e v il comes a f t e r h i s pay, the farm er le a r n s t h a t
i t i s h i s old scolding wife the d e v i l w ants. When she has
kicked th e b r a in s out of " l o t s of young d e v i l s ," the old
d e v i l su g g ests th a t th e y "boost h er up h ig h e r"; whereupon
she ups w ith her fo o t and k ick s him in to the f i r e . The "old
mother d e v i l ” peeks over the w all t h i s time and t e l l s the
old d e v i l to c a rr y the wife back. The l a s t stanza of t h i s
t e x t a ls o shows what i r r e g u l a r verse i s to be found in New
World v e rs io n s :
"Oh, w e ll, you've got back, my old scolding w ife.1"
W h ack -fo l-la, f o l - l i d l e , f o l - l e e ;
"You're t e n tim es worse th an you was before you went
to h e l l in your l i f e , "
To my f a - l a , ludy, f o l - l i d l e , f o l - l e e .
The t h i r d and most unusual v e rs io n of "The F arm er's
C u rst Wife" in B r i t i s h B a lla d s from Maine i s th a t "taken
down from the singing and r e c i t a t i o n of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin
F. Robbins, N ortheast H arbor, August, 1 9 2 8 ."7 T h is v e rsio n
i s c h a ra c te riz e d by i t s unusual p h ra s e s , "your darn ugly
w ife ," "to H ell he went f l i p p e r t y c r a c k ," and the burden,
”s c r a t c h - a - f i l l e e , f i l l e e , f i l i d d l e , f i l u m . " Unlike the
o th e r t e x t s , t h i s one shows the farm er a p p a re n tly c a rin g f o r
h is w ife . He e v id e n tly c o n s id e rs her capable of holding her
own a g a in s t the old D evil and welcomes her very p r e t t i l y in
7B arry, B r i t i s h B a lla d s from Maine, p. 330.
149
the concluding stanza:
"My d a a r old w ife, you have done w e ll.
For you've k i l l e d a l l the d e v i ls and r e n t
(reignedl over H e ll ,"
S c r a t c h - a - f I l i e # , f i l l e t , f i l i d d l e , filum .
B a rr y 's £ t e x t i s frag m en tary , " re c o lle c te d by an old
s o ld ie r of th e n o rth ern p a r t of Penobscot County, Maine.®
The d e v il p ic k in g the old sc o ld in g wife "up in to h i s knap
sack" and "sacking h i s pack" " lik e a brave s o ld ie r" i s th e
only new no te. The o th er fragm entary v e rs io n (B) c o n ta in s
nothing of innovation in i t s th r e e sh o rt sta n z a s.
P h i l l i p s Barry p r in te d an i n t e r e s t i n g M assachusetts
fragm ent of "The F arm er's C urst W ife," in the 1911 Jo u rn a l
of American F o lk lo r e , which was t r a d i t i o n a l in the fam ily of
a descendant of Roger W illiam s (included as Barry F, Appen
d ix MMM). The burden i s not made up of nonsense s y l l a b l e s ,
but i t does not make sense u n le ss i t i s considered as a por
t i o n of a square-dance c a l l i n g :
There was an old man who liv e d in the West,
Who had a wife was none of the b e s t.
With a r ig h t le g , l e f t le g .
Upper le g , under le g .
Over the h i l l s to Rowley.
The two and a h a lf rem aining sta n za s in d ic a te the havoc the
wife c re a te d in h e l l . She "kicked seven imps in to the f i r e "
and "the old D evil th re e pegs h ig h e r." The d e v i ls " a l l be
gan to c ry and s q u a l l , / Take her back, or s h e 'l l k i l l us
®Barry, B r i t i s h B a lla d s from Maine, p. 331.
150
a l l ! " The l a s t lin e s t a t e s c o n c lu s iv e ly t h a t she "beat the
D evil and conquered H e ll!"
T w enty-eight y ears l a t e r , in h is Folk Music in America
(1939), P h i l l i p s Barry p u b lish ed an o th er v a r ia n t of "The
F arm er's C u rst Wife" c a lle d "The D evil and the Farmer"
(Barry G, Appendix MMM), c h a ra c te riz e d by i t s te n stan zas
c o n ta in in g only one lin e of n a r r a tiv e each and two l i n e s of
nonsense s y ll a b le s :
With h is t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l ,
Diddle d o ll day.
F i r s t , second, and t h i r d person e n te r in to the r e f r a i n w ith
mv. y o u r, h i s , her " to l de r o l" a l t e r n a t i n g as the person
changes in the f i r s t lin e of each sta n za . Regular te tra m e
t e r i s m aintained throughout the te n n a r r a tiv e l i n e s .
F i r s t the farm er w o rrie s t h a t the D evil has come to
h is farm f o r h i s o ld e s t son and then h is h ire d hand. He i s
much r e lie v e d t o fin d th a t i t i s h is "scold of a w ife" who
i s wanted and lo s e s no time in t e l l i n g the D evil to "Take
her r ig h t o f f , s h e 's the plague of my l i f e . " W e are not
t o ld what happens when the D evil ta k e s h er to h is home, fo r
in the next stanza he b rin g s her back to the farm the very
next day. W e may assume th a t she wreaked havoc and did a l l
those th in g s mentioned in o th e r v a r ia n t v e r s io n s . The l a s t
stanza has the D evil t e l l i n g the farm er very simply th a t
"She f i l l e d a l l h e l l w ith her clamor and s t r i f e . "
Evelyn K. W ells has recorded in The B allad Tree (1950)
151
a v a r ia n t sung to her by Mrs. C a rrie Grover of Gorham,
Maine (Appendix W N). T his e ig h t-s ta n z a v a r ia n t i s s im ila r
to the te n -s ta n z a v e rsio n of Mr. Sidney Grover of Whitehead,
Nova S c o tia , sung to Helen C reighton. Both v a r ia n ts get
down t o b u sin e ss as the d e v il a s s e r t s in the f i r s t stanza
th a t the farmer owes him a debt and th a t he must be paid .
He says in the second stanza th a t i t i s not the fa rm e r's
c h ild re n th a t he c ra v e s, j u s t h is old scolding wife (the
obscenity of the Sidney Grover re n d itio n has been avoided).
A fter clim bing up on a s to o l, she not only knocks nine l i t
t l e d e v ils in to the f i r e with her l e f t le g , but a lso knocks
out w ith her poker the b ra in s of nine l i t t l e d e v ils hanging
in c h a in s. And in the Wells v a ria n t the d e v il not only c a r
r i e s her to h e l l lik e a bold p ed lar c a rry in g h is pack but
a lso c a r r i e s her back in the same manner in the l a s t stanza.
In her Folk Sonos of Old New England. E loise H. Lins-
c o t t has recorded "The Devil and the Farm er’s Wife," sung
by Henry P re s c o tt of Hyde Park, M assachusetts (Appendix
0 0 0 ), who remembered hearing h is f a th e r sing i t — the t r a d i
t i o n a l song in the fam ily th a t was sung "to bury the super
flu o u s a r r i v a l s in the c a t fam ily and, as such, made the
occasions hugely e n j o y e d . H e r e again the farmer is a f r a id
th a t the d e v il wants h is e ld e s t son, but the d e v il a s su re s
him th a t "the old scolding woman's the very one" and immedi-
9 (New York, 1939). p. 188.
152
a t e l y g e ts h er " r ig h t onto h i s back" and goes "down in to
h e l l . . . snappety c r a c k ." T h is time the d e v i l s e t s h i s
"young d e v i ls p re p arin g some ch a in s" but the old woman ta k e s
care of them by c h a r a c t e r i s t i c a l l y kicking out t h e i r b r a in s
— nine of them ag ain . A d i a l e c t a l note i s p re s e n t in " w e 'l l
h ' i s t h er up h ig h e r." The d e v il did not have to be asked by
h is young ones to take her away fo r he "got her r i g h t onto
h is back" and took her back to the farm er ag ain "snappety
c ra c k ." A b i t of m oralizing occurs ag ain in the l a s t stanza:
And now i t s no use f o r women to t e l l
F o l - l o l , f o l - l i - d e e - i - l e e .
And now i t s no use f o r women to t e l l
For I know one old woman got sent back from h e ll*
S c r a t c h - a - f o l - l e e ,
F o l - l o l , f o l - l i - d e e - i - d a y .
From the foregoing stanza may be noted the i n t e r e s t i n g
nonsense r e f r a i n and r e p e t i t i o n of the f i r s t lin e which ex
pands the verse t o s ix l i n e s . The c h a r a c t e r i s t i c rhymed
co u p let i s p re se n t in each sta n z a , but a p p a re n tly the f o lk
in M assachusetts f e l t the need of lengthening an otherw ise
sh o rt humorous b a lla d . L in sc o tt remarks t h a t in t h i s New
England v e rsio n th e re was "much depth of f e e lin g t h a t could
be expressed only in the c h o ru s ." * 0 The rhyme i s p e r f e c t
and the iambic and a n a p e stic te tra m e te r h o ld s up ex c e p tio n
a l l y w e ll.
O lin Downes and E lie S ieg m eister have recorded a nine-
* ° L in s c o tt, p. 188.
153
verse v a r ia n t (B, Appendix 000) whose sta n zas one through
seven are id e n t i c a l to those of L i n s c o t t 's Hyde Park ver-
sion. Downes a s s e r t s t h a t i t i s a b a lla d "from the New
England p ie b e l t t h a t i s sung fervently---and p r iv a te ly — by
the henpecked husbands of the w o r l d . T h e eig h th stanza
i s an e f f e c t i v e b i t of dialogue between the farm er and h is
wife a f t e r her re tu rn :
Says he, "Old lady, did you fa re very w e ll? N
Says she, "Old man, I f la tt e n e d a l l h e l l . "
The l a s t stanza of the Downes v a r ia n t i s more e f f e c tiv e than
i t s c o u n te rp a rt in the prev io u s te x t:
Now you can see what th e se old women can do.
They can whip old men and d e v i ls , too.
In Vermont on August 28, 1930, we could have heard "The
Scolding Wife" "recorded by Mr. Brown . . . in Wardsboro
. . . from the singing of Mr. George Farnham as learned
from Mr. E. S. Gale of M illin g to n , M assachusetts, near
O ra n g e .M ^2 As may be suspected, th e re i s co n sid erab le sim
i l a r i t y between t h i s v e rs io n , to be found in Appendix PPP,
and L i n s c o t t 's M assachusetts v e rsio n . The former i s four
stan zas longer and has more d e t a i l s , but the nonsense r e
f r a i n and many e x p ressio n s are a l i k e . Before the d e v il
comes to the old farm er, he yokes up h is p ig s to plow. One
^*A T reasury of American Sono (New York, 1940), p. 195.
12Helen H. F lan d ers and George Brown, eds.» Vermont
Folk-Sonos and B allads (B ra ttle b o ro , Vermont, 1932), p. 226.
154
breaks away, "the D evil knows how.1" f o r an a d d itio n a l homely
d e t a i l . The d e v il lay s the wife " r ig h t down beside of
H e l l 's door" and says, "'Now, go in and say no m o re.'" The
d e v i l 's musings on seeing what havoc the old woman wreaks
make e n t e r ta in i n g l i s t e n i n g :
Then says the old d e v il, "Must c a rr y her back.
For I b e lie v e , on my so u l, she would d e s tro y the
whole pack!"
Most amusing of a l l i s the homely fo lk humor and philosophy
in the concluding stan za:
T h e r e 's j u s t th re e th in g s th a t the d e v il c a n 't d r iv e - -
Fy l e e , f y l i d d l e , f y lum.
T h e r e 's j u s t th re e th in g s th a t the d e v il c a n 't d riv e —
A hog, and a woman, and bees in to a h iv e.
To my tw ic e , fy f i d d l e , fy la y , go down.
An approach toward sense is made in the l a s t lin e of
the nonsense r e f r a i n . I t would be i n t e r e s t i n g to know what
the r e c i t e r was a llu d in g to . The rhyme rem ains tru e and
the meter i s good although th e re i s e x tra count around "be
lie v e " and "d estro y " in the lin e : "For I b e lie v e , on my
soul, she would d e stro y the whole pack."
Twenty-one y ears a f t e r her Vermont Folk-Sonos and Bal
i a ^ . Miss F lan d e rs p ublished a new c o l l e c t i o n . B allads
Migrant in New England (1953), w ith an in tro d u c tio n by
Robert F r o s t , which c o n ta in s a f u l l t h i r t e e n - s t a n z a v a ria n t
of the "F arm er's C u rst W ife," r e p le te w ith an e la b o ra te r e
f r a i n and nonsense ch o ru s, sung by Mr. Elmer Barton of
Quechee, Vermont ( v a r ia n t B, Appendix PPP). In an in tr o
du cto ry f i r s t stanza we le a rn th a t an old man bought him self
155
a farm but had no team w ith which to work i t . The second
stanza p r e s e n ts a unique p ic tu re of Yankee in g en u ity :
So he yoked up h i s dog beside h i s sow
Saying low-land t i c k - l e 0 la y .
He yoked up h i s dog beside h is sow
And he went w alloping 'ro u n d , the D evil knows how
Saying low-land t i c k - l e O la d d ie .
Low-land t i c k - l e 0 la y .
A fte r the u su a l p r e lim in a r ie s t h a t determ ine which member of
the f a r m e r 's fam ily he i s a f t e r , the D ev il swings th e scold
ing w ife a c ro s s h is back and ra c e s to H e l l 's door " c lic k -
e r t y - c l a c k ." She k ick s the l i t t l e d e v i ls ab o u t, and in
response to t h e i r p le a s of "Carry h er back, m aster D evil,
she w i l l k i l l us a l l ! " he swings her a c ro ss h is back again
and " lik e a darn fo o l" goes "tugging h er back." A fte r he
r e t u r n s he throws her down on the f lo o r and says, "Got to
stay h ere— go t o H e ll no more!" In th e l a s t stanza the old
man c r i e s out t h a t she was "born f o r a cu rse" because she
has been to H e ll and i s now "a whole lo t w orse!" Twelve
lin e s of dialogue enhance the dram atic q u a l i t i e s of the nar
r a t i v e . Although the b a lla d rhymes w e ll, i t s predom inantly
a n a p e stic te tra m e te r i s i r r e g u l a r in te n l i n e s . The second
lin e of each co u p le t i s a r e p e t i t i o n of the f i r s t lin e in
a l l sta n z a s but two.
C e r ta in e x p re s sio n s and l i n e s of "The D evil and the
F arm er's Wife" in the second e d i t i o n of A T reasury of Ameri
can Song (1943) d u p lic a te those of the v e rs io n recorded by
Downes and S ieg m eister in t h e i r f i r s t e d i t i o n (1940), but
156
th e re are d iffe re n c e s * in c lu d in g fo u r a d d i tio n a l stanzas* in
the l a t e r v e rs io n which h a ile d from New Y o rk 's C a t s k i l l
M ountains. Three of the added sta n z a s concern d e t a i l s p ic
tu re d before the D evil goes "down in to h e l l . . . snappety
c r a c k ." The old man did not have p ig s t o yoke up f o r plow
ing* but* much to the d e lig h t of the old tim e rs in the r e
g io n . no doubt* he "hooked up h i s wife and h is old w hite
sow." The D evil s t a t e s th a t he i s going to " s te a l" one of
the fam ily . The old man i s r e lie v e d to le a rn t h a t the D evil
has come a f t e r h is "danged old r ip " of a w ife. The f o u rth
e x tr a stanza e x p re sse s the old man's lament: "I am to be
cu rse d — / S h e's been down to h e l l and come back w orse!"
Eleven of the tw e n ty -six l i n e s c o n ta in d ia lo g u e. The t r a d i
ti o n of unusual nonsense r e f r a i n s i s continued w ith
Sing r i t e f u l awful a y - f u l- a - n i - g o
R i te f u l awful a - n i- g o - l e e .
The Adirondacks* "a s e c tio n of New York S ta te th a t has
been fav o rab le to the p r e s e rv a tio n of f o lk lo re * " has a ls o
fu rn is h e d an i n t e r e s t i n g v e rs io n of "The Farm er' s C u rst
l
Wife" (Appendix RRR). An old man had a farm but no team
t o work it* so he "yoked up h is p ig s" to plow. The old
D evil "slung" the scolding wife on h i s back and went down
in to H e ll " c l i e k e t y - c l a c k . " Seeing "the young D evil" g e t
tin g the c h a in s ready* she "up w ith her h a tc h et and s p l i t
13
E dith E. C utting* Lore of an Adirondack County
(Ith aca* 1944) , p . 11.
157
out h is b r a i n s ." A fter the old D ev il slung her on h i s back
ag ain and "lugged" h e r.
He c a r r i e d h er up to the old man's plow.
S a y in ', "H ere's your old w ife; I c a n 't keep her now!"
The old man g re e te d h er w ith
"Well, w e ll, old woman, y o u 'l l wear th e b e l l .
You've been t o a d e v il; you've conquered a l l H e ll ."
And the b a lla d ends w ith an o th er disparagem ent of women:
You see, the women are worse th a n the men--
If th e y g et in to H e ll, th ey w i l l g et out again.
Only one of the twelve sta n za s i s not rhymed and only two of
the l i n e s c o n ta in a h a lf fo o t over te tr a m e t e r . A "F i lay
f i lid d le f i lay" nonsense r e f r a i n fo llo w s each lin e of the
b a lla d to make i t a smooth l y r i c a l p iece as w ell as a nar
r a t i v e .
A f i f t e e n - s t a n z a v e rs io n , c a lle d the "Old Jokey Song,"
may be found in Pennsylvania Songs and Legends (Appendix
SSS), e d ite d by George Korson, who s t a t e s :
Of the w idely known old humorous b a lla d s in t h i s coun
t r y , the one th a t stu d e n ts c a l l The F arm er's C urst Wife
seems to be by f a r the most popular in P ennsylvania, th e
theme of th e redoubtable wife who can w orst the d e v il him
s e lf a p p e a rs .to be common in fo lk humor and i s of i n c a l
c u la b le a g e .14
The t e x t c o n ta in s a number of in n o v a tio n s. The old man i s
not w ell o f f , as the f i r s t stanza notes:
I t ' s o ff an old man, and he liv e d poor.
He liv e d in a house th a t had but one door.
i 4 (P h ila d e lp h ia , 1949), pp. 39-40.
158
He went out to " f o i l e r th e plow" where the d e v il "hobbust
h er up a l l onto h i s back." The d e v i l packed her t o H e l l 's
g a te s where he " h it h e r a k ic k , say in g . Go in you old
ja d e !" Then when he got h er t o " h e l l ' s door" he h i t her
a n o th er k ic k , to l d h er t o go in , and c a l l e d h er a worse
name. Once in h e l l , th e o ld sco ld in g w ife kicked one l i t t l e
d e v il in to th e f i r e , knocked out w ith a poker the b r a in s of
two " l i t t l e d e v i l s w ith r a t t l e some c h a in s ," and w ith th e
same poker k i l l e d two more "ly in g in bed." One l i t t l e d e v il
t h a t was s t i l l l e f t ra n up the w a ll, c r y in g , "Pap, take 'e r
out o ' h e l l , or s h ' l l k i l l us a l l ! " whereupon th e old d e v il
brought h er to " h e l l ' s door and g a te s a g a in , saying,
"Gwout, you old ja d e !" When he reached the old man, the
d e v il said:
Now h e r e 's your old woman both sound and w e ll—
If I 'd k e p ' her much lo n g e r, sh e'd la th e r e d a l l h e ll.'
The b a lla d ends in the C h ild B S c o ttis h t r a d i t i o n :
She was seven y e a rs going and seven coming back.
And she c a l l e d f o r the mush t h a t she l e f t in the p o t.
The "Old Jokey Song" has rhyme and m eter i r r e g u l a r i t i e s , but
i t has a v ig o ro u s S c o tti s h nonsense r e f r a i n :
Sing whack f a l o o r a , lo o ra la y .
Sing whack f a lo o r a , laddie.'
In h i s Folk-Songs of th e South, 1925, John H. Cox r e
l a t e s t h a t only one copy of "The F arm er's C u rst Wife" has
been found in West V ir g in ia , "and, n o tw ith stan d in g s e v e ra l
prose l i n e s , i t i s the most i n t e r e s t i n g of the v e rs io n s re -
159
15
covered in t h i s co un try .W e are in c lin e d t o p o in t out
the preceding f iv e t e x t s as c lo se co m p etito rs f o r t h a t
honor, however. T h ir te e n sta n za s long, i t in c lu d e s e s se n
t i a l l y a l l the elem ents of C h ild A, p lu s the re fe re n c e to
the "sowens in the pot" in C hild B. Concerning the l a t t e r ,
i t goes even f u r th e r :
She c a lle d fo r the mush t h a t was l e f t in the p o t.
Says h e, "Old la d y , we've e a t i t a l l . "
Not only has the farm er "promised*1 the d e v il h i s "old
woman" but he says: "If you c a n 't pack her away. I ' l l lend
you my c a r t . " The d e v il packs h er o ff lik e a "gay p ed d ler"
and when he g e ts t o the he 11 -g ate, in a gentlem anly manner
he t e l l s her to "walk in and take a c h a i r . " Four l i t t l e
d e v i ls come r a t t l i n g t h e i r c h a in s , whereupon she knocks out
t h e i r b ra in s w ith a c r u tc h . The F a l s t a f f i a n touch e n t e r s in
ag ain when fo u r more l i t t l e d e v i ls y e l l , "Hoist her up
higher.'" and she prom ptly knocks nine of 'em in to the f i r e ,
as in the Nova S cotia and New England v e rs io n s noted. Added
d e t a i l s occur when the d e v il packs her "to the house where
she was born" only to fin d the old man in bed. When he asks
her how she fa re d w ith the d e v i l , as in the New York t e x t ,
she prom ptly r e p l i e s , "Old man, I f l a t t e n e d a l l h e l l . " The
b a lla d i s capped by a b i t of p h ilo s o p h iz in g , as a glance a t
Appendix TTT w i l l show.
H. Cox, e d . . Folk-Sonas of the South (Cambridge,
1925), p . 164.
V erses were supplied from C a r t e r s v i l l e , Chilhow ie. and
Marion. V ir g in ia , to make up the elev en -sta n z a te x t found
in Richard C h a se 's Old Sonas and Singing Games. T his v er
sion has a w h istle d r e f r a i n , a r e p e t i t i o n of the f i r s t lin e
of each sta n z a , and a nonsense r e f r a i n (see Appendix UUU).
Two of the sta n zas do not rhyme and th r e e l in e s do not con
form to an ap estic-iam b ic te tr a m e te r , but the v a r ia n t i s very
sin g a b le. A fte r the d e v il bundled the wife in a sack and
c a rr ie d her to the "high g a te s of H e ll." he sa id . "Poke up
the f i r e . boys, w e 'l l scorch her w e ll." She took care of
eleven l i t t l e d e v ils by kicking them in to the f i r e . The
l a s t th re e stan zas have to do w ith the poor old man who
"looked through the crack" and saw the old d e v il "a-waggin*
her back." As he lay "sick in the bed" she "upped w ith the
b u t t e r s t i c k and paddled h is head." Once again the re g io n a l
v a ria n t of "The F arm er's C u rst Wife" has incorporated i t s
own quaint lo c u tio n and simple concrete images, and come to
the elem ental and inescapable tr u th :
And now you see what a woman can do . . .
She can outdo the d e v i l, and her old man. too . . .
T h irte e n v a r ia n ts of "The Farm er's Curst Wife" are to
be found in A rthur K. D avis' T r a d itio n a l B allads of V irg in ia
(1929). W e s h a ll attem pt to p o in t out only major d i f f e r
ences occu rrin g in th e se v e rsio n s (Appendix WV). Most of
the Davis t e x t s resemble the C hild A copy, but some show
f e a tu r e s found only in Child B. Like the Child B. D avis' A
161
v e rs io n embodies the time elem ent of the w i f e 's being away
f o u rte e n y e a rs . In stea d of c a l l i n g f o r the "sowens she l e f t
in the p o t," she c a l l s fo r the "pie she l e f t in the oven" in
the V irg in ia t e x t . F u rth e r resem bling the B of C h ild , the
t e x t in d ic a t e s t h a t the d e v il has her spraw ling on the f lo o r
by H e l l 's door.
In a d d itio n to H e ll, a farm in g e n e ra l i s the lo c a le
in fo u r of the t h i r t e e n V irg in ia t e x t s , Y orkshire i s the
lo c ale in t h r e e , a h i l l f u rn is h e s the s i t e in two, London
and G lo u ce ste r provide the s e ttin g in one each, and th e re i s
no a d d itio n a l s e ttin g in d ic a te d in the rem aining two t e x t s .
No time element i s mentioned except in the A v e rs io n d i s
cussed above and the £ v e rs io n , in which the wife was "six
months going and e ig h t coming back." The l a t t e r te x t is
a ls o the only o th e r one in which she c a l l s f o r the "mush she
l e f t in the p o t," in d ic a tin g th a t both A and E are indebted
to the C h ild B t r a d i t i o n . The c h a r a c te r s are e s s e n t i a l l y
the same although the number of l i t t l e d e v i ls involved v ar
ie s from th re e to tw elve; fo u r v e rs io n s employing th r e e ;
one each employing f o u r, f i v e , seven, n in e , and tw elve; and
fo u r not mentioning any s p e c ific number. The p l o t , m otiva
t i o n , g e n e ra l e f f e c t , and in te n t are ag ain e s s e n t i a l l y the
same in a l l v e rs io n s although th e re are a number of i n t e r
e s tin g v a r i a t i o n s in the p h ilo s o p h ic a l stanza or sta n z a s a t
the end of most of the t e x t s , which may be found in Appen
d ix WV. G en e ra lly speaking, t h i s p h ilo s o p h iz in g p o in ts out
162
th a t women have an advantage over men because th ey can go t o
H e ll and g e t back again* or t h a t women go to H ell and come
back worse* or th a t th e y are worse th a n men because when
sent to H e ll they are kicked out or come back ag a in .
In two of the versions* the w h is tlin g burden i s given;
in the re s t* the p e c u lia r nonsense s y l l a b l e s f i l l out the
s t r a i n . The d i f f e r e n t p h rases used are too numerous to men
tio n * but a p e ru s a l of the t e x t s in Appendix WV w i l l prove
i n t e r e s t i n g . Davis B embraces some of the p e c u lia r d i a l e c t
and e x p re s sio n s of the V irg in ia h ig h la n d s. When the d e v il
got to the d e v i l 's gate* the old woman f e l l out and "skun
h er old f a c e ." Not s a t i s f i e d in v e rsio n E w ith kicking
elev en l i t t l e d e v i ls in to the f ire * when she r e tu r n s to f in d
her old man sick in bed. she b a t t e r s h i s head w ith "an old
pewter p ip e ." When they a r r iv e a t H e l l 's gate in F, the
d e v il chucks her in and she f a l l s "on her p a t e ," and then
when he s t a r t s to take her back* he rams h er " in to the
sack ." In G the l i t t l e d e v ils say t h a t th e y must c a l l a
ju r y because if they d o n 't r e tu r n her* s h e 'l l murder them
a l l . In H* even though a b a l l and c h a in i s handy, she
smacks the d e v i l 's b ra in w ith a shoe. The d e v il c a r r i e s her
up t o H e l l 's door in I* uncerem oniously g iv e s her a kick*
and says* "Go in t h a t d o o r." In t h i s version* the d e v i l 's
c h ild re n r a i s e "a pow erful sq u a ll" f o r f e a r t h a t she w ill
k i l l them a l l . These o b se rv a tio n s p o in t out th a t each v e r
sion of "The F arm er's C u rst Wife" has i t s own p e c u lia r
163
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . Each fu rn is h e s i n t e r e s t i n g , p ic tu re s q u e ,
l i v e l y , co n crete d e t a i l s in p re se n tin g a sh o rt n a rra tiv e
t a l e in song. Each i s p a r t of a v ast system of t r a d i t i o n a l
b a lla d r e c i t a l s . No one b a lla d i s more v a lid th an the r e s t ,
fo r each has been c o lle c te d from a f o i k - s i n g e r , each i s the
outgrowth of communal handling of an an c ie n t fo lk b a lla d .
One b a lla d v e rsio n may be b e t t e r than the next because i t
has been shaped perhaps by a b e t t e r communal group embrac
ing more g if te d or b e t t e r endowed in d iv id u a ls . Of the Vir
g in ia t e x t s , none of which are very good as smooth l y r i c a l
p ie c e s , i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o pick out one b e t t e r than the
o th e r. Weaknesses abound in the s t r u c t u r a l arrangement of
a l l but the short L v e rsio n , which, c u rio u s ly enough, i s the
most c lo s e ly p a tte rn e d a f t e r C hild A, even to the end rhyme.
The te tra m e te r i s n ea rly p e r f e c t , and the rhyme of the six
sta n za s corresponds to C hild A stan zas one, s ix , e i g h t ,
nin e, none, and te n , r e s p e c tiv e ly . O bviously, many of the
sto ry d e t a i l s , mainly a t the beginning, are m issing; only
one lin e of dialogue i s given, and even the s ix th stanza is
taken up with p h ilo so p h izin g r a th e r than r e a l b a lla d n a rra
t i v e . V irg in ia t e x t s A through G c o n ta in as many n a rra tiv e
d e t a i l s as e i t h e r of the C h ild v e rs io n s , and indeed, Davis
A, a s p o in ted out above, combines in i t s t h i r t e e n stan zas
the p e c u lia r f e a tu r e s to be found in both of the C hild t e x t s ,
but the b a lla d s tru c tu re of these c o p ies i s quite poor. The
meter i s very i r r e g u l a r , the rhyme not much b e t t e r ; w itn ess
164
in Davis A, "farm . . . on" in stanza one and "crave . . .
determ ined" in stanza fo u r. In Davis B, observe the meter
and rhyme of stanza seven:
When he got to the iro n g a te .
She f e l l out the old sack and skun her old fa c e .
Even a c a s u a l read in g of the V irg in ia t e x t s given in Ap
pendix WV w i l l show the r e l a t i v e l y g r e a t e r d is c re p a n c ie s
of t h e i r b a lla d s tr u c t u r e .
To c o l l e c t h is share of the b a lla d s f o r E nglish Folk
Songs from the Southern A ppalachians in 1916, C e c il J .
Sharp spent many weeks in the mountains of North C a ro lin a ,
Tennessee, and V irg in ia . V is itin g White Rock, A lla n sta n d ,
Alleghany and Carmen, Big L au re l, and Hot Springs in North
C a ro lin a , he covered the major p o rtio n of what i s known as
the L au rel Country. P o in tin g out th a t the in h a b ita n ts of
t h i s area were the d i r e c t descendants of the o r i g i n a l s e t
t l e r s , who were em igrants from England and the lowlands of
S co tlan d , he concluded, in 1916,
t h a t the p re se n t-d a y r e s i d e n t s of t h i s s e c tio n of the
mountains are the descendants of those who l e f t the shores
of B r i t a i n some time in the e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry .
When Mr. Sharp v i s i t e d t h i s c o u n try , he expected to fin d
c o n d itio n s very s im ila r to those which he had encountered
while in England q u estin g f o r b a lla d s . He was ag reeab ly
0 . D. Campbell and C. J . Sharp, e d s ., E nglish Folk
Songs from the Southern A ppalachians (New York, 1917),
p. iv.
16b
s u rp ris e d to fin d th a t he d id not have to confine h i s a t t e n
t i o n t o the aged* "as in England where no one under the age
of seventy o r d in a r ily p o sse sse s the fo lk -so n g t r a d i t i o n , " * 7
f o r he soon d isc o v ered t h a t both old and young were e n th u s i
a s t i c b a lla d s in g e rs . With them, singing was as common as
speaking. I t must be remembered, however, t h a t Mr. Sharp
was c o l l e c t i n g in the re g io n before World War I, and w ith
the o u tsid e c o n ta c ts made by the younger g e n e ra tio n s in two
such world c o n f la g r a tio n s , t h i s enthusiasm , as noted in the
In tro d u c tio n , has ceased to e x i s t .
E n a listt Folk Songs from the Southern A ppalachians con
t a i n s only two v e rsio n s of "The F arm er's C u rst W ife." The B
t e x t i s the same as D avis' V irg in ia t e x t E (see Appendix
V W ), where i t is acknowledged as having been c o l le c te d by
Mr. Sharp and Miss K arp eles. S h a rp 's A, an unusual v e rs io n
sung by Mrs. Sarah Buckner a t Black Mountain, North Caro
l i n a , in September, 1916, may be found in Appendix W W W . It
is fo u rte e n sta n z a s in le n g th but te n of them c o n s is t of on
ly one lin e of n a r ra tiv e verse p lu s th re e l i n e s of nonsense
burden, the second lin e of which, "Sing bands and r e v e l s ,
and r e b e ls and tr o u b l e s ," may have some f o rg o tte n con n ectio n
w ith C i v i l War days. O rig in a lly the sin g le n a r r a tiv e l i n e s
probably were arranged as stanza c o u p le ts ; f o r example, the
f i r s t fo u r n a r r a tiv e l i n e s rhyme aabb. T h is old man drove
*7Campbell and Sharp, pp. v i i - v i i i .
X66
"six oxens and an old cow," and o th e r new d e t a i l s include
th e w i f e 's having "ten hens in the l o t , " and every day hav
ing "one in the p o t." The farm er p ray s f o r the d e v il "to
come g e t them a l l . " The d e v il ta k e s h er away "to old tample
shack (temple shack)" before going down to h is den where he
has a l l kinds of implements w ith which she can b ra in him—
" b e lls , b lu b s, b lin d s , and c h a in s" — but she p ick s up an ax
and mauls "out h is b r a i n s ."
The A and B t e x t s in Volume I of E nglish Folk Songs
from the Southern A ppalachians, c o lle c te d by C e c il J . Sharp
and e d ite d by Maud K arp eles, are the same as those found in
Appendixes W W W (Sharp A) and VW (Davis E). Four new v er
sio n s from Kentucky and Tennessee are now added to Appendix
W W W . Sharp C has a few new touches added: The d e v il "har
v e s ts " the old wife onto h i s back, and when he g e t s her
"down to the high g a te s of h e l l , " he says: "Rake back the
c o a ls and w e 'l l ro a s t her w e l l ." A fter being "seven y ears
gone and seven a-coming back," the old woman c a l l s "fo r the
'b a c c a ' she l e f t in the c ra c k ." These touches may be a t
t r i b u t e d to the lo c a l fo lk customs and p e c u l i a r i t i e s of
Kentucky and Tennessee. The farm er "geared up h is hogs" to
go out to plow in Sharp D, the d e v il to ld the old lady to
g et down because she was "a t e r r i b l e lo a d ," and "she grabbed
up a p ick and s p l i t out h is b r a in s ." In Sharp E, the d e v il
"peeps over h i s horse" "in the f a r m e r's f i e l d " and c rav e s
the old man's "old hump-back-ed w ife ." When "the old d e v il
la id f a r back on the bed," she "m ellered h is headH w ith "her
old pewter p o t ," and in a d d itio n , "with her old pewter p ip e "
she a ls o picked out the b r a in s of "ten l i t t l e d e v ils hanging
up by a c h a in ." Gone "seven y e a rs th e re and th r e e y ea rs
back," t h i s time "she c a lle d fo r the b re a d c ru s t she l e f t in
the c ra c k ." These homely d if f e r e n c e s in the t e x t s p ic tu r e
very w e ll the idea of a b a lla d o r i g i n a l tr a v e lin g over d i f
f e r e n t p a r t s of the w orld, breaking up in to many v a r i a n t s
which are c h a ra c te riz e d by the p e c u lia r id eas and usages and
customs of the p a r t i c u l a r re g io n s in to which th ey d r i f t .
One fo lk sin g er or group of sin g e rs in a c e r t a i n community
knows of a n o to rio u s scold who has a h a b it of leaving her
"bacca" in a c ra c k , or of p u ttin g bread c r u s t s in a c ra c k ,
or of an old woman who p r iz e s h er pewter pot and p ip e . Grad
u a lly such homely f a c t s are in c o rp o ra te d in to the b a lla d of
"The F arm er's C u rst W ife." The a l t e r e d b a lla d d r i f t s on
in to new communities and s e c tio n s ; new lo c a l customs and
p e c u l i a r i t i e s are to be reckoned w ith; s u b s t i t u t i o n s , omis
sio n s, or a d d itio n s , or any com bination of them, are made.
Folk b a lla d ry i s no s t a t i c th in g .
In S h a rp 's l a s t Kentucky v e rs io n , F, the re tu r n in g
wife b a t t e r s h er husband's head with her old pewter pot as
he l i e s sick on the bed. In an im aginative way, the d e v il
f l i e s over the f a r m e r 's old gray mare. T his might be a t
t r i b u t e d to an old demonology b e l i e f .
In The Anglo-American B allad Study (194b). John Jacob
N iles has recorded another v e rsio n from Kentucky, i n t e r e s t
ing because of the v a r ie ty of i t s homely l i t t l e d e t a i l s and
e la b o ra te nonsense r e f r a i n (see Appendix XXX). Going out
to plow, the farmer h itc h e s up "an ox and an a ss and a
cow," the d e v il f l i e s by "with a f l i c k e t y - f lack" and he
c a r r i e s "a p itc h - f o r k wrapped up in a sack ," and the scold
ing wife i s one "w hat's lo s t a l l of her h a i r . " As in the
Sharp C Kentucky v a r ia n t, he again "h a rv e sts" her up on h is
back and leaves lik e a peddler " a - t o t i n " ' h is pack. When he
g e ts her to h e l l , h is command, "Blow up the f i r e , boys, w e 'll
ro a s t t h i s one w ell" must have provoked m irth from the fo lk
l i s t e n e r s . T his time the old woman knocks out the l i t t l e
d e v i l s ' b ra in s with a poker and in C h ild B t r a d i t i o n i s away
t h i r t e e n y e a rs , asking when she g e ts back f o r the "corn-pone
she l e f t in the c ra c k ." I t is i n te r e s ti n g to note t h a t the
l a s t stanza does not c o n ta in a b i t of p h ilo so p h izin g as do
the l a s t sta n za s in most of the o th er Kentucky-Tennessee
v e rsio n s . In ste a d , the fo lk have chosen to end w ith d ia
logue, which i s , a f t e r a l l , c lo s e r to the fo lk b a lla d t r a d i
t i o n which c a l l s fo r a stra ig h tfo rw a rd unfolding of the
sto ry w ith a minimum of opinion of the p a rt of the r e c i t e r .
The N iles v a ria n t c o n ta in s p e r f e c t rhyme, and i f the "and"
in the l a s t lin e were d e le te d , the poem would not once d ev i
ate from te tra m e te r .
Of i n t e r e s t because i t shows how v a r ia tio n ta k es place
over the years even w ith in f a m ilie s i s the v a r ia n t recorded
169
by Jean R itc h ie in h er Singing Family of the Cumberlands
(1956). T h is v a r ia n t was sung by J e a n 's s i s t e r U n ie, who
learn ed i t from Uncle Jason R i t c h i e 's g i r l Sabrina on B all
Fork in Knott County, Kentucky. Sabrina R itc h ie i s the one
who sang "The F arm er's C u rst Wife" f o r C e c il Sharp on Sep
tember 20, 1917, f iv e y ears b efo re J e a n 's b i r t h . A compar
ison of Sharp C (Appendix W W W ) and Jean R i t c h i e 's v a r ia n t
(Appendix YYY) re v e a ls a number of d if f e r e n c e s . The l a t t e r
has two more s ta n z a s, in clu d in g t h i s unique one which shows
the f o l k 's love of ex ag g eratio n :
Two more l i t t l e d e v i ls peeped over the door,
She hauled back her cu d g el, k i l l e d n in e ty -n in e more.
The second a d d i tio n a l stanza ex p re sse s the d e v i l 's s e n t i
ments about the wife as he b rin g s her back to her husband:
"H ere's your old scolding wife and i t ' s her I w on't have.
She a i n ' t f i t fo r Heaven, she s h a n 't sta y in H e ll."
Jean R i t c h i e 's v a ria n t has the d e v il "hobst" the wife on h is
back lik e a "bold" p e d la r in s te a d of "h arv e st" her lik e an
"old" p e d la r. Seeing two l i t t l e d e v i ls , she "hauled back
her cudgel and knocked out t h e i r b ra in s " in s te a d of "hauled
back her cu d g e ls and hauled out t h e i r b r a in s ." She c a lle d
fo r h er "baccer" in s te a d of her "bacca." I t is i n t e r e s t i n g
to note t h a t in the in te rv e n in g y ears the R itc h ie s have im
proved the meter of the b a lla d . I r r e g u l a r i t i e s in the f i r s t
and t h i r d stan za s have been smoothed o u t. The l a t e r v a r ia n t
d i f f e r s a ls o in having the burden w h istle d and in having an
a l t e r e d nonsense r e f r a i n .
170
The K n o x v ille, T ennessee, K irkland te x t p u b lish ed in
the Southern F o lk lo re Q u a rte rly was recorded in 1937 by a
lady who learn ed i t from h er f a t h e r , Mr. Marion Cummings of
B e a tr ic e , Nebraska. C a lle d "Hi Lum Day,*1 a f t e r i t s nonsense
r e f r a i n , the te n - s ta n z a v a r ia n t i s r a t h e r i r r e g u l a r in meter
and rhyme scheme. In the f i r s t stanzm the d e v il announces
t h a t he must have one of the old man's c h i ld r e n , but in the
second he says t h a t i t i s the old scolding wife he must
have. When she reac h es h e l l , i t i s the b r a in s of "old Beel-
zebub, r a t t l i n g h is c h a i n s , " t h a t she b e a ts w ith her poker.
I t i s an old " sh e -d e v il" t h a t looks over the w all and ask s
the "Master D evil" to take the scolding wife away. As in
the C h ild S c o ttis h t e x t , t h i s Tennessee v e rs io n has the
w ife "seven y ea rs going and seven y ears coming," a f t e r which
she c a l l s f o r "the mush she had l e f t in the oven." The old
man i s l e f t in the l a s t v erse to ponder a knotty problem:
"W ell," said the old man, "What to do I c a n ’t t e l l .
For you a r e n 't f i t f o r heaven and you w on't s ta y in h e l l . "
From Tennessee i s recorded in M. E. H enry's Folk-Sonos
from the Southern H ighlands (1938) an i n t e r e s t i n g v e rs io n of
"The F arm er's C u rst W ife." C h a r a c t e r i s t i c p e c u l i a r i t i e s of
t h i s v e rs io n may be seen in Appendix AAAA. When th e d e v il
ta k e s the old woman down to h is den, he pokes h er in " lik e
an old wet h en ." T h is time i t i s the D evil "six y ea rs
a-going and seven coming back." When the wife r e t u r n s home,
she c a l l s fo r the "hominy she l e f t on the p o t ," hominy being
171
more p e c u lia r t o Tennessee than "sowens" or mush. Moreover,
she p ic k s up the la d le and b u r s ts the sick husband's head.
Each stanza c o n ta in s a w h istle d burden and a lin e of non
sense s y l l a b l e s . Two of the nine sta n zas lack rhyme and two
l i n e s are i r r e g u l a r m e tr ic a lly .
Geneva Anderson has recorded a f i f t e e n - s t a n z a v a r ia n t
in her "A d d itio n al E nglish and S c o ttis h B alla d s Found in
East Tennessee" published in the Tennessee F olklore S o ciety
B u lle tin of 1942 (Appendix BBBB). The second stanza shows
an unseemly use of the f i r s t person. "He h itc h e d up h is
hoss and went out to p lo w ,/ How he got around I never knew
how." Adding t o the f o l k 's never-ending v a r ie ty of compari
sons, the f i f t h stanza has t h i s u n lik e ly sim ile ;
Now the d e v il got the lady upon h is back.
He looked lik e a camel w ith a hump on i t s back.
Stanzas six and seven give th e f e e l in g of time and space to
be tr a v e r s e d in a t r i p to H ell and show p ro v o catio n fo r the
shrew 's forthcom ing v io le n ce;
Soon they came t o the fo rk s of the road,
He s a id , "Get down, ole woman, y o u 're a h e l l of a
lo a d ."
Now when they came to the g a te s of h e l l .
He s a id , " S tir up the f i r e , boys, w e 'l l scorch her
w e ll."
The old woman th e n goes in to a c tio n , coming up w ith a h a t
c h e t and s p l i t t i n g out the b r a in s of "one l i t t l e d e v i l drag
ging up the ch ain s" (presumably fo r h e r ) . Q uickly siz in g up
her t e r r i b l e n e s s , the l i t t l e d e v ils p r e v a i l upon t h e i r
172
"Daddy" t o "take h er away, and never b rin g her back." The
d e v i l s ' gain i s the old man's lo s s :
Now the old man when he peeped out a c ra c k .
Saw the d e v il come a-wagging h er back.
He was " a -s ic k in bed," and to show her a f f e c t i o n she "up
w ith the r o l l i n g p in and knocked him in the head." That she
enjoyed th e se muscular t i f f s i s proved as she m e rrily goes
"a -sin g in g a c ro s s the h i l l " : "The d e v il w on't have me, and I
d o n 't know who w i l l . " The b a lla d ends w ith the f o lk sin g e r
giving h is a p p re c ia tiv e and guffawing audience the b e n e f it
of h is o b se rv a tio n s about unmanageable old women:
Now t h i s old lady was sound and w e ll,
She a i n ' t f i t fo r heaven, they w on't have her
in h e l l .
Now t h i s goes to show what a woman can do,
S h e 'l l outdo the d e v il and h er old man to o .
The v a r i a n t 's iambic and a n a p e stic te tra m e te r i s very ir r e g
u l a r , but i t s f i f t e e n c o u p le ts rhyme and i t s ly r ic is m i s en
hanced by a nonsense r e f r a i n .
Among "Ten Old E nglish B alla d s in Middle T en n essee,"
published in the 1947 Southern F o lk lo re Q u a rte rly by Robert
Mason i s a v a ria n t which i s i n t e r e s t i n g because i t shows one
of the f o rc e s of v a r i a t i o n a t work in the com bination of
"The F arm er's C urst Wife" and "The Wife Wrapt in a W ether's
Skin" (Appendix GCOC). When the old man comes in " w h istlin g
from the plow" he asks h is wife i f she has d in n e r ready and
g e ts a 'sassy* re p ly :
173
"T h ere's a piece of cold bread laying on the shelf*
If you want any mutton go f r y i t y o u r s e lf ."
He goes down to h is sheep pen and w ith h is k nife skins one
of h is sheep. Then he s tr e t c h e s " th a t skin over Honey's
back" and w ith a club makes " i t c ra c k ." According to an-
c ie n t f o lk lo r e , t h i s p ra c tic e w i l l r e s u l t in reform ing a
shrew ish, lazy , g ood-for-nothing woman w ithout the husband
le g a lly being held re sp o n sib le f o r w ife -b e a tin g . Apparently
i t did not work in t h i s c a se , however, fo r the old man
shoulders her and packs her off to h e l l , hard luck to the
d e v il. She ups "with a c le a v e r" and knocks down one l i t t l e
d e v il t h a t comes limping along. Another l i t t l e d e v il ex
cla im s, "Take her back, Pap, before she k i l l s us a l l . " The
Devil f o o lis h ly does take her back, and the te n -s ta n z a v a r i
ant ends w ith the old woman w h is tlin g ac ro ss the h i l l and
saying, "The d e v il w on't have me, I wonder who w i l l ! " A
nonsense lin e of r e f r a i n comes a f t e r each n a rra tiv e l i n e ,
and the v a ria n t has few d e v ia tio n s from te tra m e te r . Only
one of the c o u p le ts does not rhyme.
The Albemarle tid e w a te r reg io n of Roanoke Islan d and
the Albemarle Sound in e a s te rn North C a ro lin a i s the se c tio n
covered by b a lla d hu n ter Louis W . C happell, author of Folk-
Songs of Roanoke and the Albemarle (1939). The tid e w a te r
w hites of th ese swamplands, lik e other lowland w h ites of
the South, are almost wholly of c o lo n ia l B r i t i s h d e sce n t.
C h a p p e ll's c o l l e c t i o n in c lu d es twenty v e rsio n s of the C hild
174
b a l la d s , the l a s t of which i s "The F arm er's C urst W ife."
c o n trib u te d by D. 8. Gibbs of Columbia. North C a ro lin a , in a
fragment of two sta n za s which are included almost verbatim
in a few t e x t s given in the appendixes:
Along came a l i t t l e d e v i l .
A-peeping over the w a ll.
Says, c a rr y her back, daddy.
Or she w i l l k i l l us a l l .
Then he picked her a l l up
On the hump of h is back.
And lik e an old fo o l
Went lugging her back. °
The Frank C. Brown C o lle c tio n of North C aro lin a (1952)
c o n ta in s a seven-stanza v e rsio n c a lle d "The F arm er's Wife"
(Appendix DDDD), which i s com paratively u n d istin g u ish e d ex
c e p t fo r i t s Irish -so u n d in g i n t e r c a l a t e d r e f r a i n : "Sing
to o ra la la lo o ra , sing to o ra la day." P ic tu r e s q u e ly , the
old d e v il f l i e s over the old man's "mow." A fte r the old
woman h i t s him on the back w ith a c lu b , the d e v il c a r r i e s
her "away from the old tamplo shack," which appears to be a
c o rr u p tio n of the "tample { o r temple) shack" of the North
C a ro lin a v e rs io n recorded by Campbell and Sharp in 1916.
A lton C. M orris has recorded two v e rs io n s of "The
F arm er's Cursed Wife" in h i s Folksongs of F lo rid a (1950).
M orris A (Appendix EEEE), c a lle d " J a c k 's W ife," is a nine-
stanza te x t which s t a r t s w ith Jack going out "to plow h is
corn" and seeing the "old d e v il come marching a lo n g ." The
(Morgantown, West V ir g in ia , 1939), p. 42.
175
d e v il g iv es assurance th a t he i s not a f t e r J a c k 's horse and
plow, but r a th e r h is old scolding w ife . The d e v il ta k e s her
to "the H ell house door" and says, "Go in th e r e , old woman;
d o n 't scold no more." Then "one mean l i t t l e d e v il run up
the w a l l , / Saying, Shake her out, Daddy; s h e 'l l murder us
a l l . " When the d e v il c a r r i e s the wife back home, he says to
the u n ap p rec iativ e farm er:
"Ja c k ie , O J a c k ie , I'v e brought your wife back."
"No," says Jack , "I d o n 't thank you fo r t h a t ; "
The poem ends w ith the c h a r a c t e r i s t i c humorous censure of a
shrewish woman:
Now the people can a l l laugh and t e l l
J a c k 's got a wife they w on't have in H ell.
T his v a ria n t c o n ta in s e ig h t lin e s of dialogue and incorpor-
a te s a w h is tlin g chorus as in C hild A and a short nonsense
r e f r a i n as in C h ild B.
M orris B, "Jack," is a th ir te e n - s ta n z a F lo rid a v a ria n t
r e p le te w ith a w h istlin g chorus, nonsense r e f r a i n , twelve
lin e s of d ia lo g u e, and quaint te x tu a l d if f e r e n c e s . M e tric al
i r r e g u l a r i t i e s are apparent in the f i r s t stanza which p ic
tu r e s the beginning of a f rie n d ly meeting between the farm er
and the d e v il:
One morning while Jack was follow ing h i s plow.
The d e v il stepped up and sa id , "How do you do, now?"
Jack i s w orried a t f i r s t th a t h is oxen and plow are in
jeopardy but i s very happy to fin d th a t the d e v il merely
wants h is old w ife. Once on the d e v i l 's back, the old woman
176
goes to H ell M do—whiggledy—whack." She soon makes the
d e v il r e a l iz e what a mistake he has made. She p ick s up a
board and bangs him w ith i t a t "C ristac o F a t," and she bangs
"h is head with a g re a t big club" a t Beelzebub. In stanza
te n we are to ld th a t she was seven years away from home and
had " ju s t landed back," whereupon "she c a lle d fo r the mush
she had l e f t in the c r a c k ." Jack t e l l s how sorry he is th a t
the d e v il brought h is wife back, and f o r good reason, fo r
she keeps "pecking h is head" with a pewter pipe as Jack l i e s
sick upon the bed. D esp a irin g ly , he moans:
"Oh Lordi" said Jack, "what w ill you do next?
You're not f i t fo r Heaven: they w on't have you in H e ll."
In h is B allads and Songs of Indiana (1940) Paul Brew
s te r s t a t e s th a t only one copy of t h i s b a lla d has been found
in Indiana and th a t i t resem bles most c lo s e ly v ersio n A of
C h ild . With i t s t i t l e taken from the f i r s t lin e , "The Devil
Came to the F arm er's One Day" (Appendix FFFF), i t c o n ta in s
se v eral homely Hoosier e x p re s sio n s, such as "danged old
wife" and "sat parching beans." A l i t t l e d e v il is d i s t i n
guished by h is "red cap" and i s given a "foot slap" by the
old woman who "pickd up a pine-knot and s p l i t out t h e i r
b r a i n s . "
Nonsense s y lla b le s and t h e i r arrangement are d i f f e r e n t
in t h i s v ersio n :
Unt-urn, um-hum-hum-hum, . . .
Sing tyo raddle ding day.
Meter and rhyme are somewhat i r r e g u l a r . "Beans" does not
177
rhyme w ith " b r a in s ” and "crave" i s an eye-rhyme with "have."
A few of the longer lin e s c o n ta in one or more s y ll a b le s over
te tra m e te r .
Emelyn Gardner and G eraldine C hickering have included a
copy of t h i s famous Child b a lla d in t h e i r B allads and Sonas
of Southern Michigan (see Appendix GGGG), a f if t e e n - s ta n z a
v e rsio n co n tain in g a few in n o v atio n s. The old woman was
c a rr ie d "over two f i e l d s of rye" and "kicked out h is e y e ,"
t h i s d e sp ite the f a c t th a t the d e v il has an "old broken
back." The farm er i s p a r t i c u l a r l y anxious th a t the d e v il
w i l l keep h is w ife: "And I hope to God you never w i l l p a r t . "
If the d e v il had kept her much longer she'd "la th e re d a l l
h e l l . " The nonsense r e f r a i n is no longer a l l nonsense:
Jack a f i e gent t o rosim Marie: . . .
As the dew blows over the green v a lle e .
The meter seems f a i r l y r e g u la r; the rhyme f a l t e r s a t tim es:
"blow" in the second stanza does not rhyme with "where," and
"want" in stanza fiv e f a i l s to rhyme w ith "have;" moreover,
"farm . . . farm" in the f i r s t stanza shows a lack of f i
nesse ap p reciab le even in the popular b a lla d .
The Michigan v a ria n t found in Earl Beck's Lore of the
Lumber Camps (Appendix HHHH) is noteworthy because i t shows
how a d a p ta tio n of b a lla d s ta k e s place among people of d i f
f e r e n t occupations. Beck s t a t e s , " I t was not uncommon fo r
the lumberjack to take some e a rly E nglish, S c o ttis h , or
178
I r i s h b a lla d and f i t new words to i t . " ^ Few "new words"
occur in t h i s te n -s ta n z a v a r ia n t, however, o th e r than the
term "woodsman" being s u b s titu te d f or "f armer" or "old man" or
"Jack." Rhyme and meter are s u r p ris in g ly re g u la r. The l a s t
stanza shows the ze st the lumberjack had f o r h is f a v o r ite
old b a lla d :
The woodsman he laughed, f o r i t tic k le d him w ell
For t o th in k t h a t h is wife was the b u lly of H e ll.
The Burl Ives Song Book (1953) c o n ta in s a seven-stanza
v a ria n t c a lle d "The D iv il and the Farmer," which is from
"the midwest where I r i s h immigrants worked on the r a i l
r o a d s . " ^ The v a r ia n t is short (see Appendix I I I I ) but con
t a i n s the main n a rra tiv e elem ents, which are expressed in
c u rio u s ways, such as in the i n i t i a l co n v e rsa tio n between
the d e v il and the farm er:
"See h ere, me good man, I have come f o r your w ife.
S h e's the bane and torment of your l i f e . "
When the wife and d e v il got to h e l l they found the g a te s
shut, whereupon "with a sweep of her hand she lay open h is
nut" (slang f o r "head"). "Two l i t t l e d i v i l s " were, of a l l
th in g s , "playing handball" in h e l l . When the d e v il "h e iste d
her up on h is hump," back "to e a rth w ith her he d id jump."
As grounds fo r t h e i r sweeping indictm ent of women as being
"worse th an the men," the I r is h r a i l r o a d e r s sang in the con-
^ (A n n Arbor, 1942), p. 157.
^(N ew York, 1953), p. 195.
179
eluding stanza: "They went down to h e l l and got chucked out
a g a in ." The v a ria n t a ls o f e a tu r e s an e la b o ra te r e f r a i n and
chorus arrangement w ith each stan za.
M is s is s ip p i was the scene of b a lla d c o l le c tin g by
A rthur P. Hudson, au th o r of Folksongs of M is s is s ip p i and
T h eir Background (1936), in which the f i r s t twenty*seven
fo lk songs are independent t r a d i t i o n a l v a r ia n ts of English
and S c o ttis h popular b a lla d s . The two v ersio n s of "The
F arm er's C urst Wife" in t h i s c o l l e c t i o n are again as Ameri
can as the Old World analogues are English or S c o ttis h .
Contained in Appendix J J J J , the two t e x t s e x h ib it such
homely touches as the "pipe she'd l e f t in a c ra c k ," and the
old woman's picking up a "chunk" to knock the b ra in s out of
nine l i t t l e d e v i ls . The w if e 's picking up a s tic k to k i l l
th re e l i t t l e d e v ils "fly in g along" i s a lso a new f e a t u r e ,
and the d e v i l 's saying, "H ere's your w ife, both sound and
w ell; if I 'd kept her th e re long, she'd a to r n up h e l l , " is
r e f re s h in g ly d i r e c t . Notable is the beginning of the Hudson
B t e x t , which s t a r t s as if the sto ry i s to be to ld by the
r e c i t e r in the f i r s t person. The f i r s t lin e i s a declama
t i o n d ir e c te d toward heaven; the verb of the second l i n e ,
which e s t a b l i s h e s the speaker as the farm er, i s not in the
proper te n s e , and the t h i r d lin e "continues" the old man's
"one-sided" co n v e rsatio n w ith the d e v i l. T ypical of the
t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d , in t h i s s i t u a t i o n the remarks by the
d e v il must be in f e r r e d . The nonsense burdens of the
180
M is s is s ip p i t e x t s are e la b o r a te ; the meter of te x t A and
the rhyme of te x t B are h ig h ly i r r e g u l a r .
Among the b a lla d s c o l le c te d by the M issouri F olklore
S o cie ty are two v e rsio n s of H The F arm er’s C u rst W ife." Both
are l i s t e d in Appendix KKKK. The M issouri A i s a fragm ent,
but the B te x t i s fo u rte e n sta n zas long, including two con
cluding c o u p le ts ex p ressin g the c h a r a c t e r i s t i c philosophy
about c e r t a i n women. The d e v i ls or imps in h e l l in both of
th ese t e x t s come dancing "on a w ire ," which "suggests memo
r i e s of the mystery p la y s . T his i s a ls o tru e of the Nova
S cotia t e x t . New in the A te x t is the p ic tu re of the d e v il
hurrying off " lik e a horse in a ra c k ," of "four l i t t l e
d e v ils . . . r o l l i n g a b a l l , " and "the old man in the k i t
chen peeping out a t the crack s" watching the d e v il "a-wag-
ging" h is wife back. In the M issouri B, a f t e r ta k in g the
old woman on h is back, the d e v il ta k e s "off in a rack" j u s t
" lik e an old bald e a g le ," again evidence of environm ental
a d a p ta tio n made in b a lla d ry .
Two more M issouri v e rsio n s may be found in Vance Ran
dolph ' s Ozaiijc_jFoIJc^ongs (1946), sponsored by the S tate His
t o r i c a l Society (see Appendix LLLL). The f i r s t i s twelve
sta n za s in le n g th , the second seventeen, which s e ts the
record f o r length among the American v e rs io n s . The f i r s t i s
^ H . M. Belden, e d ., "B allads and Songs," The Univer
s i t y of M issouri S tu d ie s . XV (January 1, 1940), 9b.
181
more c lo s e ly ak in to C hild A, while the second has the ch ar
a c t e r i s t i c s of Child B. But th e re are many v a r ia tio n s . In
the f i r s t v e rsio n "to save h is l i f e " the farm er d i d n 't know
how he was going to plow. The d e v il who "come a - c re e p in '
a c ro s s the f i e l d " to ld him he was going to " s t e a l ” one of
h is fam ily. Why the d e v il "bid her to walk mighty s tr a i g h t"
when they got to the g a te s of h e l l i s a m ystery, but th e re
is no q u estio n about her b a tte r in g in the heads of the l i t
t l e d e v ils with a p l a t e . Very a b ru p tly — the d e v il d o e s n 't
take her back— the f i n a l stanza has the old man " a -b ra g g in 1
in remorse" because h is wife "rode the d e v il a l l round fo r
a h o rs e ," fo r a very d if f e r e n t ending.
The second copy, the one c o n trib u te d by Miss Myrtle
Lain of Linn C reek, M issouri, is the more in te r e s ti n g of
the two, however. Seventeen stanzas long, the b a lla d shows
evidence of being "toyed w ith"— e la b o ra te d on by some fo lk
mouthpieces who had "time on t h e i r hands," or so i t may be
c o n je c tu re d . C e rta in ly the meeting with a "belchy bug"
which she knocked down "with a d e v il of a club" and the "big
y e ll" she gave when she got near home, swearing "she had
whipped a l l the d e v ils in h e l l , " are novel touches. Moving
in the C h ild B manner, a f t e r she got back she c a lle d fo r the
"jaw-bone" she l e f t in a c ra c k ," and, not content with
knocking out the belchy bug and the l i t t l e d e v ils with a
"d e v il of a c lu b ," she found her husband lying in bed and
"picked up a p la te and m ellered h is head." The meter and
182
rhyme are f a i r l y good, but the d i c t i o n , which in c lu d es
p h ra se s such as " if he h a s n 't went c ra z y ," "the d i v i l come
a - c r e e p i n ', " and " h a d n 't no c a t t l e , " le a v e s something t o be
d e s ire d .
The v a r ia n t recorded by Vance Randolph in h i s Ozark
Mountain F olks (C in Appendix LLLL) i s very s im ila r to the
f i r s t v e rsio n given in h i s Ozark F olksongs. The d i a l e c t i s
more pronounced, w ith more words a b b re v ia te d and more h i l l
b i l l y term s used, such as " j e s t , " " k in ," " f e t c h i n ', " " t h a r ,"
" a c r o s t," " l e e t l e , " and "whupped." S ta te s Randolph:
J e th r o T o l l i v e r , who liv e d "way back in up on" Turkey
C reek, accompanied t h i s c o rru p t v a r ia n t of "The F arm er's
C u rst Wife" w ith a g re a t number of winks and g e s tu r e s and
grim aces, in s t a r t l i n g c o n t r a s t to the im pressive manner
a f f e c te d by most of the Poot H o lle r b a l la d - s in g e r s . 2
According to Louise Pound in her a r t i c l e "On the
Dating of the English and S c o ttis h B a lla d s ,"
. . . b a lla d making and singing was a t i t s h eig h t
during those days when B r i t i s h men were c o lo n iz in g the New
World. When these e a r l y c o l o n i s t s came t o America, th ey
brought w ith them t h e i r b a lla d s ; l a t e r immigrants added
o th e rs . In New England and in V irg in ia , th e se songs were
sung, and from New England and from V irg in ia , they t r a v
e le d west as people w ith a p io n e erin g s p i r i t sought new
lands f o r them selves and t h e i r c h ild r e n . As the t r a i n s of
covered wagons came to Texas, the l a s t f r o n t i e r , . . . men
encouraged t h e i r slow-moving oxen w ith the j o l l y tune of
"The F arm er's C u rst W i f e . " 2 3
"The Old Man Under the H ill" i s one of the few old
humorous B r i t i s h songs f o r a d u lts th a t seem to have survived
22(New York, 1932), pp. 227-228.
23PMLA. 47:12, March 1932.
183
and reached Texas, according to J . Frank Dobie in h is Tone
the B e ll E a sy .24 In t h i s v e rsio n (see Appendix M M M M ), the
farmer l i v e s under a h i l l and has no horse to send to the
m ill; ac co rd in g ly he hooks up h is hogs to plow. When he
d ig s up a tremendous furrow , of course the d e v il comes
along, t h i s time fo r "old scolding Kate,*1 a new name f o r the
cursed old w ife . The r e s t of the b a lla d has her r e tu r n in g ,
as in C h ild B, and c a l l i n g fo r "the mush she l e f t in the
p o t." End m oralizing i s a ls o p re se n t as the old man hopes
s h e 'l l be good now since even the d e v il w on't have h e r. The
r e f r a i n c u rio u s ly follow s the p a tte r n of a yodle: "Ting
addle tin g addle tin g addle de day."
When W illiam Owens was f i f t e e n y ears o ld , he worked as
a farm hand f o r U lysses S. Swindle of Lamar County, Texas.
During the summer a young lady, Bessie B aird, came v i s i t i n g
from Navarro County. Owens and the Swindle c h ild re n soon
learned th a t Bessie knew a song about the d e v il but was
a f r a id to sing i t f o r f e a r the e ld e r Swindles would not ap
prove. One night the young people got Bessie in the k i t
chen, clo sed a l l the doors and windows, and made her sing
the song. The youngsters were shocked a t hearing the l a s t
lin e , "If the d e v il w on't have her I ' l l be damned i f I
w i l l . " Many years l a t e r , Owens learned th a t the song was
^4J . Frank Dobie, e d .. Tone the B ell Easv (A ustin.
1932), p . 136.
184
'The F a rm er's C u rst W ife," an old B r i t i s h b a lla d . He in
cluded i t in h i s Texas Folk Sonas (Appendix NNNN), remark
ing* 'The Texas v e rsio n i s q u ite s im ila r to B r i t i s h v er
sions* except t h a t th e language i s American and more v ig o r
o u s .'1^ The v e rsio n i s a ls o s im ila r to o th e r American v a r i
a n t s . but s t i l l p o sse ssin g i t s se v e ra l in d iv id u a l d i f f e r
en ces. The old man of t h i s v a ria n t* we are to ld in the
f i r s t sta n z a , owned a farm but had "no c a t t l e to c a r r y i t
on." The farm er to l d the d e v il t h a t he could not have the
o ld e s t son because "the work of the farm must s t i l l go on."
Six l i t t l e d e v i ls were "a-clim bing the w alls" of h e l l and
"a-dragging t h e i r c h a in s ," and, w ith the old man ly in g sick
in bed* the w ife "took off her shoe and beat him on the
h ead."
John and A llan Lomax a ls o found a Texas v a ria n t* which
th ey reco rd ed in Our Singing Country (Appendix OOOO). I t
has disp en sed w ith the customary f i r s t stanza of in tro d u c
t i o n and begins w ith t h i s :
Got up one morning* went out to plow*
Tee roo* te e roo, went out to plow*
With s ix te e n oxens and a darned good cow*
Tee roo, te e roo* and a darned old cow.
S everal c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s are immediately a p p a re n t— the f i r s t
person p o in t of view* hyperbole* h alf-n o n sen se r e f r a i n a l
t e r n a t i n g w ith n a r r a tiv e lin e s* and q u e stio n a b le d i c t i o n .
^ ( D a l l a s * 1950), p. 54.
185
The f i r s t person used by the b a lla d r e c i t e r i s picked up
again in the n in th stanza: "Got up the next morning, peeped
through the c r a c k , / I spied the old d e v il come wagging her
back." Adding to the f o l k 's long l i s t of s im ile s i s t h i s
d e s c r ip tio n of the d e v il: "He looked lik e an eagle skeered
off of the r a c k ." Texas c o llo q u ia lis m i s a ls o p re se n t in
the l a s t co u p le t in which the b a lla d sin g e r summarizes the
redoubtable ness of a woman:
And now you know what a woman can do.
She can whup out the d e v il and her husband to o .
The f a c t th a t two of the v a r i a n t 's te n stan za s c o n ta in th re e
l in e s i s an in d ic a tio n th a t the sin g e r could not r e c a l l two
lin e s of n a r r a tiv e . Two sta n za s f a i l to rhyme and fiv e
l in e s c o n ta in a fo o t over te tra m e te r .
In h i s Cowboy Song s . John Lomax g iv e s us from the g re a t
Southwest a v e rsio n of the "Farm er's C u rst Wife" c a lle d "Old
Man Under the H ill" (see Appendix PPPP). T h is v e rsio n is
d is tin g u is h e d by i t s In d ia n -lik e r e f r a i n "C h ir-u -ra-w ee" and
the f a c t th a t the d e v il got the old woman t o h e l l ' s gate to o
la te to e n te r and so stuck the farm er w ith h is wife fo r the
r e s t of h is l i f e . The words u tte re d by the d e v il when he
g e ts the old woman "half way up the road" are d i r e c t and r e
fre s h in g : "Says he, 'You old lady, y o u 're sure a l o a d .'"
Whereupon she ups with a s tic k and h i t s him w ith i t . The
fa rm e r's t e l l i n g the d e v il to take h is wife "for fun" is
a ls o a new note. Much i s l e f t out of t h i s v e rs io n , e s p e c i-
186
a l l y toward the l a t t e r h a lf of the b a lla d . There i s no e p i
sode in h e l l , no r e tu r n from h e l l and reunion w ith the hus
band, and no m oralizing end. Perhaps t h i s i s in d ic a tiv e of
the f a c t t h a t the b a lla d had tr a v e le d a long way— 3,000
m iles a c ro s s w ater and another 3,000 a c ro ss land— upon
reach in g the golden Southw est.
Perhaps t h i s i s a ls o in d ic a tiv e of the f a c t th a t the
Southwest w asas f a r as the famous humorous C hild b a lla d was
t o go. 1 have found no v e rsio n s in any C a lifo rn ia c o l l e c
t i o n s . What probably happened was th a t the d ista n c e acro ss
the c o n tin e n t and the songs of the gold f i e l d s and other
p e c u lia r ly American f r o n t i e r humorous b a lla d s were to erase
com pletely the fading t r a d i t i o n a l English b a lla d .
W e have rambled f a r in our c o n s id e ra tio n of the t r e a t
ment given "The F arm er's C urst Wife" since i t l e f t i t s pred
e c e s s o r, "The D evil and the Scold" of the Roxburghe C o lle c
t i o n . From England and Scotland we have b r i e f l y tra c e d i t s
changes, om issions, and a d d itio n s in Nova S c o tia , Maine, the
r e s t of New England, the s t a t e s of the Southern A ppalachians,
F lo rid a , M is s is s ip p i, Michigan, M isso u ri, Texas, and the
Southwest. And now enough t e x t s have been examined in order
to enable us to draw a few co n clu sio n s about the treatm en t
t h i s b a lla d re c e iv e d in America. If i n t e r e s t or p leasu re
i s to be had from t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n , i t w ill no doubt la rg e
ly be d eriv e d from a p e ru s a l of the humorous and in te r e s ti n g
t e x t s of "The F arm er's C u rst Wife" brought to g e th e r in the
187
appendixes.
If the b a lla d i s a l y r i c a l n a rra tiv e poem, "The Farm
e r ' s C urst Wife" has su ffe re d s l i g h t l y in i t s l y r i c a l qual
i t i e s in the New World. Few American t e x t s are as good
m e tric a lly as the C hild A v ersio n ; many are more re g u la r
th an the C hild B, which has seven lin e s co n ta in in g e x tra
s y lla b le s . Very few American v e rsio n s have stanzas which
rhyme as p e r f e c t l y as the C hild A; few are said aloud as
w ell. Many of the American t e x t s c o n ta in lin e s of prose;
c e r t a i n l y the meter of many c o u p le ts is h ig h ly i r r e g u l a r .
I t ta k e s a s k i l l f u l singer to dispose of such i r r e g u l a r i t i e s .
"Derned old scolding wife" may be p ic tu resq u e and funny, but
no tice how d i f f i c u l t i t is to say th a t phrase aloud in a
r o llic k in g b a lla d rhythm. On the o th er hand, j u s t as the
melodic nonsense r e f r a i n of the C hild B versio n a id s the
l y r i c a l q u a lity of i t s S c o ttis h sta n z a s, so do the e la b o ra te
nonsense r e f r a i n s of the New World v a r ia n ts add immeasurably
to t h e i r l y r i c a l e x c e lle n c e . Several of the American v a r i
a n ts incorporate both the w h is tlin g chorus of C hild A and
the nonsense burden of C hild B. The Old World b alla d in i t s
westward m igration cannot be said to have degenerated l y r i c
a l l y .
If a b a lla d is
a song th a t t e l l s a s to ry , w ith emphasis upon a c r u c i a l
s i t u a t i o n , u su a lly through dialogue and s e lf-u n fo ld in g
a c tio n , and with complete im p erso n ality and o b je c ti v ity
so f a r as the t e l l e r i s concerned,
"The F arm er's C u rst Wife" has not been m is tre a te d by Ameri
can f o l k , u n le ss one would take exception to the concluding
sta n za s of many of the American v e rsio n s which d is p la y a
l i t t l e p h ilo s o p h ic a l humor on the p a r t of the r e c i t e r s .
C e r ta in ly the b a lla d has not lo s t any of the n a r r a tiv e e l e
ments of the C hild v e rsio n s ; indeed, se v e ra l American t e x t s
add sto ry in c id e n ts and d e t a i l s . A few combine elem ents
found in C h ild A and B t e x t s s e p a ra te ly . The b a lla d has not
tended to become sh o rte r or more condensed. G enerally
speaking, the American v e rsio n s have m aintained or exceeded
the f u l l n e s s and ric h n e s s of C h i l d 's No. 278. If the New
World t e x t s are copious in a p e c u lia r way, i t is simply be
cause th ey are as American as the C hild t e x t s are English
or S c o tti s h . If the smack of C hild A and B i s of h e a th e r,
the tang of the V ir g in ia , Tennessee, and M is s is s ip p i t e x t s
i s of hickory wood smoke. However im p e rfe c tly p rese rv e d ,
however worn by homely use, the American b a lla d s are p a r t of
a p rec io u s h e rita g e from the Old World. Here i s one t i e
with scenes and manners and fo lk and ages long gone out of
mind.
"The F arm er's C u rst Wife" v e rsio n s in t h i s country have
conformed t o the c o n ten t and s p i r i t of the Old World b a lla d
^ A . P. Hudson, e d ., Folksongs of M is s is s ip p i and
T h eir Background (Chapel H i l l , 1930), p. 49.
and a t the same time to the soul of America. While the
l y r i c a l q u a l i t i e s have s u ffe re d , the n a r r a tiv e o u tli n e , the
c h a r a c te r s , and the scene have been w ell remembered and p re
served. The prime humorous and a r t i s t i c in te n tio n and the
c h a r a c te r iz in g a e s th e tic e f f e c t of even t h i s homely b a lla d
t a l e have been remarkably p reserved in a so lu tio n t r u l y
American.
CHAPTER V II
"THE BROW N GIRL"
No in v e s tig a tio n of r e p r e s e n ta tiv e ty p e s of English and
S c o ttis h fo lk b a lla d s would be complete w ithout the study of
a t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d of love. For the fo lk t h i s love was
not one of happiness and g a ie ty . For the most p a r t , t h e i r
b a lla d s to ld of unhappiness and tr a g ic love. To love and
t o be scorned i s a u n iv e rs a l e x p e rie n c e , much in keeping
with the unkind f a te by which man seems to be b u ffe te d in
t h i s w orld. The b a lla d of 'The Brown G i r l , " C h i l d 's No.
29b, w e ll e x p re sse s t h i s theme of r e je c te d love and is p a r
t i c u l a r l y a p p ro p ria te f o r our c o n s id e ra tio n because i t r e
c a l l s a number of b a lla d s of un req u ited love and of tr a g ic
love and se p aratio n --"L o rd Thomas and F a ir A nnet," "Lord
Thomas and F a ir E l l i n o r ," "Bonny Barbara A lle n ," "Sweet
W illia m 's G host," "Clerk Saunders," and "The Unquiet Grave"
— and c o n ta in s something of a l l of them.
C hild has given two v e rsio n s of "The Brown G ir l" (Ap
pendix QQQQ): A, from The Brown G i r l 's G arlan d , published
before 1788, and B, ta k en down from the singing of a black
smith in the p a ris h of T h ru sh le to n , Devon, about 1894. In
the f i r s t h a lf of the e ig h t-s ta n z a v e r s io n , the brown g i r l
190
191
i s g iv in g in monologue fa sh io n the p ast e v e n ts leading up
to the c u rre n t s i t u a t i o n which has her lover lying danger
ously sick in bed. Her b etro th ed has sent her a l e t t e r
s ta tin g t h a t he can not fan cy her because she i s so brown.
She sends a d is d a in f u l r e p ly . He w rite s again pleading fo r
her to "go s p e e d ily / To give him up h is f a i t h , " th a t i s , to
r e tu r n h is t r o t h because he i s near d ea th . In s tr a i g h t nar
r a tiv e form we le a rn th a t so u n re le n tin g is the brown maid
t h a t she ta k e s "a whole long summer's day/ In a mile a
going on" and upon f i n a l l y coming to the bedside she can
h a rd ly stand up fo r laughing. Because of the d i r e f u l con
sequences believ ed to b e f a l l a person who d ie s w ithout hav
ing h is pledged f a i t h r e s to re d to him, she smooths a white
wand on h is b re a s t to r e s to r e h is p lig h te d t r o t h . She says
th a t she hopes h is soul i s a t r e s t and adds sc o rn fu lly :
" I ' l l do as much f o r my tru e -lo v e
As o th er maidens may;
I ' l l dance and sing on my lo v e 's grave
A whole twelvemonth and a day."
The b a lla d has doubled in length during the hundred and
more y ears e la p sin g between the recording of Child A and B.
In nine stan zas of monologue the brown g i r l reco u n ts p ast
e v e n ts. Her love was so proud and r ic h th a t he l e f t her fo r
another p r e t t y maid and sent her a l e t t e r saying th a t he no
longer loves her because she i s so brown. She sends her
d is d a in f u l re p ly . Six months l a t e r he l i e s sick in bed and
sends f i r s t fo r the d o c to r, who can do him no good, and then
192
fo r "the brown, brown g i r l / Who once h is wife should b e ,"
Only she can rep riev e the l i f e of her lo v e -sic k man, b u t,
as in A, she goes very slowly t o h is bedside and then cannot
stand fo r laughing. V in d ic tiv e ly she ta u n ts him:
"You flo u te d me, you scouted me,
And many another one;
Now the reward i s come at l a s t ,
For a l l th a t you have done."
She ta k es off th ree rin g s from her hands and gives them to
him to remember her by. Then she stro k e s him with the white
wand, by so doing she s i g n i f i e s th a t she has retu rn ed h is
f a i t h and so put h is soul at r e s t . For the f i r s t tim e, the
young man is heard from as he asks her to fo rg e t and fo rg iv e
and grant him a l i t t l e while longer to stay on t h i s e a r t h .
U nrelenting to the l a s t , however, she r e t o r t s th a t she w ill
not fo rg e t or fo rg iv e as long as she has breath and w ill
dance on h is "green, green g rav e." It is in the po in t of
the proud and u n re le n tin g c h a ra c te r of the heroine th a t t h i s
b a llad is o r ig in a l. The g i r l in "Bonny Barbara Allen" is
very h a rd -h e a rte d , but she r e l e n t s a t the end and p rep ares
to jo in her lover in death.
Both v ersio n s begin with an in te r e s tin g d e s c r ip tio n of
the brown g i r l which serves to show what the young man is
giving up:
" I am as brown as brown can be,
M y eyes as black as a sloe;
I am as b ris k as a n ig h tin g a le ,
And as wilde as any doe."
Evidences of t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d d ic tio n , conventional
e p ith e ts * and phraseology are found in the " tru e -lo v e " ex
p re s s io n , t h i s d e s p ite the f a c t th a t he was her " f a ls e -
love"; the w hite wand " a l l in" her hand; th e dancing and
singing "a whole twelvemonth and a day"; the g iv in g of the
r in g s "by two and t h r e e ." "The Brown G ir l" s t a r t s out in
the f i r s t person* but the b a l l a d 's t r a d i t i o n a l im p e rso n a lity
i s m aintained in t h i s in sta n c e by the "monologue tech n iq u e"
employed u n t i l the s t r a i g h t n a r r a tiv e form i s used b r i e f l y
to c a rry the s to ry to the beginning of i t s dram atic conclu
sion. A l i t t l e increm ental r e p e t i t i o n i s used in sta n z a s
fiv e and six of C hild B to convey the passage of time be
tween the young man's r e f u s a l of the brown maid and h is com
ing down w ith lo v e -s ic k n e s s fo r h er. The b a lla d lin g e r s a
moment at t h i s p o in t in order to enhance the em otional e f
f e c t of the young man's f a l l . R hythm ically the two v e rs io n s
are e x c e ll e n t. The e ig h t sta n za s of C hild A c o n ta in only
two l i n e s which are a fo o t sh o rt of f i l l i n g out t r a d i t i o n a l
b a lla d m eter, and a l l s ix te e n sta n za s of B are in p e r f e c t l y
re g u la r 4343 m eter. Rhyme i s lacking in th re e v e rs e s of
each v e r s io n , in c lu d in g the eye-rhyme, "b rea th . . . be
neath" in B.
The g i r l i s no longer brown, and the r o l e s of the young
man and g i r l are re v e rse d in the American v e rs io n s of 'The
Brown G i r l . " In most in s ta n c e s the t i t l e of the b a lla d has
changed co m p letely . B a rry 's A v a r ia n t (Appendix RRRR) is
c a lle d "An I r i s h Young Lady." F a ir S a lly is the g i r l ' s name
194
and she i s so haughty and r i c h t h a t ( c f . C h ild B2) she w i l l
" sc a rc e ly c a s t an eye" on the young s a i l o r . W e must in f e r
t h a t he p r o t e s t s her c o ld n e ss, f o r in stanza two she says:
. . . "I do not hate you nor any o th e r man,
But as fo r to love you I'm sure I never can,
So leave off your a t t e n t i o n s and hold your d is c o u rs e ,
For I never w i l l marry you u n le ss I am f o r c e d .”
The c u r io u s ly f l a t statem ent of the l a s t two l i n e s above,
w ith i t s near-rhym e, can a p p a re n tly be c r e d ite d to the two
n in e te e n th c e n tu ry s t a l l p r i n t s included as Barry C and E in
Appendix RRRA. U n fo rtu n a te ly , t h i s p a i r of l in e s occurs
r e g u la r ly in American t r a d i t i o n . Time e la p s e s ; we are not
to ld how much. The lady becomes lo v e -sic k ( c f . C h ild B6)
and c a l l s fo r the young man she had " s lig h te d so h ig h ." No
in d ic a tio n i s given as to the speed w ith which he comes to
her b ed sid e. The next stanza has become a c e n t r a l f e a tu re
of American t e x ts :
"0 am I the young man you’ve sent fo r? " said he,
0 am I the d o cto r who can cure th ee?"
"Oh yes, y o u 're the d o cto r can e i t h e r k i l l or c u re .
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I ’m ru in e d . I'm s u re ."
The seed fo r t h i s c o n v e rsa tio n l i e s in the summons of both
the d octor and the brown g i r l in C hild B. He does not f a l l
down from laughing as in the C hild t e x t s , but stanza fiv e
has the young man remind S ally of her sc o rn fu l d e n ia l of
him. He ends by saying, "And so now I ' l l reward you fo r
what you have done" (c f. C hild B12). Barry A, as w ell as
a l l o th er American v a r i a n t s , la ck s the e f f e c t iv e B r i t i s h
f e a tu re of the white wand being smoothed out on the dying
195
loved o n e 's b r e a s t. Stanza six c o n ta in s the dram atic ex
change (c f. C hild Bib and 16) in which S ally asks her lover
to fo rg e t and fo rg iv e p ast e v e n ts and g ran t her "a l i t t l e
more time fo r to l i v e . " He responds: "O tim es p ast and
gone I ' l l n e ith e r fo rg e t nor f o r g i v e ,/ But I ' l l dance on
your grave a l l the days I may l i v e ." The b a lla d should end
h e re, or at l e a s t a f t e r the next sta n z a , in which S a lly makes
her fa re w e lls to her f a t h e r , mother, s i s t e r , b r o th e r, and
young man, but the sen tim en tal Americans go on to do in
stanza e ig h t what no s e lf - r e s p e c tin g English fo lk would do:
"Cheer up, love, cheer up, lo v e ," said he,
"Cheer up, love, cheer up, love, and m arried w e 'l l
b e . "
And m arried they were and they liv ed in u n ity .
And were as happy a couple as ever you did see.
This stanza not only w ill serve to i l l u s t r a t e the mawkish
s e n tim e n ta lity of some American v a r ia n ts of "The Brown G irl"
but a lso w ill show the ty p ic a l s tr u c t u r a l i r r e g u l a r i t y of
Barry A, which a p p a re n tly was c a s t in the 4a4a4b4bmold. A ll
of the American v a r ia n ts , with one p o ssib le exception, are
composed of iam bic-anapestic te tra m e te r c o u p le ts.
Barry B, "Fair S a lly ," f e a tu re s a "rich squire worth
te n thousand pounds a year" co u rtin g the r i c h and b e a u tif u l
S a lly . A fter six weeks she grew lo v esick and "being sick
and was lik e fo r to d i e , / She sent fo r t h i s young gentleman
whom she did deny." S a l l y 's re p ly to her lo v e r 's p lea f o r
fo rg iv e n ess c lo s e ly approxim ates th a t of C hild B; even the
eye-rhyme of the follow ing Barry B co u p let almost d u p lic a te s
t h a t of the C hild c o u p le t:
"No, I ' l l never w i l l fo rg iv e you while during of my
b re a th .
But I ' l l dance o 'e r your grave when y o u 're cold in the
e a r t h . "
Barry B th e n co n tin u es w ith an in n o v atio n which i s ch arac
t e r i s t i c of most of the American v a r i a n t s — the rin g giv in g :
Then o ff from her fin g e r she p u lle d diamond r in g s t h r e e .
Saying: "Keep th e se in remembrance while dancing o 'e r me;
For I can fo rg iv e you, although you w on't me.
Ten thousand tim es te n thousand my f o l l i e s I se e ."
In the l a s t stanza we do not fin d the se n tim e n tal r e c o n c i l i
a tio n of Barry A, but we do fin d an e q u a lly in a p p ro p ria te
b i t of s e n tim e n ta liz in g and m o ra liz in g , which should not
have a place in good fo lk b a lla d ry :
And now she i s dead, as we do suppose,
And l e f t some o th er lady dressed in her fin e c lo th e s .
Come a l l your p r e t t y f a i r maids, your sw eeth earts d o n 't
s l i g h t ,
But be always condescending; so I wish you good n ig h t.
"S a lly and Her True Love B i l l y ," the broadside of the
Claude Lovat F ra se r C o lle c tio n in Yale U n iv e rs ity L ib ra ry ,
and included here as Barry C, t e l l s of a young s a i l o r from
Dover who co u rted S a lly , whose " f a ls e h e a rt" w ill prove h is
r u in u n le ss her "h atred should tu r n in to lo v e ." A fter
"seven long weeks" t h i s maid f a l l s s ic k , "entangled in
lo v e ," and sends f o r the s a i l o r . There follow s the "Am I
a d o cto r? " r o u tin e , the revenge, the p le a f o r fo rg iv e n e s s ,
the u n re le n tin g r e p ly , including the "b reath . . . under
neath" rhyme of C h ild B. Then she ta k e s r in g s from her
f in g e r s in t r a d i t i o n a l b a lla d "piecem eal s ty l e " — "by one,
two, and th r e e " — saying, "Here my d e a re s t B i l l y , in remem
brance of m e,/ In remembrance of me my love when I am dead
and g o n e ,/ Perhaps you may be so rry f o r what you have done."
When he says nothing f u r t h e r , she makes her f a r e w e lls in
t h i s r a t h e r p o o rly worded f i n a l verse:
"So adieu t o my daddy, my mammy, and f r i e n d s .
And adieu t o the young s a i l o r fo r he w ill make no amends;
Likewise t h i s young s a i l o r he w ill not p i t y me,
Ten thousand tim es now my f o l l y I s e e ."
The tw e lv e -sta n z a "F air S a lly " broadside in the Boston
U n iv e rs ity L ib ra ry { lis t e d as Barry E) follow s Barry B very
c lo s e ly down through stanza nine with the exception th a t
t h i s " d o c to r- p a tie n t" dialogue has been in s e rte d as stanza
se ve n :
"O where i s your p a in , is i t in your head;
0 where i s your p a in , is i t in your side?"
"0 no," answered S a l l y , "the r i g h t you h a v e n 't guessed.
For the p ain i t i s love, i t l i e s in my h e a r t ."
A fte r giv in g him the r in g s th a t he should view while dancing
on h e r, she fo rg iv e s him and b id s " fa re w e ll to t h i s e a rth
fo r ’t i s a l l v a n ity ." Stanza elev en f in d s S a lly making
fa re w e lls to f rie n d s and foes and re p e a tin g her adieu to the
world and her fo rg iv e n e ss of the young s q u ire . The lo g ic a l
co n clu sio n i s fo r the lover to be u n r e le n tin g , but s e n t i
m entally i t i s hard t o l e t a p r e t t y maid die of d isa p p o in te d
lo v e , p a r t i c u l a r l y f o r Americans, so th e broadside ends th u s
He took from h is f in g e r s , 'tw as diamond r in g s th r e e ,
Saying, "Take them and keep them and be wedded to me;
Come cheer up your s p i r i t s and m arried we w ill be.
And none s h a ll liv e happier than S a lly and me."
198
Robert Burns* the loving Scot, who chose the denouement of
fo rg iv e n e ss and union in h is resem bling song, "Duncan G ray,"
would have approved, even though the English fo lk would not.
Both Barry C and E are c h a ra c te riz e d by rough meter and
rhyme, in clu d in g se v e ra l eye-rhymes and half-rhym es, which
are u s u a lly to be found in b ro ad sid es.
"The F a ir Damsel from London," in the Green Mountain
S o n g ste r. compiled by an old R evolutionary s o ld ie r of Sand-
g a te , Vermont, in 1823, i s included in Vermont Folk-Songs
and B a lla d s , e d ite d by Helen F lan d ers and George Brown.
T his tw elv e-stan za v e rsio n (Appendix SSSS) c lo s e ly follow s
the b ro ad sid e , Barry E, even to the happy ending. As minor
d if f e r e n c e s , the lady and the young lord courted i s worth
"thousands a year"; she is "pierced through the h e a rt" and
does "nothing but mourn" when she sends fo r him; he ask s,
"Is your pain in your head or is i t in your h e e l? "; she
prays th a t "Heaven" w i l l perm it her one day more to liv e ;
she ta k e s off her diamond r in g s , but he t e l l s her to put
them on her fin g e rs and they w ill be m arried. The meter is
a l i t t l e b e t te r than th a t of the b ro ad sid e, but the rhyme is
wor s e .
Down in V irg in ia the fo lk proved to be more h a r d -h e a rt
ed. A ll the v a r ia n ts in D avis' T r a d itio n a l B allads of
V ir g in ia , which, by the way, are c a lle d "The Brown G irl"
(Appendix TTTT), end with the gentlem an's having a stony
h e a r t, avowing th a t he w ill never forgive h is proud lady,
199
and ta k in g p le asu re in dancing on her grave a f t e r she has
p erish ed of hopeless love. Davis A has S a lly courted by a
r ic h m erchant's son whose income was a t le a s t fiv e hundred
pounds. He i s so "tangled in love" th a t he can "scarce c a s t
an eye" on h er. Not u n t i l six months l a t e r , to g e t back to
the C hild B t r a d i t i o n , does she get "tangled in lo v e ." So
u n re le n tin g i s the young man th a t not only w ill he dance on
her grave but a lso he w ill deny the gold rin g she o f fe rs :
"Your rin g I ' l l deny, and your body I ' l l d is d a in .
So now I w ill leave you in sorrow and p a in ."
Davis B has the r ic h lady, Sarah, from Ire la n d . In ad
d i t i o n to t e l l i n g her lo v e r, the young sq u ire , to wear her
th re e diamond rin g s while he is dancing over h e r, she says:
"Let no more of your fly in g c o lo rs be seen
While you're dancing over Sarah, o 'e r Sarah, the
q u een ."
The b a lla d r e c i t e r then in d ic a te s th a t Sarah is dead now, as
"you a l l may suppose," and "has l e f t some of those la d ie s
a l l of her fin e c l o th e s ." The l a s t two lin e s are a morbid
c ro ss-o v er from "Death and the Lady" in William Alexander
B a r r e t t 's English Folk-Sonos (London, n .d .) :
And she has took up her lodging in the banks of cold
c la y .
And the l a s t of her red rosy cheeks l i e s moldering away.
The d ic tio n of t h i s v a r ia n t leaves much to be d e sire d as
the lin e s above and below v e rify :
" I ' l l never fo rg e t you. I ' l l never forgive you, nor th a t
a i n 't h a lf a l l ;
For I ' l l dance on your grave, g i r l , a f t e r you're la id in
the d u s t."
200
These l in e s a lso show the crude meter and poor rhyme in
Davis B. Davis A is a l i t t l e b e t te r m e trically * but i t s
"possess . . . b e s t," "son . . . pound," and "scorn . . .
gone," com binations are ty p ic a l of the poor rhyme to be
found in th ese American v a r ia n ts .
Davis C i s a fiv e - s ta n z a v a ria n t r e c ite d by Mrs. Jen
nie A lliso n of S a l t v i l l e , V irg in ia , whose mother learned i t
from s o ld ie r s during the C iv il War. I t ends with the young
squire vowing to dance on S a l l y 's grave when she is " la id in
cold e a r t h . "
Davis D is a short v a r ia n t d is tin g u is h e d only by i t s
breaking in to the middle of the e s ta b lis h e d sto ry and by
ending with t h i s cu rio u s and a l l but u n i n t e l l i g i b l e hyper
bole ;
" I 'd f r e e ly fo rg iv e him, but he w on't forgive me;
My f a l l is te n thousand tim es under the sea."
The young lady i s c a lle d Sweet S ally of Salsworth in
Davis E. Her lover w ill dance on her grave when she is
"cold in the c la y ," Davis F, G, H, I, and J are fragm ents
of l i t t l e note, which may be read in Appendix TTTT.
MacEdward Leach and Horace Beck have recorded in the
1950 Jo u rn a l of American F olklore a v a r ia n t c a lle d "Rich
Lady from London" (Appendix UUUU), sung in 1948 by J .
Mahoney of C h e s te r 's Gap, Rappahannock County, V irg in ia .
T his v a ria n t has most of the f e a tu re s found in the American
t e x t s , including the "Am I the doctor?" d ialo g u e, the unre-
201
le n tin g young man* the r in g s which he r e f u s e s , the legacy of
S a l l y 's fin e c lo th e s , her lodgings in the cold c la y . In
a d d itio n , the man spurns S a lly a t the s t a r t by t e l l i n g her
t h a t he w ill marry her only if he i s fo rc ed . T his fe a tu re
echoes the B r itis h "Brown G irl" ; however, the American te x t
^ is c l e a r l y the d e riv a tiv e song:
" I t ' s now you may t a r r y , and go on your course
For I know I ' l l never marry you, un less I am fo rc e d ."
"No f o r c ’ning, no f o r c 'n i n g . no f o r c 'n i n g ," said she.
For t h e r e 's p le n ty other boys, are w aiting fo r me."
The c u rio u s ex p re ssio n , " fo rc 'n in g ," is matched by the
strange phraseology and awkwardness of:
Well i t ' s S a lly is dead, and you a l l may be exposed
To some of her r e l a t i o n s , she has w illed her fin e
c lo th e s,
the in c o rre c tn e s s of:
For tw enty-four days has r o lle d and passed by
T his b e a u tif u l damsel took sick at l a s t ,
and the o b sc u rity of:
Her r ic h e s were so g r e a t, and her honor so high
If 1 must reward you, she would cro ss and deny.
Anna D. R ich ard so n 's West V irg in ia t e x t , "The Rich
I r is h Lady" (Appendix VVVV), is r a th e r fragm entary and
garbled and bears l i t t l e comment. The h a ltin g prose and
i r r e g u l a r i t y of t h i s stanza can only be lamented.
And he sa id , "Sarah, p r e tty S arah, I am a f r a id
That my love and your love d o n 't agree,
No fo rc in g , fo r I r e a l l y d o n 't want you
If you have to be fo rc e d ."
An in n o v atio n , which also occurs in other American v a r ia n ts ,
202
i s worthy of n o tic e . In the l a s t stanza when Sarah p e e ls
from "her f in g e r s gold 'd ia m e n ts ' th re e " she t e l l s the young
man to take them and a f t e r dancing on her grave c a l l her h is
queen and f l e e from the c o u n try , "no more to be se e n ." Why
t h i s re q u e s t i s a m a tte r fo r c o n je c tu re .
John Cox has recorded four West V irg in ia v a r i a n t s of
"The Brown G ir l" (Appendix W W W W ) in h is Folk-Songs of the
S outh. In Cox A, " p r e tty S a lly ," the man i s quick to assu re
S a lly th a t he w i l l not force her to marry him:
"No f o rc in g , p r e t t y S a l l y , no f o rc in g , lo v e ," said he,
"No f o r c in g , p r e t t y S a lly , fo r you to marry me;
But the time i t w ill come when you w ill r e l e n t ,
And fo r your p ast a c tio n s I hope w ill r e p e n t."
Fourteen weeks passed before the "ro y al f a i r damsel" f e l l
sic k . When he asks her whether the p ain l i e s in her side or
her head, echoing the b ro a d sid e , Barry E, v e rs io n , she r e
p l i e s : "N either of them; the r i g h t you have not g u e s s e d :/
The p ain th a t torm ents me l i e s sore in my b r e a s t ." He never
w ill fo rg iv e her as long as she has b re a th and w ill dance on
her grave when she is "buried in the d u s t ." As in the
Richardson v a r i a n t , S ally t e l l s him to c a l l her h is queen
and to f l y from the country when he is done dancing on her.
The e le v e n -s ta n z a v a r ia n t ends with what appears to be a
c ro ssin g w ith C hild No. 74, "F air M argaret and Sweet Wil
liam" :
Now S a lly she is dead and in her low grave doth l i e ,
And W illiam h e ’s dead and b u ried c lo se by.
The heroine of "A Rich I r is h Lady," Cox B, is courted
203
by "a r i c h w ealthy m erchant, worth thousands a y e a r." A
s ix - s ta n z a v e rs io n , the b a lla d ends w ith S a lly o ffe rin g
r in g s t o her lo v e r.
The young squire who c o u r ts S a lly in Cox C i s "h ired a t
six hundred a y e a r." His c o n v e rs a tio n w ith her i s not
lu c id :
"W e'll make no g r e a t o u t, but your love w i l l improve.
U nless th a t your h a tre d w ill tu r n in to lo v e ."
The young sq u ire is very b u s in e s s - lik e when summoned by
S ally :
"Good morning, p r e t t y S a l l i e , good m orning," said he;
" I t ' s where does your p ain l i e ? In your head or your
knee?"
She r e p l i e s :
"The p a in t h a t I f e e l , s i r , l i e s deep in my h e a rt;
The p a in t h a t I f e e l , s i r , l i e s deep in your h e a r t ."
The re fe re n c e to W illiam comes in the l a s t stanza as S a l l i e
pays him a strange fee fo r dancing on her grave:
She p u lle d from her f in g e r s diamond r i n g s , she said
t h r e e ,
And gave them to W illiam , to W illiam fo r h is fee:
"I'm going to leave you; in my cold bed of c la y
My rosy red cheeks s h a ll moulder away."
The p e c u l i a r i t y of Cox D, "A Rich I r i s h Lady," comes in
the t h i r d verse when a f t e r six months, "ere a l i t t l e on a
r i s e , / Miss S a lly was tak en w ith t e a r s in her e y e s ." When
S a lly p le a d s fo r fo rg iv e n e ss the s q u i r e 's young son ungal-
l a n t l y responds w ith " I ' l l never fo rg e t you, and th a t a i n 't
the w o r s t : / I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're cold in the
d u s t ." T h is co u p let i l l u s t r a t e s se v e ra l th in g s : the f a c t
204
t h a t the b a lla d v e rsio n s in the South continue to show the
boorishness and u n re le n tin g c h a ra c te r of the h e r o in e 's
scorned lo v e r, the i n f e r i o r d ic tio n , and weak rhyme. Two
more f e a tu r e s are re ta in e d in the l a s t sta n za , the bequest
of S a l l y 's fin e c lo th e s "to some lady" and her lodging in
cold c lay .
Two s u b s ta n tia l v a r ia n ts c a lle d "P re tty Sally" and "A
Rich Lady" were recorded by Ruth A. Musick in the 1957
Jo u rn al of American F olklore under the t i t l e , "B allads and
Songs from West V irg in ia ." Musick A (Appendix XXXX) i s a
long v e rsio n of t h i r t e e n sta n z a s. I t s f i r s t nine sta n za s
are almost id e n tic a l with those of Cox A. S a lly then makes
her fa re w e lls in a c u rio u s mixture of d i r e c t address and
th ir d person refe re n ce :
" I t ' s fa re w e ll to my fa th e r and a l l of my frie n d s ;
And to you, my loving sw eetheart, may the Lord make
amends;
I t r u l y would forgive him, although he w on't me.
And te n thousand time over, my f o l l y I see."
Verse eleven of Musick A and te n of Cox A are sim ila r except
th a t the young man is to take the diamond rin g s to remember
her in ste a d of to wear while dancing over her grave. In
both v e rse s he is to c a l l S ally h is queen and f l y from the
country a f t e r fin is h in g h is dance on h er. The b a lla d should
end h e re, but the tragedy i s m itig ated by the melodramatic
(although undoubtedly sin c e re ) la te a r r i v a l of C u p id 's
d a rts :
205
A fte r S a lly was dead and was buried in the e a r t h .
The cupids from above shot an arrow of lo v e.
Which wounded t h i s poor young man, and caused him to
complain
And in rav in g d i s t r a c t i o n , he c a lle d on S a l l y 's name.
Now t h a t the young man i s r e - s m itte n with love th e re i s only
one way to show h i s repentance in the tr a g i c love b a lla d
t r a d i t i o n :
"Oh, S a lly , oh, S a lly , oh S a l l y 's dead and gone;
And fo r me th e re i s no com fort, she now i s in the tomb;
'Twas f o r me th a t she d ie d , and fo r her I ' l l do the same.
For I never can liv e happy, oh wretch th a t I am."
S a lly , "a r ic h I r i s h lady, from London," in Musick B,
is courted by "a young, wealthy sq u ire" who i s very anxious
in t h i s odd c o n v e rsatio n to se t her mind at ease about a
forced m arriage:
"No f o r c e r , no f o r c e r , no f o r c e r ," c rie d he;
I t ' s your love and my love, i t cannot agree;
I q u it my in te n tio n and e n te r d is c o u rs e ,
For I r e a l l y w on't marry you, i f you have to be fo rc e d ."
S tanzas nine through eleven in c o rp o rate th re e f e a tu r e s of
the Davis B. In response to S a l l y 's p lea fo r her love to
fo rg e t and fo rg iv e "w hat's p ast and gone and g rant her some
longer to l i v e , " he says: " I ' l l never do i t , S a lly , and
t h a t ' s not the w o r s t;/ I ' l l dance on your grave when you're
cold under e a r t h . " S a l l y 's re q u e st about h i s f ly in g c o lo rs
i s somewhat garbled in t h i s co u p let: "And when y o u 're done
dancing on S a lly , the q u e e n ,/ Drop your c o lo rs , th a t fly in g
no more to be seen ." The l a s t stanza c o n ta in s the c ro sso v e r
from "Death and the Lady" discussed under Davis B, and the
"c lo th e s legacy" f i r s t discovered in Barry B. Musick A is
206
e i t h e r extrem ely i r r e g u la r te tra m e te r o r, w ith some wrenched
a c c e n ts , f a i r l y re g u la r pentam eter. Ten p a i r s of l in e s
c o n ta in f a u l t y rhyme. Musick B is ir r e g u la r te tra m e te r w ith
e ig h t breaches of rhyme.
C e c il Sharp and Maud K arpeles have included a dozen
v a r ia n ts of "The Brown G irl" in t h e i r E nglish Folk Sonos
from the Southern Appalachians (Appendix YYYY). Sharp A,
from North C a ro lin a , is noteworthy because i t i l l u s t r a t e s
how v a r i a t i o n has taken place through l i t e r a l i z a t i o n . The
"doctor" sta n z a s have been taken so l i t e r a l l y by the fo lk
th a t the lover has become a p h y sic ia n , B illy by name. The
s ix -s ta n z a v a ria n t ends with S a l l y 's quaint p lea:
"Then f l y from your colour and be no more seen
When you have done dancing on S a lly your queen."
Sharp B, C, D, E, and K are mere fragm ents recorded in
Appendix YYYY.
The Georgia t e x t . Sharp F, a ls o c o n ta in s the l i t e r a l i
z a tio n of the "doctor" v erses: "There was a young d o c to r,
from London he cam e,/ He courted a damsel c a lle d Sarah by
name." The f i r s t th re e stan zas co n ta in near-rhymes: "pos
sess . . . b e s t," "love . . . p ro v e," "discourse . . .
fo rc e d ." The meter i s good. Tw enty-eight weeks passed be
fore Sarah f e l l sic k . I t is in t e r e s t i n g to note th a t the
o r ig in a l "doctor" l i n e s have been re p la c ed by t h i s r a th e r
i r r a t i o n a l co u p let;
"Am I the young man th a t you sent fo r here?
Or am 1 the young man th a t you loved so dear?"
207
The v a r ia n t ends with Sarah w illin g some o th e r r i c h lady a l l
her fin e c lo th e s and making h er bed in the "wet and cold
c l a y . n The l a s t lin e i s the morbid and ungrammatical "Her
re d , ro sy cheeks i s mouldering away."
Sharp G i s a tw elv e-stan z a Kentucky v a r ia n t about
M olly, a r i c h lady from S cotland, whose r ic h e s "were more
than w ealth t h a t i s b e s t ," and whose beauty "was more than
the king could p o s s e s s ." Her s u i t o r , a poor boy whose wages
were only one thousand a year, shows some s p i r i t in h is r e
p ly to M o lly 's sc o rn fu l remarks:
"No forcem ent, dear madam, and t h i s you may know.
T h e r e 's p le n ty of o th e rs a l l l iv i n g alone.
I ' l l go co u rt some o th er and hope you may ru e .
So fa re you w e ll, Molly, I bid you a d ie u ."
In re p ly to M o lly 's plea fo r fo rg iv e n e s s , the boy in d ic a te s
t h a t he w ill dance on her "tomb." W e le a rn in stanza eleven
t h a t the b o y 's name i s Sweet W illiam , probably borrowed from
another of the numerous tr a g ic love b a lla d s . W illiam 's deep
r e g r e t upon h is lo v e 's death echoes the sentim ents of Bar
bara Allen a t the end of C hild No. 84:
"O M olly, 0 Molly, 0 M olly," says he.
"You're dead, but in death I am crying fo r th e e .
I , to o , s h a ll die and be la id a t your sid e .
I ' l l wed you in death and w ill make you my b r id e ."
S h a rp 's H v a ria n t has the usual V irg in ia f e a t u r e s of
the American "Brown G irl" p lu s the h e r o in e 's f a r e w e lls to
f r i e n d s , fo e s , and "sw eetheart wherever he g o es." Her r e s t
ing place is in the "cold bed of c la y ." The v a r i a n t 's in
d iv id u a l d if f e r e n c e s l i e in the i r r a t i o n a l l i n e , "Her beauty
208
was more th a n th e w orth i t could f e tc h " ; th e lo c a tio n and
frequency of the c o u r tin g ; "every n ig h t in the c i t y fo r more
th an one y e a r" ; the two y ea rs t h a t e la p s e before she i s
"p ierced through the h e a r t , " and S a l l y 's wry answer: "You
are the man t h a t f i r s t caused my woe." M e tric a lly the v a r i-
ant i s sound; i t s rhyme le av e s much t o be d e s ir e d . T h is i s
t r u e of S h a rp 's I t e x t a ls o .
E a rly in the Sharp 1 North C a ro lin a t e x t , the young
squire warns th e young I r i s h lady from London th a t he w ill
dance on her g rav e. A fte r she e x p re s se s her scorn f o r him,
he says no more to h e r, but q u ic k ly tu r n s home, saying:
"You s h a l l be so rry fo r what you have done." Less th a n six
weeks l a t e r she i s having her tr o u b le s : "The p ain i s a -p ie ro -
ing a l l in my l e f t b r e a s t . " She makes her f a r e w e lls in the
te n th stan za j u s t as she does in the Musick A except t h a t she
m ain ta in s the d i r e c t ad d ress in s te a d of sw itching to the
t h i r d p erson.
The v e r s io n sung by Mrs. F rances R ichards a t S t. Pe
t e r ' s School in C allaw ay, V irg in ia (Sharp J) i s i n t e r e s t i n g
because i t shows the c ro s s in g over of "The Death of Queen
Jane" (Child No. 170) w ith the American "Brown G i r l . " S a lly
(Queen Jane) becomes sic k and goes to bed w ith no one know
ing what a i l s h er or being able to " re lie v e her from p a in ."
King Henry i s sent fo r w ith speed. Then the "Are you the
d o cto r? " l i n e s e n t e r , and th ey are s u f f i c i e n t to sw itch the
s to ry in to "The Brown G i r l , " although the "black and yellow"
209
fu n e ra l stanza of "The Death of Queen Jane" b a lla d Is re*
ta in e d a t the end. When S a lly asks the spurned lover to
allow her two minutes to l i v e , he r e p l i e s :
" I ' l l allow you no m inutes
Nor years to li v e .
But dance on your grave
W hilst you l i e in cold c la y ."
She p u l l s "diamond r in g s twice th re e " from her f in g e r s and
t e l l s him to wear them while dancing on h er. The v a r ia n t is
p rin te d in e ig h t q u a tra in s (with two e x tra lin e s in stanza
th re e ) which are the eq u iv a le n t of e ig h t p a i r s of fo u r-
s t r e s s l i n e s , fiv e p a i r s of which do not rhyme.
W illiam , a young s a i l o r from Dover, c o u rts p r e t t y S ally
in the North C arolina v a ria n t Louis Chappell re c o rd s in h is
Folk-Sonos of Roanoke and the Albemarle (Appendix ZZZZ).
The v a ria n t has each lover accusing the o th er of a fa ls e
h e a rt. The s a i l o r says, "1 f e a r , my d e a re s t S a lly , th a t you
are a -h a tin g of me./ Unless th a t your h atre d should tu rn to
lo v e ,/ And then your f a ls e h e a rt, i t would my ru in prove."
A fter he s t a t e s th a t he w ill dance on her tomb and she has
given him her r in g s "by one, by two, by th r e e ," S a lly bid s
fa re w e ll to her f a t h e r , mother, s i s t e r , b ro th e r , and
"F arew ell, fa ls e - h e a r te d W illiam, fo re v er and adieu.
Five thousand tim es over my f o l l y I r u e ."
The f i r s t v a ria n t in the F. C. Brown C o lle c tio n of
North C arolina b a lla d s is marked by a tro c io u s s p e llin g and
an absolute lack of p u n c tu a tio n , because i t was p rin te d as
i t stands in the Adams m anuscript book made in 1824-182b by
210
Moses Adams of DeHart, Wilkes County. T his e n try (included
in Appendix AAAAA) o f f e r s l i t t l e in the way of in novation
except th a t the wealthy young m e rch an t's income i s "more
than 30 thousand a yere" and i t took tw enty-four weeks be
fore " t h i s b e a u tif u l c re a tu re has took sick a t l a s t / She
laughed in love & she new not fore why." S a l l y 's fa re w e ll
in the l a s t stanza i s to "papy and a l l papys f r ie n d s " and
"loving sw eetheart god." She b id s fa re w e ll to a world th a t
" is a l l v a n ity ."
Brown B i s a fragment ending on a fo rg iv in g note:
"The time has now come I ' l l f r e e l y forgive
And g ran t you a while longer in t h i s world to l i v e . "
"Sweet S a lly ," Brown C, i s i r r e g u l a r s t r u c t u r a l l y . In
content i t i s unique in having the man c a lle d a "noble young
squire from London," a "young law yer," and " p re tty Johnny."
Irre le v a n c y appears with t h i s co u p let:
"They t e l l me the buried s h a ll r e s t in the ground.
Peace and goodwill to every n atio n around."
When she makes her f a r e w e lls , she asks God to make p r e t t y
Johnny "a man."
In Our Singing C o u n try . John and Alan Lomax have in
cluded "The I r i s h Lady," a te n -s ta n z a v a ria n t of the "Brown
G irl" (Appendix BBBBB) supplied p rim a r ily by Mrs. Minnie
Floyd of M u r r e ll's I n l e t , South C a ro lin a. C aptain P. R.
Nye of Akron, Ohio, fu rn ish ed the f i r s t stanza which e s ta b
lis h e s the r ic h I r i s h lady as Saro by name. Six months
a f t e r s c o rn fu lly re b u ffin g the young man who courted h e r.
211
Saro "lay wounded by love" and sent fo r the young man* who
diagnoses her tro u b le as a p ain in h er side and a p a in in
her head. She avers* however: "Oh, no* kind s i r , the r i g h t
you've not guessed*/ The pain th a t 1 f e e l here s i t s a l l
through my b r e a s t . " The young man responds using d ic tio n
h a rd ly to be expected of "a lo f ty young gentleman":"Am 1
your d o cto r and am 1 your c u re ? / Am 1 your p e r te c to r you
sent f o r me here?" The b a lla d ends with Saro o ffe rin g her
love th re e gold r in g s to wear while dancing on her grave and
w ith her making her ad ieu s to her f r ie n d s " a l l round" and
her "true love" f o r whom she hopes God w i l l make "a crown."
The meter and rhyme of t h i s v a ria n t are about average; six
sta n za s have im p erfectio n s in rhyme and six l in e s have an
e x tra fo o t in meter.
The lone r e p r e s e n ta tiv e of t h i s b a lla d in F lorida*
" P re tty S a lly ," is in Alton M o rris' Folksongs of F lo rid a
(Appendix CCCCC). A r ic h squire from Ire lan d comes to co u rt
Sally* The usual ev en ts ensue* and the b a lla d ends w ith
S a lly giv in g th re e diamond r in g s to him which he i s to wear
when he i s dancing on h er— "when I am dead, love, and in e-
t e r n i t y . "
"D octor," a Tennessee v a ria n t recorded in M ellinger
H enry's Folk-Sonos from the Southern Highlands (Appendix
DDDDD), i s a d eg en eratio n of the b a lla d in which a sea-cap
t a i n , Miss Betsey* and P re tty P o lly are thrown to g e th e r in a
confusion in which the "Am I the doctor?" stan zas are the
212
only i n t e l l i g i b l e p a r t .
Another Tennessee v a r i a n t , c a lle d " S a l l i e ," was r e
corded in C e l e s t i n C a m b ia ire's E ast Tennessee and Western
V irg in ia Mountain B a lla d s (Appendix EEEEE). S a l l i e d s u i t
or i s d e sc rib e d r a t h e r c u rio u s ly : "There was a young g e n t le
man worth thousands of w o rld s/ And to c o u rt t h i s young lady
away he d id h u r l ." The "worlds . . . h u rl" p a ir in g i s ty p
i c a l of the half-rhym e endings found in the stan zas of t h i s
b a lla d in America. Six p a i r s of te tra m e te r l in e s in the
Tennessee v a r ia n t show no rhyme, half-rh y m e, or eye rhyme.
T e tra m e te r, moreover, i s not very c l o s e ly adhered to . "Sal
l i e " ends as the b a lla d r e c i t e r in tru d e s w ith some good ad
vice :
H ard -h earted young l a d i e s , your tr u e love d o n 't s l i g h t .
H ard-hearted young gentlem en, I wish you goodnight.
P aul B re w ste r's " S a lly ," in h i s B allads and Sonas of
Indiana (Appendix FFFFF), breaks in to the s to ry w ith
"0 S a l l y , 0 S a lly , 0 S a lly '" said he,
"I'm a f r a id th a t your fond love and mine w o n 't a g re e ."
A fte r the usual d e t a i l s of the passage of tim e, the sending
f o r the d o c to r, th e g lo a tin g over the dying g i r l by the
j i l t e d lo v e r, and her o f fe rin g him "gold and diamond r in g s
th r e e " to wear when he i s dancing on her g rav e, the b a lla d
sin g e r lam ents: "Now S a lly i s dead, as you a l l may su p p o se ,/
Some o th e r f a i r lady fo r to wear her gay c l o t h e s ."
The Michigan v a r i a n t , " F a ir Lady of London," recorded
by Gardner and C hickering (Appendix GGGGG) has a f u l l t e x t
213
and I s very good m e t r i c a l l y , although rhyme d i f f i c u l t i e s
plague seven of the ele v en s ta n z a s . In the f i r s t two sta n z a s
we are t o l d t h a t f o r w ealth and fo r beauty no one could
e x c e l f a i r S a lly , who had many s u i t o r s , in clu d in g a " f a i r
I r i s h la d d ie from f a i r I r e l a n d ." D espite her r e b u f f s , t h i s
lad d ie has r e f r e s h in g in s ig h t and co n fid e n c e . F i r s t he says:
"I make no g r e a t doubt but my r u in y o u 'l l p r o v e ,/ And a l l
your g r e a t h a tre d w ill tu r n in to lo v e ." Then he says: "Be*
fore six months r o l l round i t ' s you w i l l love me," but she
r e p l i e s : "I never w i l l love you as long as I 'v e b r e a t h , /
And I ' l l dance on your grave w h ils t you moulder in e a r t h . "
Of c o u rs e , a f t e r the u su a l d e t a i l s , he g e ts h is o p p o rtu n ity
to spurn h e r , re p e a tin g the words about dancing on her grave
while she moulders below. However, when she says, "0 Jemmie"
th r e e tim e s , f r e e l y f o rg iv e s him, and p r e s e n ts him w ith her
th re e r in g s to wear while dancing on her g rav e, he r e l e n t s
and the b a lla d once more lo s e s i t s tr a g ic c h a ra c te r:
"O S a lly , O S a lly . 0 S a lly ," said he,
" I ' l l f r e e l y fo rg iv e you i f y o u 'l l fo rg iv e me.
Come, ch eer up, my je w e l, and we w i l l a g re e .
And we w i l l be m arried and merry w e 'l l be."
"The Rich Lady from London," the Hudson A v a r ia n t from
M is s is s ip p i (Appendix HHHHH), i s what may be regarded as the
average s u b s t a n t i a l American v a r i a n t . I t has no in d iv id u a l
f e a t u r e s or c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s which i t does not share w ith
o th e r American v a r i a n t s , and i t comes c l o s e r th a n any o th e r
New World t e x t to the E nglish "Brown G i r l . " I t s b a lla d
214
d i c t i o n and phraseology are good, i t s te tra m e te r is good,
only four l in e s c o n tain in g e x tra s y ll a b le s , and i t s rhyme i s
j u s t average, fiv e half-rhym es and eye rhymes marring i t s
p a t t e r n of 4*4a4b4b* The v a r ia n t ends w ell w ith the heroine
p re se n tin g the u n re le n tin g young man her "rin g s from her
f in g e r s one, two, by th r e e ."
Hudson B, "The Rose of Ardeen," does not begin as a
fo lk b a lla d should;
When f i r s t to t h i s country a stra n g e r I came,
I co u rted a damsel c a lle d Mary by name.
She was n e a t, t a l l and slen d er; her age was six te e n ;
She was the flow er of t h i s country and the rose of Ardeen.
The f i r s t person changes quickly in the second sta n za , how
e v e r, as a young squire "worth thousands a year" comes along
to co u rt Mary. A fter six weeks the damsel becomes sic k ,
s p e c i f i c a l l y in her b r e a s t in t h i s v a r ia n t, and she sends
fo r the squire "to come see her d i e ." G lo a tin g ly he says
th a t h e ' l l go to her " b u ria l" and dance on her grave. A fter
the "rin g -g iv in g " and "dancing-on-me" co u p le t, she adds:
"But remember, remember, remember, 1 p r a y ,/ That the g i r l
loves you d e a re s t l i e s in the cold s i l e n t c la y ."
Asher T re a t has included in h is "Kentucky Folksong in
Northern Wisconsin" a fragment c a lle d "An I r is h Lady, from
Dublin She Came" (Appendix I1 1 I1 ), which i s noteworthy be
cause i t r e p re s e n ts s t i l l another sto ry type of "The Brown
G i r l ." I t s t a r t s as does the ty p ic a l American v a r ia n t, but
in ste ad of P o lly g e ttin g sick i t is "a young d o c to r, a r ic h
215
m erch an t's son" whose income was "fiv e hundred pounds,"
who f a l l s sic k and i s dying of a broken h e a r t . The g i r l ,
lik e the heroine of "Bonny Barbara A l l e n ," goes to see him,
presumably scorns him a second tim e, and i s given th re e
r in g s from h is f in g e r s to wear when she dances over h is
g rav e.
B a rry 's elev e n -sta n z a te x t from Sidney, Kansas (Appen
dix J J J J J ) , i s p r a c t i c a l l y the same as S h arp 's G v a ria n t
from Madison County, Kentucky (Appendix YYYY), in which the
"poor boy" re p e n ts toward S a lly (Molly in Sharp G) when she
is dead. W illie (Sweet W illiam in Sharp G) vows th a t he
w ill " r e t i r e , lay by her sid e , . . . wed her in d e a th , and
. . . make her my b rid e !" The Barry te x t also c o n ta in s the
stanza in which W illie reminds S a lly th a t th e re are p le n ty
of o th er g i r l s to c o u rt.
Loman C a n s le r ' s "Boyhood Songs of My G randfather" in
the 1954 Southern F olklore Q u a rte rly c o n ta in s a t r a g i c v er
sion c a lle d "Sally" (Appendix KKKKK) which i s b e t te r than
most of the o ther American v a r ia n ts because i t appears to be
more s in c e re . Dispensing w ith the more or le s s formal in
tro d u cto ry sta n z a s, t h i s M issouri v a r ia n t begins w ith the
young man's wish th a t h is love could be re c ip ro c a te d . Sal
l y 's fla t-s o u n d in g resp o n se, "So you may r e t i r e , and end
your d is c o u rs e ," to be found in so many of the o th e r t e x t s ,
ta k es on a more genuine rin g with "Oh go away from me and go
your own c o u rs e ." S a l l y 's plea fo r fo rg iv e n ess a ls o seems
216
more poignant: "Oh c a n 't you f o r g e t , lo v e . Oh c a n 't you for*
g iv e ? / Oh th in k what a happy l i f e we could h e r e a f t e r liv e ! "
Even the l a s t v e r s e , the " r in g -g iv in g , grav e-d an cin g " sta n
za, ends w ith more genuine pathos:
"And when yore done dancing on S a lly your Queen,
F ly away t o the West, lo v e, no more to be se e n ."
Five M issouri t e x t s are recorded in Henry B e ld en 's
"B allads and Songs” of the U n iv e rs ity of M isso u ri S tu d ie s
(1940). The te n - s ta n z a A te x t (Appendix LLLLL) i s c a lle d
"A Brave I r i s h Lady" and fo llo w s the u su a l o u tlin e of e v e n ts
down to the l a s t two sta n z a s when she " re tc h out her hands"
to give him tn re e r in g s . She b id s r a ie w e ii to her f a t h e r ,
f r i e n d s , and "loving Jim m ie," and p ray s t h a t "God maketh
amends." U su ally the b a lla d sin g er r e l a t e s the "bed-of-
ciay " l i n e s , but in t h i s v a r ia n t S a llie says them h e r s e l f as
she t r i e s to p re s e n t a p a th e tic p ic tu re to so fte n her lov
e r ' s re s o lv e t o be com pletely u n re le n tin g :
'Xjh now I must be la id in a co ld bed of c la y .
Where my re d , ro sy cheek w i l l moulder away.
I 'd f r e e l y fo rg iv e you, although you w on't me.
Ten thousand tim es over my f o l l y I se e ."
As in d ic a te d by t h i s l a s t s ta n z a , the v a r ia n t is good s tr u c
t u r a l l y .
Belden B i s a sh o rt v e rs io n in c o rp o ra tin g the "cold-
clay " and "rosy-cheeks" and " f in e - c l o th e s " l i n e s . Only
tw en ty -fo u r hours elap se before S ally suddenly becomes
"tan g led in lo v e ."
"S ally S a ils w o rth ," B e ld en 's C M issouri v a r i a n t , has a
217
few d if f e re n c e s worth n o tin g . The poor young man r u e f u lly
remarks th a t he i s a f r a id t h e i r "co u rtsh ip w i l l never
agree" and th a t u n le ss her "h atred s h a ll tu rn to tr u e love"
they can never be m arried by the powers above." R eplacing
the "end-your-discourse . . . u n le ss-1 -a m -fo rc e d 1 1 c lic h e by
S a lly , i s t h i s reasonable young man's re p ly : "So now I w i l l
leave you to dwell a l l a l o n e ; / Perhaps you w i l l marry some
o th e r young man." In the n e x t - t o - t h e - l a s t stanza are the
" fly -a w a y -to -th e -w e s t" lin e s of the C ansler M issouri t e x t .
The l a s t stanza a lso in c lu d es d e t a i l s concerning " c lo th e s ,"
"cold c a i y ," and "mouldering ro sy -re d ch eek s."
Belden D, "The Rich I r is h Lady," i s f a i r l y re g u la r
m e tric a lly but has six v io la tio n s of rhyme. The te x t has
few "d e v ia tio n s from the norm." S a l l y 's W illiam is a r ic h
m erchant's c le r k "whose income was more than te n thousand per
y e a r." The b a lla d r e c i t e r t e l l s us in the l a s t verse th a t
S ally i s dead and has " l e f t a l l her lo v e rs f o r o th e r g i r l s '
beaux," which would seem to in d ic a te th a t "loving W illiam"
was not the only v ictim of S a l l y 's charms and scorn. The
morbid l in e s about "cold clay" and "mouldering cheeks" cap
the b a lla d .
The heroine of "The I r i s h Lady," Belden E, i s Molly,
whom the young man would marry, "by the powers above," i f he
knew th a t her "hatred would tu r n in to lo v e ." The meaning of
M o lly 's li n e , "Ten thousand tim es over to your f o l l y I 'd
f l e e , " i s obscure, but th e re is no doubt as t o her in te n t in
218
t h i s graphic l a s t v e rse :
"Farew ell t o my f a t h e r , and a l l of my f r ie n d s ;
F arew ell to voting Johnny; God w i l l make you re p e n t.
I'm going. I'm going to my co ld bed of c la y ,
Where th e se red ro sy cheeks w i l l moulder away."
Vance Randolph has recorded fo u r f u l l t e x t s and two
fragm ents of "The Brown G ir l" in h i s Ozark Folksongs (Appen
d ix M M M M M ). A ll but the s h o rte s t fragment are from Mis
s o u ri. The A v a ria n t i s c a lle d " P re tty S ally of London."
The young man "tan g led in love" i s a s i l k m erchant's son
whose w ealth was a t l e a s t fiv e hundred pounds. He say s, "If
your h a tre d fo r me d o n 't soon tu rn in to l o v e ,/ I'm lo s t an*
I'm r u in e d / For the lo v in ' of th e e ." She r e p l i e s , "You know
I d esp ise you worse than any human man,/ To t e l l you I love
you i s more than 1 can." Six months l a t e r , however, she is
to say, "For I love you, I love you, I love you, i t is
t r u e , / Remember fo re v e r I love no one but you." A fte r mak
ing her f a r e w e lls she th in k s of heaven r a th e r than the
"cold clay " as she rem arks, "My soul s h a ll be d ra fte d away
to the s k y ,/ Ten thousands, te n thousands are my f o l l y , I
s e e . "
The Randolph B fragment has the Belden D stanza in
which S a lly " l e f t a l l her lo v e rs fo r other g i r l s ' beaux."
For the f i r s t time the stock fo lk b a lla d e p i th e t " l i l y -
white hand" i s used.
Randolph D i s a seven-stanza v a ria n t (C i s a tw o-stanza
fragm ent) c a lle d "The Rich Lady." S a lly remarks in t h i s
219
v a r i a n t , " I could love and re s p e c t you but I w ill not of
c o u rs e ." When she o f f e r s h er th r e e diamond r in g s t o her
young man t o wear while he i s dancing over h er g rav e, he
ta k e s them w ith r e l i s h , saying:
"Oh y es, 1 w i l l , S a lly , and jo y f u l I ' l l be
To th in k of a r i c h lady who once died f o r me."
The l a s t stanza in c lu d e s th e " c lo th e s " and "cold c la y "
l i n e s .
The seven v e rse s of R andolph's E v a r ia n t are p r a c t i
c a l l y i d e n t i c a l t o the corresponding v e rs e s of B a rry 's
e le v e n -s ta n z a Kansas v a r i a n t . The l a s t l i n e s of Randolph E,
"While dancing o 'e r S a lly , o 'e r S a lly the queen/ Whose
c o lo rs no more on e a r t h w i l l be se en ," c l e a r up the obscur
i t y of the corresponding l i n e s in the Barry v a r i a n t .
Randolph F i s s im ila r to Randolph D in t h a t the young
man shows a l i t t l e e x tra meanness by ta k in g S a l l y 's r in g s
in t h i s manner: "Oh y es, 1 w i l l , S a lly , r e jo ic in g 't w i l l b e /
To th in k what a p r e t t y g i r l has once died f o r me." Both
v e rs io n s end on the same morbid no te. Of the four f u l l
t e x t s recorded by Randolph only one, the E v a r i a n t , has good
m eter, and only one, the D v a r ia n t, has good rhyme.
The l a s t v a r ia n t in th e appendixes i s a Texas t e x t r e
corded by W illiam Owens in h i s Tqxas Folk Sonos (Appendix
NNNNN). In h is in tro d u c to ry remarks t o "A Rich I r i s h Lady,"
Owens s t a t e s t h a t the b a lla d was e s p e c i a l l y popular w ith
women in h is fam ily and t h a t a l l th r e e v e r s io n s (he re c o rd s
220
only one) tung in h is fam ily had the "words 'my young Je w ,'
a phrase no one could e x p la in ." ^ He p o in ts out i n t e r e s t
ingly t h a t "the c r u e l ty of the young man can be understood
in any Texas community, where a g i r l ' s s l i g h t i s a damaging
t h i n g . T h e v a ria n t i s very s im ila r to the Hudson A Mis
s i s s i p p i t e x t , which we have regarded as the ty p i c a l Ameri
can t e x t and which ends w ith S a l l y 's p re se n t of the r in g s
t h a t h er lo v er w ill wear while dancing over her grave.
There are minor d if f e r e n c e s , of co u rse, such as the f a c t
th a t the young man "came c o u rtin g numbers of y e a rs ." The
time elap sed before S a lly becomes lovesick i s d i f f e r e n t :
"Before fiv e and twenty weeks had quickly come and p a s s e d ,/
T h is young man had heard of her dow nfall a t l a s t . "
The evidence is in . The C h ild v e rsio n s of "The Brown
G irl" and a l l the New World v a r ia n ts I have been able to
glean from the many p r in te d sources open to the stu d en t of
b a lla d r y are recorded in the Appendixes. Notes have been
made reg ard in g the s tr u c t u r e , f e a t u r e s , in n o v a tio n s, and the
in d iv id u a l d if fe re n c e s of the many v a ria n t v e rs io n s . In
making an a p p r a is a l of how the English popular b a lla d , 'The
Brown G i r l , " fa red in t h i s c o u n try , the c r i t i c must bear in
mind t h a t C h ild included only two t e x t s in h is d e f i n i t i v e
c o l l e c t i o n , whereas dozens of v a r ia n ts have been found and
^ (D a lla s, 19b0), p. 38.
^Owens, p. 38.
p r in te d in t h i s country. Our purpose i s not to compere
American t e x t s , some of which are c i r c u l a t i n g o r a lly to t h i s
very day, w ith English t e x t s which have remained in o r a l
t r a d i t i o n since C h i l d 's day, i f indeed th e re are any; i t is
simply to decide whether the American v a r ia n ts have remained
about the equal of t h e i r English c o u n te rp a rts , as t y p i f i e d
by the C hild v e rs io n s , whether they have degenerated since
t h e i r p ro to ty p e s cro ssed the A tla n tic to propagate in Amer
ic a , or whether they have iiqproved upon them. I t would be
m a n ife stly u n f a ir to compare fragm ents of poor, c o rru p te d
t e x t s w ith the C hild v e rs io n s , u n le ss they were in the p re
ponderance in t h i s co u n try . I t would not be u n fa ir to com
pare the b e s t of the American v a r ia n ts w ith the C h ild t e x t s ,
because P ro fesso r C hild g e n e ra lly recorded only s u b s t a n tia l
v e rs io n s . His work d id not e n t a i l h is tramping about the
c o u n try sid e reco rd in g every fo lk so n g , no m atter how fra g
mentary or degenerated. However, I have tak en the "com
p o s ite " American v ersio n fo r a com parative a n a ly s is .
B r ie f ly , the E nglish v e rsio n s are su p e rio r to t h e i r
American c o u n te rp a rts . T h eir 4a 3b4c 3fc meter and rhyme are
f a r su p e rio r to the ir r e g u la r te tra m e te r c o u p lets of the
American v a r ia n ts . Even the b e s t New World t e x t s s u f fe r in
comparison w ith the smooth-running stan zas of the s ix te e n -
verse b a lla d sung by the Devon blacksm ith in 1894 to the
Reverend S. Baring-Gould. Most of the American t e x t s are
the equal of the C h ild t e x t s in d ic tio n , phraseology, and
222
grammar; however, some weaknesses have been noted, such as
the u n fo rtu n a te in flu en ce of the s t a l l - p r i n t lin e s : "There
fore I would have you now end your d i s c o u r s e ./ For I never
w i l l have you u n le ss 1 am f o r c e d ." 3 G en erally , the American
t e x t s do not s u f fe r lo s s of d e t a i l , although none of them
are as long as C hild B. The p o r tr a y a l of the English brown
g i r l i s more v iv id th an the more or le s s p e rfu n c to ry de
s c r ip t io n of S a lly in opening stan za s of the American t e x t s .
The d e t a i l s of the E n g lish brown g i r l ' s coming so slowly to
the young man's bedside and th en her not being able to stand
u p rig h t on her f e e t fo r laughing are e x c e ll e n t. The stanza
in which the maid stro k e s the b re a s t of her lover with a
white wand, th u s r e s to r in g h is f a i t h and t r o t h , lends the
B r i t i s h v e rsio n a c e r t a i n d e s ira b le su p e rn a tu ra l touch; yet
the American v a r ia n ts have o th er d e t a i l s of t h e i r own which
are e f f e c t i v e , such as the young man's dancing on S a l l y 's
grave wearing her gold and diamond r i n g s . S a l l y 's fa re w e lls
to the w orld, and her "lodging in the banks of cold clay "
w ith the " l a s t of her red rosy cheeks . . . moldering
away."4 W e no te, however, th a t th ese d i s t i n c t i v e f e a tu r e s
which have become t r a d i t i o n a l in the New World v a r ia n ts oc
cur a f t e r the denouement has been reached in the b a lla d
s to ry . The b a lla d should end when the l i s t e n e r i s aware
3Barry E (Appendix RRRR).
4Davis B (Appendix TTTT ).
t h a t th a young man i s not going to fo rg iv e h i s g i r l and i s
about to dance w ith glee upon her f r e s h grav e. A ll to o many
tim es the American f o lk have con tin u ed w ith p o st mortems,
w ith s e n tim e n ta liz in g and m o ra lizin g . A ll to o many tim es
th e y have compromised the t r a g i c ending w ith the l o v e r 's
so fte n in g and r e l e n t i n g . I t i s alm ost as though the Ameri
can f o lk r e s i s t t r a g i c e x p e rie n ce . Americans are sentim ent
a l i s t s . I t hard t o l e t a p r e t t y g i r l d ie of d isa p p o in te d
lo v e, but th e re i s no b e t t e r way t o d e s tro y a t r a g i c b a lla d
th an to allow the canker of compassion to se t in .
CHAPTER V III
CONCLUSION
The heyday of b a lla d making and singing occurred when
hardy and adventuresome Englishmen were co lo n izin g the New
World. When th ese people came to the New Land, they brought
w ith them t h e i r English and S c o ttis h fo lk b a lla d s . T his
p recio u s sto re of fo lk song was augmented by l a t e r immi
g r a n ts . These popular b a lla d s were sung along the A tla n tic
C oast, in New England, the A ppalachians, the Southern High
lands. They wwnt west with the hardy p io n e e rs. As the wag
ons r o lle d westward to the M is s is s ip p i, to Texas, and be
yond, men urged t h e i r slow-moving oxen to the j o l l y tune of
"The F arm er's Curst W ife," and t h e i r wives hushed t h e i r
b ab ies with the sad song of "The Brown G i r l ."
The descendants of these p io n e ers kept the old fo lk -
p ie c e s a liv e because the s t o r i e s of these n a rra tiv e songs
have an appeal to the fo lk over the g e n e ra tio n s; in basic
form the s i t u a t i o n s p resen ted in these s t o r i e s occur over
and over in r e a l l i f e . The s i t u a ti o n s portrayed are tim e
le s s . The b a lla d s have no notable h i s t o r i c value, but they
convey c l e a r im pressions of a s ta te of s o c ie ty . On the sur
face th e re are some d if f e r e n c e s in s e t t i n g s , c h a ra c te r types
224
225
p lo t types* l i t e r a r y modes* and s o c ia l views* but below the
surface th e re are the same simple fe e lin g s * doubts* fe a rs*
disappointm ents* je a lo u s ie s * hates* loves* and am bitions
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of human nature in a l l ages. Thus in "The
F alse Knight upon the Road" the fo lk e x p ress t h e i r f e e l i n g s
about the f o r c e s of good and e v i l in the w orld. "Edward"
p o r tra y s t h e i r f e e l in g s toward murder and i t s t r a g i c conse
quences. In "The C herry-T ree Carol" the people d is p la y
reverence fo r C h rist* but they also show t h e i r love of fo lk
t a l e g o ssip d e a lin g w ith the f r a i l t i e s of human b e in g s.
"Henry Martyn" g iv e s evidence of the f o l k 's t r a d i t i o n a l sym
pathy fo r a h ero ic "underdog," even if he is a p i r a t e . The
age-old s t r i f e between the opposite sexes i s given vent in
the j o l l y and b o is te ro u s "The F arm er's C urst W ife." T ragic
consequences of man's r e a c tio n to s l i g h t and scorn in the
a f f a i r s of the h e a rt are voiced in "The Brown G i r l . "
There i s no doubt t h a t the i n t e r e s t in the fo lk b a lla d s
th a t lin g e r from g e n e ra tio n to g e n e ra tio n i s p a r t l y socio
lo g ic a l and p a r t l y l i t e r a r y . To conclude t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n
on the E nglish and S c o ttis h popular b a lla d s which have
lin g e re d in o r a l t r a d i t i o n even up to the year 1960, over
two hundred y e a rs a f t e r most or a l l of t h e i r p ro to ty p e s were
tra n s p o r te d to th e s e shores* 1 s h a ll quote the f in d in g s of
another sch o lar of f o lk b a lla d ry as a b a s is f o r com parison.
S tanley E. Hyman* in h i s b r i e f a r t i c l e * "The C h ild B allad in
America: Some A e sth etic C r i t e r i a , " concludes th a t
226
What has happened t o the C h ild b a lla d in America, in
sum, i s t h a t i t has become inadequate n a r r a t i v e , aborted
drama, happy-ending tra g e d y , c o rru p t and m eaningless ver
b ia g e , and bad p o e try in g e n e r a l . 1
Taking Mr. Hyman's fin d in g s in o rd e r , in my study of
the above s ix b a lla d s 1 have not found the New World v a r i
a n ts t o be "inadequate n a r r a tiv e " and "aborted dram a." The
American v a r i a n t s have not become more fragm entary or meager
in n a r r a tiv e d e t a i l s . Four of the six b a lla d s have a g r e a t
e r w ealth of d e t a i l th an t h e i r C h ild c o u n te r p a r ts . American
v e rs io n s have not su ffe re d in dram atic e x c e lle n c e because of
t h e i r having fewer l i n e s of d ia lo g u e . U sually they have a
g r e a te r p ro p o rtio n of dialogue to n a r r a tiv e than the Old
World t e x t s . A lo s s of dram atic fo rce occurs in the two
tr a g ic b a lla d s noted fo r o th e r re a s o n s. In "Edward," the
t r a g i c drama i s dim inished when the mother i s not im p lica ted
in the crime and the so n 's t r a g ic death i s not i m p l i c i t .
Dramatic force i s very a p p re c ia b ly lessen ed in "The Brown
G irl" when the American fo lk wax se n tim e n ta l and do not a l
low the b e a u tif u l maiden to d ie . Dramatic fo rc e is a tte n u
ated in those v a r i a n t s which have the h eroine d ie but which
go on to se n tim e n ta liz e and m o ralize. I must concur w ith
Hyman in h is fin d in g of the American weakness of happy-end
ing tra g e d y . On the o th e r hand, I have noted how the Ameri
can f o lk have in c re ase d the dram atic ex c e lle n c e of "The
■ ^Journal of American F o lk lo r e . 70:239, 1957.
221
"Cherry-Tree C arol" by sloughing off the c a ro l ending com
memorating the b i r t h of C h r is t or by in c o rp o ra tin g a few of
the d e t a i l s of the "angel stanzas" in to the b a lla d n a rra tiv e
to achieve proper dram atic u n ity .
That the C hild b a lla d in America has become "corrupt
and m eaningless verbiage" and "bad p o etry in g e n e ra l," I
cannot agree. Of v e rb o s ity , the New World v e rsio n s cannot
be accused. A few c o rru p t and meaningless phrases do e x i s t
in a handful of t e x t s , but in a l l f a i r n e s s th e se should not
be over-emphasized in our comparison. The worst of the Amer»
ican t e x t s "often dredged up and unscreened by tw e n tie th
c e n tu ry sco u rers by the by-ways" should not be compared to
the b est of B r itis h t r a d i t i o n . ^ If Hyman is r e f e r r in g to
the freq u en t nonsense r e f r a i n s of the American v a r i a n t s , he
is p o in tin g out a s tre n g th , not a weakness. In t h e i r
smoothness of m e tric al r e g u l a r i t y and c o n siste n c y in rhyme,
the English and S c o ttis h b a lla d s hold a s lig h t l y r i c a l ad
vantage over American v ersio n s; however, in the p ro fu sio n
and ex cellen ce of t h e i r nonsense r e f r a i n s the New World var
ia n ts have o f fs e t t h i s advantage. There i s l i t t l e to choose
between the d ic tio n of the b est American t e x t s and th a t of
the B r itis h examples C hild has recorded, although ad m itted ly
c r u d i t i e s do crop up in a number of the New World v a r ia n ts ,
^D. K. Wilgus, "Shooting Fish in a B arrel: The C hild
Ballad in America," Jo u rn al of American F o lk lo r e . 71:161,
1958.
228
e s p e c ia lly in the ro llic k in g # b o is te ro u s "Farm er's Curst
W ife," and in the v e rsio n s of "Edward" which have f lo u r
ished in the southern h ighlands of the e a s te rn United S ta te s
and in the Ozarks. But again# compensations accrue in gains
made in vigor and ro b u stn ess; p a r t i c u l a r l y in C hild No. 278
the language of the English v ersio n seems pale and re fin e d
indeed in comparison w ith the vigorous and pungent lin e s of
many American v a r ia n ts . Far from having degenerated in to
"bad p o e try in g e n e ra l," the American v a r ia n ts d is p la y a
continued e ffe c tiv e use of a l l the English and S c o ttis h pop
u la r b a lla d techniques: o b j e c t i v i t y , focus on a sin g le s i t u
a tio n , p la y le t form, "leaping and lin g e rin g " tech n iq u e,
hyperbole, understatem ent, irony, b a lla d commonplaces, in
ference of basic m otivation and c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of in d iv id u
a ls from the a c tio n , climax of r e l a t i o n s , testam ent d ev ice,
r o llic k in g b a lla d m eter, rhyme, increm ental r e p e t i t i o n , r e
f r a i n s , and gen eral i t e r a t i v e s t y l e .^
1 he American v a r ia n ts of the six se lec te d C hild b a lla d s
have conformed to the t r a d i t i o n a l requirem ents of the Eng-
3I wish to point out the value of the lengthy appen
dixes to t h i s work, not only fo r t h e i r g en eral i n t e r e s t in
d isp la y in g a l l the v a r ia n ts th a t I have been able to reco rd
of these six r e p r e s e n ta tiv e C hild b a lla d s in America, but
a lso fo r t h e i r d isp la y of the evidence upon which I have
reached my co n c lu sio n s. Concurrence or disagreem ent with
th ese co n clu sio n s may be made by the read e r from a study
of th e se t e x t s with the fo o tn o te s in d ic a tin g c o n tr ib u to r ,
sin g e r, re g io n , and year.
229
l i s h and S c o ttis h popular b a lla d . The American fo lk have
been the equal of t h e i r English and S c o ttis h co u sin s in p re
se rv in g , molding, and tr a n s m ittin g them. I t i s tru e th a t
the American v e rsio n s of the C hild b a lla d s have re lin q u is h e d
t h e i r Old World trag ed y and ominousness. The American "Ed
ward" and "Brown G irl" are not as good as the English "Ed
ward" and "Brown G irl," but the English "Farm er's Curst
Wife" and "Henry Martyn" are not as good as t h e i r American
c o u n te rp a r ts . The two tr a g ic b a lla d s s u ffe r a t the hands of
Americans, but the humorous b a lla d s (even the one or two hu
morous v ersio n s of "The C herry-Tree C a ro l") take on an added
ze st and v ig o r, and the b a lla d of the younger b ro th er forced
by fa te to provide fo r h is fam ily becomes more heroic as
Andy goes on to b est the champion of England come to avenge
h is d e p re d a tio n s, and so enable the American fo lk to sing
th ese h e r o ic a lly fla u n tin g lin e s :
"Go home.' Go home.'" says Andrew B a rtin ,
"And t e l l your king fo r me,
That he may re ig n king of the merry dryland,
But th a t I w i l l be king of the s e a ." 4
To say more in t h i s comparison of the C hild b a lla d s on
each side of the Ocean would r e s u l t in a prolonged d isc u s
sion of the ethos of the two w orlds— the Old and the New. I
wish merely to p o in t out how the a t t i t u d e s of a people a f
f e c t the popular b a lla d s th a t they sing. An e n th u s ia s tic
4 Smith (Appendix WW).
embrace of ad v e n tu re, optimism, and g lad n ess and a c o r r e s
ponding d e n ia l of d e a th , sorrow, and u n p le asa n tn e ss in gen
e r a l on the p a r t of r e s i d e n t s of the New World have r e s u lt e d
in an apparent gain and an e q u a lly apparent lo s s . Which
e th o s i s the more d e s ira b le or adm irable 1 s h a ll leave to
the r e a d e r. One f a c t i s c l e a r , however. No account of what
happened to the E n g lish and S c o ttis h popular b a lla d s up to
the 1960's is complete w ithout a c lo se view of the v a r ia n t
forms of the C h ild b a lla d s in America.
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S o c ie tv . Vol. X V III.)
W ilg u s^D . K^ wAg ^ ^ ^ [ i c ^ ^ ° lksonq Sc h o la rs h ip Since
. "Shooting F ish in a B a rre l: The C h ild Bal-
lad in A m erica," J o u rn a l of American F o lk lo r e . 71:
161-164, 1958.
W olford, L. J . The P la y -P a rty in Indiana: A C o lle c tio n of
Folksongs and Games. I n d i a n a p o l i s , 1916.
Wyman, Loraine H ., and Howard Brockway. Lonesome Tunes:
Folk Songs from the_ Kentucky Mts. New York, I 9I&.
. _ . Twenty Kentucky Mountain Sonas. Boston,
< • ' M W *
A P P E N D I X
APPENDIX A
THE FAUSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD1
A
1. "0 whare are ye gaun?"
Quo the fause knicht upon the road:
"I'm gaun to the s c u le ,"
Quo the wee boy, and s t i l l he stude.
2. "What i s t h a t upon your back?" Quo e t c .
"Atweel i t i s my bukes," Quo e t c .
3. "What's th a t y e 'v e got in your arm?"
"Atweel i t i s my p e i t . "
4. "Wha's aucht they sheep?"
"They are mine and my m i t h e r 's . "
b. "How monie o them are mine?"
"A' they th a t hae blue t a i l s . "
b. " I w iss ye were on yon t r e e : "
"And a gude ladder under me."
7. "And the lad d er fo r to b reak :"
"And you fo r to fa down."
8. "I wiss ye were in yon s i e : "
"And a gude bottom under me."
9. "And the bottom fo r to b reak :"
"And ye to be drowned."
"^Francis J . C h ild , e d . , E n g lish and S c o ttis h Popular
B a lla d s . I , P a rt I (Boston. l T O - l S ^ S j r 'p . 20. TTt'fs b a lla d
in M o th e rw ell's M in s tr e ls y . In tro d u c tio n , p. lx x iv : from
Galloway.
242
243
THE FALSE KNIGHT2
B
1. "0 whare are ye gaun?" quo the f a ls e k night.
And f a l s e , f a ls e was h is rede:
2, "I'm gaun to the s c u le ," says the p r e t t y l i t t l e boy.
And s t i l l , s t i l l he stude.
THE FALSE KNIGHT3
C
1. "0 whare are ye gaun?"
Says the f a ls e knight upon the road:
"1 am gaun to the sc h u le,"
Says the wee boy, and s t i l l he stood.
2. "Wha's aught the sheep on yonder h i l l ? "
"They are my p a p a 's and mine."
3. "How many of them 's mine?"
"A' them th a t has blue t a i l s . "
4. "I wish you were in yonder w e ll:"
"And you were down in h e l l . "
^Child, I, P art I , 22. In M otherw ell's M in s tre ls y .
Appendix, p. xxiv. No. x x x ii.
■^Child, I, Part I I , p. 485. Obtained by Mr. Macmath
from the r e c i t a t i o n of h is au n t. Miss Jane Webster, form erly
of A irds of K e lls , Stew artry of K irk cu d b rig h t, Galloway, who
learned i t many y ears ago from the wife of P e te r McGuire,
then cotman a t A irds.
APPENDIX B
FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD4
A
1. "Oh, what have you in your bag? Oh, what have you in
your pack?"
C ried the f a ls e knight to the c h ild on the road.
"I have a l i t t l e prim er and a b i t of bread fo r din
ner,"
C ried the p r e tty l i t t l e c h ild only seven years old.
Hi diddle deedle dum, deedie d id d le deedle dum,
Deedle deedle deedle d id d le , deedle deedle dum.
Diddle d iddle diddle dee, deedle deedle deedle
dum.
Diddle d id d le diddle deedle diddle dee de dum.
2. "Would you s i t down and share, or would you s i t down
and dine?"
C ried the f a ls e knight to the c h ild on the road,
"I would divide my dinner if I thought you were in
need,"
C ried the p r e tty l i t t l e c h ild only seven years old.
(Chorus)
4Helen C reig h to n , c o l l . , Sonos and B allad s from Nova
S cotia (Toronto, 1932), pp. 1-2. th e baXlad was sung in
p a r t by Mr. Faulkner of D e v il's Islan d and completed by Mr.
Ben Henneberry. The sin g er dances to the chorus. The
second stanza was r e c a lle d l a t e r by Mr. Henneberry and p re
sented fo r the f i r s t time by Helen C reighton and Doreen H.
Senior in T r a d itio n a l Sonos from Nova S cotia (Toronto.
19b0), p. T T ^ ------------------- -------
244
245
3. "What i s rounder than a rin g ? What i s h ig h e r th a n a
king?"
C rie d the f a ls e knight t o the c h ild on the road.
"The sun i s rounder th an a r i n g . God i s h ig h er th an
a k in g ,"
C ried the p r e t t y l i t t l e c h i l d only seven y e a rs o ld .
(Chorus)
4. "What i s w h iter than milk? What is s o f te r th an the
s ilk ? "
C ried the f a ls e knight t o the c h i ld on the road.
"Snow i s w h ite r than the m ilk. Down i s s o f te r th an
the s i l k , "
C ried the p r e t t y l i t t l e c h i l d only seven y e a rs o ld .
(Chorus)
5. "What i s greener th an the g rass? What i s worse than
women co a rse?"
C ried th e f a l s e knight to the c h ild on the road.
"Poison i s greener than the g r a s s . The d e v i l 's worse
th a n women c o a rs e ,"
C rie d the p r e t t y l i t t l e c h ild only seven y ears old.
(Chorus)
t». "What is longer than the wave*? What i s deeper th an
the sea?"
C ried the f a ls e knight to the c h ild on the road.
"Love i s longer than the wave. H ell is deeper th a n
the s e a ,"
C ried the p r e t t y l i t t l e c h ild only seven y ea rs old.
(Chorus)
7. "Oh, a curse upon your f a th e r and a curse upon your
m o th e r,"
C ried the f a l s e knight to the c h i ld on the road.
"Oh, a b le s s in g on my f a t h e r , and a b le s s in g on my
m other,"
C ried the p r e t t y l i t t l e c h ild only seven y ears old.
(Chorus)
*Or, "way."
246
FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD5
B
1. "Oh where are you going?" sa id th e F a lse K night, t o
the c h i ld in the road.
" I'm going t o sc h o o l," sa id the p r e t t y l i t t l e g i r l .
But s t i l l she stood in the ro ad .
2. "What do you go to school fo r? " sa id the F alse K night,
to the c h i l d in the ro ad .
"To le a r n to r e a d ," sa id the p r e t t y l i t t l e g i r l .
But s t i l l she stood in the ro ad .
3. "What do you le a r n t o rea d fo r? " sa id the F alse Knight,
t o the c h ild in the road.
"To keep me from h e l l , " said the p r e t t y l i t t l e g i r l ,
But s t i l l she stood in the road.
4. "There i s no h e l l , " sa id the F a lse K night, to the
c h ild in the road.
"1 b e lie v e you l i e , " said the p r e t t y l i t t l e g i r l .
But s t i l l she stood in the ro ad .
5
C reig h to n and S e n io r, p. 1. Sung by Evelyn R ichard
son and Anne Wickens.
APPENDIX C
THE FAUSE KNICHT AND THE W EE BOY6
A
1. "O whaur are ye gaun?"
Quo* the Fauae Knicht upon the road*
"I'm gaun ta e the sc h u le ,"
Quo*the wee boy, a n ' s t i l l he stude.
2. "What's t h a t on your back?"
Quo' the Fause Knicht upon the ro ad .
"Atweel, i t ' s ma bukes,"
Quo' the wee boy, a n ' s t i l l he stu d e.
3. "W hat's t h a t ye've got in your airm?"
Quo' the Fause Knicht upon the road.
"Atweel, i t ' s < na p e a t,"
Quo' the wee boy, a n 1 s t i l l he stude.
4. "Wha's aucht thae sheep?"
Quo' the Fause Knicht upon the road.
"They're mine an ' ma m i t h e r 's ,"
Quo' the wee boy, an* s t i l l he stude.
5. "Hoo many o ' them are mine?"
Quo' the Fause Knicht upon the road.
"A' thae th a t hae blue t a i l s , "
Quo' the wee boy, a n ' s t i l l he stude.
6. "I wish I were on yon t r e e , "
Quo' the Fause Knicht upon the road.
"An' a guid ladder under me,"
Quo* the wee boy, a n ' s t i l l he stude.
P h i l l i p s B arry, Fannie Eckstorm, and Mary Smyth, e d s .,
B r i t i s h B allad s from Maine (New Haven, 1929), pp. 11-12.
W ritte n down by Mrs. Barnes McGill of Chamcook, C h a rlo tte
County, New Brunswick, who learned i t in Galloway, S co tlan d ,
when she was a c h i ld .
247
248
7. "An1 the ladder f o r ta e b r e 'k , "
Quo* the Fause K nicht upon the ro ad .
"An* you f o r ta e f a ' doon,"
Quo' th e wee boy, a n ' s t i l l he stude.
8. " I wish I were in yon s e a ,"
Quo' the Fause Knicht upon the ro ad .
"An' a gude bottom under me,"
Quo' the wee boy, an* s t i l l he stude.
9. "An* the bottom f o r ta e b re a k ,"
Quo* the Fause K nicht upon the road.
"An' ye t o be drooned,"
Quo' the wee boy, a n ' s t i l l he stu d e.
THE FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD7
B
1. "What have you in your b o t t l e ; my dear l i t t l e lad?"
Quo the f o l f o l Fly on the ro ad ,
" I have some milk f o r myself fo r to drink.'"
Said the c h i l d , who was seven y e a rs old.
THE FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD8
1. "O, where are you going?" sa id the
f a ls e knight upon the road.
"I'm going to my sc h o o l," said the p r e t t y
l i t t l e boy about seven y e a rs o ld .
2. "What have you in your bag?" said the
f a ls e knight upon the road.
"My books and my b re a d ," said the p r e t t y
l i t t l e boy about seven y e a rs o ld .
^ P h i l l i p s B arry, "New B allad T e x ts ," J o u rn a l of Ameri
can F o lk lo r e . 24:344, 1911.
^ P h i l l i p s B arry, e d ., " B r itis h B a lla d s ." B u l l e t i n of
the Folk-Sono S ociety of the N o r th e a s t. 11:8, 1936. From
Mr. W illiam M orris of Brewer, Maine, on August 20, 1934, as
learn ed from th e sin g in g of h i s mother, Mrs. James M orris,
daughter of Alexander and Ruth (Hosket) McPhail, n ativ e of
P rince Edward Isla n d .
"Will vou give me a piece of i t ? " said the
f a ls e knight upon the road.
"Of no, s i r , not one b i t of i t , ” said the p r e t t y
l i t t l e boy about seven y ea rs old.
”1 wish you were a f i d d l e , ” sa id the
fa ls e knight upon the road.
"And you to be the bow of i t , ” said the p r e tty
l i t t l e boy about seven y ea rs old.
"And i f the bow should break— " sa id the
f a ls e knight upon the road.
"May the end s tic k in your th ro a t.'" said the p r e t t y
l i t t l e boy about seven y ears old.
APPENDIX D
THE FALSE KNIGHT O N THE ROAD9
1. "0 where are you g oing?M
Said the f a l s e , f a ls e knight t o th e c h ild on the road.
"I'm going t o my sc h o o l,"
Said th e p r e tty boy seven y e a rs old.
2. "What have you got in your woolen?" [school bag-]
Said the f a l s e , f a ls e knight to the c n ild on the road.
"My books and my d in n e r,"
Said the p r e t t y boy seven y ea rs old.
3. "Who owns a l l th o se cows on the h i l l ? "
Said the f a l s e , f a ls e knight to the c h ild on the road.
"Me and my mamma,"
Said the p r e tty boy seven y ears old.
4. "How many of them are mine?"
Said the f a l s e , f a l s e knight to the c h ild on the road.
"As many as have no t a i l , "
Said the p r e tty boy seven y ea rs old.
b. "Who ta u g h t you so w ell?"
Said the f a l s e , f a l s e knight to the c h ild on the road.
"My te a c h e rs and my mamma,"
Said the p r e t t y boy seven y ears old.
o. "What did they te ach you so w ell fo r?"
S aid the f a l s e , f a l s e knight to the c h ild on the road.
"To keep me from you and from your wicked H e ll,"
And he bowed seven tim es on the road,
7. "Bad luck to your te ac h e r th a t tau g h t you so w e ll ,"
Said the f a l s e , f a l s e knight to the c h ild on the road.
9Helen H. F lan d e rs and M arguerite Olney, c o l l . , B allads
M iorant in New England (New York, 1953), pp. 46-47. Sung on
September 4, 1932, by Mrs. E. M. S u lliv a n of S p rin g f ie ld ,
Vermont, who learned i t in her childhood in Ire la n d .
2b 0
251
"Good luck to the te ac h e r th a t kept me from you
And from your wicked H ell,*1
S aid the p r e tty boy seven y ears old.
APPENDIX E
THE FALSE KNIGHT ON THE ROAD10
1. "Where are you going?" said the f a l s e , f a l s e k n ig h t,
Said th e f a l s e so .ru d e .
" I am going to sc h o o l," sa id the c h ild ;
And s t i l l i t stood.
2. "What have you got th e re ? " said the f a l s e , f a ls e
k n ig h t,
Said the f a l s e so rude.
" I have good books in my hand," said the c h ild ;
And s t i l l i t stood.
3. "Are you a c h ild of God?" sa id the f a l s e , f a ls e knight,
Said the f a l s e so rude.
"I say my p ra y e rs a t n ig h t," sa id the c h ild ;
And s t i l l i t stood.
4. "I wish you were in the w e ll," said the f a l s e , f a ls e
knight
Said the f a ls e so rude.
"And you as deep in h e l l , " said the c h ild ;
And s t i l l i t stood*
10A rthur D avis, e d . , T r a d iti o n a l B a lla d s of V irg in ia
(Cambridge, 1929), p. 61. C o lle c te d by Miss Martha M.
D avis, sung by Mrs. Sarah Finchum of E lkton, Rockingham
County, V irg in ia , on November 23, 1918.
2b2
APPENDIX F
THE FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD11
A
1. The knight met a c h ild in the road.
0 where are you going to ? sa id the knight in th e road.
I'm a-going t o my school* sa id the c h ild as he stood.
He stood and he stood and i t ' s w e ll because he stood.
"I'm a-going to my school* said the c h ild as he stood.
2. 0 what are you going th e re fo r?
For to le a r n the Word of God.
3. 0 what have you got th e re ?
1 have got my bread and cheese.
4. 0 w on't you give me some?
No, n e 'e r a b ite nor crumb.
5. I wish you was on the sands.
Yes* and a good s t a f f in my hands.
6. I wish you was in the sea.
Yes, and a good boat under me.
7. 1 th in k I hear a b e l l .
Yes* and i t ' s rin g in g you to h e l l .
Bl2
1. Where are you going? Savs the knight in the ro ad .
I'm a-going to my school* said the c h ild as he stood.
He stood and he stood* He w ell thought on he stood.
I'm a-going to my school* said the c h i ld as he stood.
1-lCecil J . Sharp, comp.* E nglish Folk Sonas from the
Southern A ppalachians (London. 1 9 5 2 ) .'p7 3T . Sung by Mrs.
T. G. C oates a t Flag Pond, Tennessee* on September 1, 1916.
12sharp* English Folk Songs, p. 4. Sung by Mrs. Jane
Gentry a t Hot S prings, North C arolina* on September 12. 1916.
253
254
2. What are you e a tin g ?
I'm a - e a tin g bread and cheese.
3. X w ish 'd you was in th e sea.
A good boat under me.
4* I w ish 'd you was in the w e ll.
And you t h a t deep in h e l l .
APPENDIX G
THE FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD13
1. "Where are you going?" eaid the knight in the road.
"I'm going t o my sc h o o l," eaid th e c h i ld ae he stood.
He stood and he sto o d , he w e ll thought on. he stood.
"I'm going t o my sc h o o l." said th e c h ild as he stood.
2. "Oh. what do you study th e re ? " sa id the knight in the
road.
"W e le a rn the word of God." sa id the c h i l d as he
stood.
He stood and he stood, he w ell thought on. he stood,
"We le a rn th e word of God," said the c h i ld as he
s t ood.
3. "Oh, what are you e a tin g th e re ? " said the knight in
the road.
"I'm e a tin g bread and c h e e se ," sa id th e c h ild as he
stood.
He stood and he stood, he w ell thought on, he stood,
"I'm e a tin g bread and c h e e se ," sa id the c h ild as he
stood.
4. "Oh, w on't you give me some?" sa id the knight in the
ro ad .
"No, nare a b ite nor crumb," sa id the c h ild as he
stood.
He stood and he stood, he w ell thought on, he stood,
"No, nare a b ite nor crumb," said the c h ild as he
stood.
l O
B ertrand H. Bronson, The T r a d iti o n a l Tunes of the
C hild B a lla d s (P rin c e to n . 1959), p. 37. Recorded from Dun-
can B. M. Emrich, L ib rary of Congress Archive of American
Folk Song, Album XXI, r e c . 104 A-2. Sung by Mrs. Maud Long
of Hot S p rin g s, North C a ro lin a , and recorded in Washington,
D. C .. 1947.
"I with you wore in the tea," said the knight in the
road.
"A good boat under me." taid the child at he ttood.
He ttood and he ttood, he well thought on, he ttood,
"A good boat under me," taid the child at he ttood.
M I with you were in the sand," taid the knight in the
road.
"A good etaff in m y hand," taid the child at he ttood.
He ttood and he ttood, he w ell thought on, he ttood,
M A good boat under me," taid the ch ild at he ttood.
M I with you were in a w ell," taid the knight in the
road.
"And you that deep in H ell," said the child as he
stood.
He stood and he stood, he well thought on, he stood,
N And you that deep in H ell," said the child as he
stood.
appendix h
TH E FALSE FIDEEi4
1. "Where ere you going?"
Said the F alse, f i e , the False Fidee;
"I'm going to m y school,"
Said the c h ild , and there s t i l l she stood.
2. "Whose sheep are those?"
Said the F alse, f i e , the False Fidee;
"They're mine and m y mother's,"
Said the c h ild , and there s t i l l she stood.
3. "Which one is mine?"
Said the F alse, f i e , the False Fidee;
"The one with the blue t a il,"
Said the ch ild , and there s t i l l she stood.
4. "There's nary a one with a blue t a il,"
Said the F alse, f i e , the False Fidee;
"And nary a one sh a ll you have,"
Said the c h ild , and there s t i l l she stood.
b. "I wish you were in the bottom of the sea,"
Said the F alse, f i e , the False Fidee;
"With a good ship under me,"
Said the ch ild , and there s t i l l she stood.
6. "I wish you were in the bottom of the w ell,"
Said the F alse, f i e , the False Fidee;
"And you in the lowest depths of H ell,"
Said the ch ild , and there s t i l l she stood.
*4Paul Brewster, c o ll. and e d ., Ballads and Songs of
Indiana. Indiana U niversity Publications Folklore Series
No. 1 (Bloomington, 1940), pp. 29-30. Communicated by Miss
L ucille Wilkin of C on n ersville, Indiana, who learned i t in
th is state from the singing of Mrs. Chester A. Porter, now
of Lawrenceville, I llin o is , on October b, 193b.
2b7
APPENDIX I
THE FALSE KNIGHT15
1. "Where are you going?" sa id the f a l s e k n ig h t, f a ls e
k n ig h t,
"Where are you going?" sa id the f a l s e knight Munro.
"W ell," sa id the l i t t l e boy, "I'm going t o sch o o l.
But I ' l l stand to my book a ls o .
2. "What you got in your basket?" said the f a ls e
k n ig h t, f a l s e k n ig h t,
"What you got in your basket?" sa id the f a l s e knight
Munro.
"W ell," said the l i t t l e boy, "my b re a k fa s t and my
d in n e r.
But I ' l l stand t o my book a l s o ."
3. "Give my dog some," sa id the f a ls e k n ig h t, f a l s e
k n ig h t,
"Give my dog some," sa id the f a l s e knight Munro.
"W ell," said the l i t t l e boy, " I w on't give him none.
But I ' l l stand t o my book a l s o ."
4. "Then I ' l l p itc h you in the w e ll," sa id the f a ls e
k n ig h t, f a l s e k n ig h t,
"Then I ' l l p itc h you in the w e ll," sa id the f a ls e
knight Munro.
"W ell," said the l i t t l e boy, " I ' l l p itc h you in
f i r s t ;
But I ' l l stand t o my book a l s o ."
And he p itc h ed him in the w ell and went on t o school.
H. M. Belden, e d . . B a lla d s and Songs (The U n iv e rs ity
of M issouri S tu d ie s , 1955), p. 4. F i r s t p r in te d in 1940.
T h is same v a r ia n t sent to Mr. Belden in 1917 by Miss Jane
D. Johns of S t. C h a rle s, a ls o appears in the JAFL. 30:285,
and Miss Louise Pound's American B a lla d s and S onos. p. 48.
H e re a fte r only the most r e a d i ly o b ta in a b le source of a
given v a r ia n t w i l l be given.
2t>8
APPENDIX J
EDW ARD16
1. "What b l u i d 's th a t on thy co at la p ,
Son D avit, ton D avit?
What b l u i d 's th a t on thy co at lap?
And tha t r u t h come t e l l to me."
2. " I t i s tha b lu id of my g re a t hawk.
Mother lad y , mother lady:
I t i s the b lu id of my g re a t hawk.
And the t r u t h I have to ld to th e e ."
3. "Hawk's b lu id was near sae re d .
Son D avie, son D avie:
Hawk's b lu id was near sae re d ,
And the t r u t h come t e l l to me."
4. " I t i s the b lu id of my greyhound.
Mother lad y , mother lady:
I t i s the b lu id of my greyhound,
And i t wadna r i n fo r me."
5. "Hound's b lu id was neer sae re d .
Son Davie, son Davie:
Hound's b lu id was neer sae re d ,
And the t r u t h come t e l l to me."
6. " I t i s the b lu id o my b r i t h e r John,
Mother lady, mother lady:
I t i s the b lu id o my b r i t h e r John,
And the t r u t h I have to ld to th e e ."
C h ild , I , P a rt I , p. 169. From a Mrs. King of
K ilbarchan, S cotland, in M otherw ell's MS. On p. 170, C hild
notes a v e rsio n A*,, from M o th e rw e ll's M in s tre ls y , which d if-
d i f f e r s from A in the follow ing re s p e c ts :
259
260
7. "What about did the plea begin,
Son Davie, eon Davie?"
"It began about the cutting of a willow wand
That would never been a tree."
8. "W hat death dost thou desire to d ie.
Son Davie, son Davie?
What death dost thou desire to die?
And the truth come t e l l to me."
9. " I 'll set m y foot in a bottomless ship,
Mother lady, mother lady:
I ' l l set m y foot in a bottomless ship.
And y e ' l l never see mair o me."
10. "W hat w ilt thou leave to thy poor w ife.
Son Davie, son Davie?"
"Grief and sorrow a ll her l i f e ,
"And s h e 'll never see mair o me."
11. "W hat w ilt thou leave to thy old son.
Son Davie, son Davie?"
" I 'll leave him the weary world to wander up
and down.
And h e 'll never get mair o me."
12. "What w ilt thou leave to thy mother dear,
Son Davie, son Davie?"
"A fir e o coals to burn her, wi hearty cheer.
And s h e 'll never get mair o me."
1*. t e l l to m e 0 . (And so every fourth lin e)
7*. That would never hae been a tree 0.
10*. And s h e 'll never get mair frae m e O.
II 3 . The weary warld to wander up and down.
261
EDW ARD17
B
1. "Why d o ls your brand sae drap wi b lu id ,
Edward, Edward,
Why d o is your brand sae drap wi b lu id .
And why sae sad 9ang yee 0?"
"O I hae k i l l e d my hauke sae g u id ,
M ith er, m ith e r,
0 1 hae k i l l e d my hauke sae g u id .
And I had nae mair bot hee 0 ."
2. "Your h au k is b lu id was n ev ir sae r e i d ,
Edward, Edward,
Your haukis b lu id was n ev ir sae r e i d .
My d e i r son I t e l l th e e O."
"O I hae k i l l e d my r e id - ro a n s t e i d ,
M ith er, m ith e r,
0 1 hae k i l l e d my r e id - r o a n s t e i d .
That e r s t was sae f a i r and f r i e O ."
3. "Your s te id was a u ld , and ye hae g at m air,
Edward, Edward,
Your s t e i d was a u ld , and ye hae gat m air.
Sum o th er dule ye d r ie 0 ."
"0 I hae k i l l e d my f a d i r d eir*
M ith er, m ither
O I hae k i l l e d my f a d i r d e i r ,
A las, and wae i s mee 0.'"
4. "And w hatten penance wul ye d r ie fo r t h a t ,
Edward, Edward?
And w hatten penance wul ye d r ie f o r th a t?
My d e ir son, now t e l l me O ."
" l i e set my f e i t in yonder b o a t,
M ith er, m ither
l i e se t my f e i t in yonder b o a t.
And l i e fa re o v ir the sea O ."
t>. "And what wul ye doe wi your to w irs and your ha,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye doe wi your to w irs and your ha
That were sae f a i r t o see O?"
C h ild , pp. 169-170. In P e rc y 's Re1io u e s . communi
c a te d by S ir David Dalrymple. I n i t i a l ou fo r w and z
f o r % have been changed throughout to w and ”
262
"H e l e t thame stand t u l they doun f a ,
M ither, m ither,
lie l e t thame stand t u l they doun f a ,
For here n ev ir mair maun 1 bee O."
6. "And what wul ye le iv e to your b a irn s and your w ife,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye le iv e to your b a irn s and your w ife,
Whan ye gang o v ir the sea 0?"
"The w a rld is room, la te them beg th ra e l i f e ,
M ither, m ither.
The w a rld is room, la te them beg th rae l i f e ,
For thame n ev ir mair wul I see 0 ."
7. "And what wul ye leiv e to your ain m ither d e i r ,
Edward, Edward?
And what wul ye leiv e to your a in m ither d eir?
My d e ir son, now t e l l me 0 ."
"The curse of h e l l fra e m e s a i l ye b e i r ,
M ither, m ither.
The curse of h e l l fra e me s a i l ye b e i r ,
Sic c o u n s e ils ye gave to me 0 ."
EDW ARD18
C
"C what did the fra y begin about?
My son come t e l l to me.
" I t began about the breaking o the bonny
hazel wand,
And a penny wad hae bought the t r e e . "
18C h ild , p. 170. From the 1829 MS. of Alexander Laing
APPENDIX K
EDW ARD BALLAD19
1. I t was in the M id-Lothian Country,
Up near the P entland h i l l s .
Two b r o th e rs net one summer’ s day
To t e s t t h e i r stre n g th and s k i l l .
2. Edward was the e l d e s t one.
And John was the younger man;
They were e q u a lly matched in every way
To t r y what v a lo r can.
3. "S h all we go to the school grounds?
Or w i l l we remain a t the H all?
But, b e t t e r we go t o the greenwood,
To see which of us must f a l l . "
4. "No, w e 'l l not go t o th e school grounds.
Nor w i l l we remain a t the H a ll,
But we w i l l go to Roslyn woods
To see which of us w i l l f a l l . "
b . They stru g g le d long f o r the m astery,
T i l l shadows to ld the end of the day,
When Edward waxed wroth a t h i s f a i l u r e .
And w ith h i s sword did h i s b ro th e r sla y .
6. "B rother, r a is e me up and help me t o walk;
Take me t o yon stream so f a i r ;
Wash the blood from out my wounds
So they w i l l bleed no more."
-^^Helen H. F lan d e rs and M arguerite Olney, c o l l . , Bal
la d s M igrant in New England (New York, 19b3), pp. 96-9ET7"
Sent t o Miss F lan d ers on January 22, 1934, by Mr. George J .
Edwards of B u rlin g to n , Vermont, a s i t came down through the
Douglas branch of h i s fam ily . He w rote: "Rosslyn Woods (as
my g ra n d fa th e r used t o s p e ll i t ) was very near to the famous
R o slin C a s tle , one of the famous old c a s t l e s of S c o tla n d ."
263
264
7. He ra is e d h is b ro th er upon h is feet*
And helped him to the stream so f a i r .
F r a n tic a lly he bathed h is bloody wounds,
But they bled more and more.
8. "Now, b ro th e r, I know th a t 1 must d ie ,
And 1 conjure you ere I go,
t h a t you w i l l not t e l l the fo lk s a t home
How t h i s happened, nor l e t them know.
9. "Now l i f t me up, upon your back.
And take me t o the churchyard f a i r ;
Dig my grave both broad and deep
And lay my body t h e r e .
10. "You w ill place my arrows a t my head;
My bow put a t my f e e t;
My sword and buckler a t my side
As though I were a s le e p .
11. "When you go home to my tru e love,
S h e 'l l ask f o r her lover John;
Say you l e f t me in the churchyard f a i r
But you f e a r I ' l l never come home.
12. "When you go home to our s i s t e r ,
S h e 'l l ask fo r her b ro th e r John;
T e ll her I'v e gone to S t i r l i n g Carse
To see the king upon h is th ro n e .
13. "When you go home to our p a re n ts,
T h e y 'll ask you, 'Where i s John?'
T e l l them I'm a t the A bbot's house
Studying th e re alo n e."
14. When he came home to J o h n 's tru e love,
She asked fo r her lover John.
He sa id , "I l e f t him in the f a i r churchyard
And I f e a r he w i l l never come home."
lb . When he came home to h i s s i s t e r ,
She asked f o r her b ro th e r John;
He to ld her he had gone to the Carse of
S t i r l i n g
To the king upon h i s th ro n e .
16. When he came home to h i s p a re n ts .
They asked fo r t h e i r son John;
"I l e f t him a t the A bbot's school
To study th e re a lo n e ."
265
17. "What blood la th a t on thy co at f r o n t,
Edward?
I t ' s as red as i t can b e . ”
" I t ' s the blood of my g re a t hawk
That uncle gave t o me."
18. "Hawk's blood was never so red , son;
Come, and t e l l the t r u t h t o m e.”
" I t i s the blood of my greyhound, mother
He would not run f o r me."
19. "T h a t's not the blood of a hound, son;
That i s very p la in to see,
Is i t not the blood of thy b ro th e r John?
Come, and t e l l the tr u t h to me.”
20. ” I t is the blood of b ro th er John
0 mother' Woe i s me;
1 slew him in a f i t of rag e,
Now the t r u t h I have t o l d to th e e .
21. "You have always to ld me, mother.
E ldest sons must n e 'e r give in ,
The fam ily name and t i t l e
Must always be sure to w in .”
22. "What penance w ill you do, son.
To wipe away the s t a i n ? ”
" I ' l l s a i l away acro ss the seas.
And never come back a g a i n .”
23. "What w i l l you leave your wife and son,
If you 6 a il beyond the sea?"
" I ' l l leave them my towers and h a l l , mother,
Which mean nothing now to me.”
24. "What w ill you leave your mother, Edward,
Who has been so fond of th e e ? ”
" I ' l l leave with her the memory of
Wrong counsel given m e.”
25. "When w i l l you r e tu r n , my son?
I s h a ll long thy face to s e e . ”
"When the su n lig h t and moonbeams meet on the
green,
And th a t w i l l never be."
APPENDIX L
E D W A R D 20
1. "How cane t h i s blood on your s h i r t sleev e,
0 dear love, t e l l me, me, me?"
" I t i s the blood of my old gray hound
That tra c e d t h a t fox f o r me, me, me,
t h a t tra c e d th a t fox f o r me."
2. " I t does look to o pale fo r the old gray hound,
0 dear love, t e l l me, me, me?
I t does look to o pale f o r the old gray hound
That tra c e d t h a t fox f o r th e e , th e e , th e e,
t h a t tra c e d th a t fox f o r th e e ."
3. "How came t h i s blood on your s h i r t sleeve,
0 dear love, t e l l me, me, me?"
" I t i s the blood of my old gray mare
That ploughed th a t f i e l d f o r me, me, me,
t h a t ploughed th a t f i e l d f o r me."
4. " I t does look to o pale f o r the old gray mare,
0 dear lo v e, t e l l me, me, me—
I t does look to pale f o r the old gray mare
That ploughed th a t f i e l d f o r th e e , th e e , th e e ,
th a t ploughed th a t f i e l d f o r th e e ."
b. "How came t h i s blood on your s h i r t sleev e,
0 dear love, t e l l me, me, me?”
" I t i s the blood of my b ro th e r-in -la w
That went away w ith me, me, me,
th a t went away w ith me."
^ F l a n d e r s and Olney, pp. 100-101. Sung on October 8,
194b, by Miss E dith P ric e of Newport, Rhode Isla n d , who
learned i t when a small c h i l d , from the singing of a f r ie n d ,
in Amherst, M assachusetts, about 1910.
266
"And i t ' s what did you f a i l out about,
0 dear love, t e l l me, me, me?"
"About a l i t t l e b it of bush
That never would have growed to a tr e e , tr ee, tr ee,
that never would have growed to a tree."
"And i t ' s what w ill you do now, ray love,
0 dear love t e l l me, me, me?"
" I ' ll set m y foot in to yonders ship
And t a i l across the sea, sea, sea—
and s a il across the sea."
"And i t ' s when w ill you come back again,
O dear love, t e l l me, me, me?"
"W hen the sun sets into yonders sycamore tree
And that w ill never be, be, be—
and that w ill never be."
APPENDIX M
H O W C O M E T H A T R ED B L O O D O N Y O U R COAT?21
A
1. "H ow come that red blood on your coat?
Pray, Son John, t e l l i t to me."
"It i s the blood of m y fin e horse
That ran away with me."
2. "How come that red blood on your coat?
Pray, Son John, t e l l i t to me."
"It is the blood of m y fine gilligohound
That tr a ile d the track for me."
3. "H ow come that red blood on your coat?
Pray, Son John, t e l l i t to me."
"It is the blood of m y poor l i t t l e brother
That rode along with me."
4. "W hat did you and your l i t t l e brother f a l l out
about?
Pray, Son John, t e l l i t to me."
" W e f e l l out about a chestnut bush
Which you might c a ll a tree."
b . "W hat w ill you do when your father comes home?
Pray, Son John, t e l l i t to me."
" I ' l l set m y fe e t in yonders boat
And s a il across the sea."
6. "W hat w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e wife?
Pray, Son John, t e l l it to me."
" I 'll set her down by m y side
And s a il across the sea."
2lArthur K. Da v 1 s, I j a jjit i o na 1 , B a l l ads of Virginia
(Cambridge, Mass., 1929), pp. 1 2 0 - 1 2 1 . Sung by Mrs. M . C.
Hurt of W ytheville, Virginia; co llected by Mr. John Stone on
November 8, 1921.
268
269
7. "W hat w ill you do with your sweet l i t t l e baby?
Pray, Son John, t e l l i t to me."
" I ' l l set him down betwixt m y kneea
And t a il acrota the t e a ,”
8. "What w ill you do to oat rid of the law?
Pray, Son John, t e l l i t to me."
" I 'l l set m y fe e t in yonders boat
And t a il across the sea."
9. "W hen w ill you be back?
Pray, Son John, t e l l i t to me."
"W hen the sun and the moon set on yonders h i l l .
And that w ill never be."
W H A T IS T H A T O N T H E EN D O F Y O U R SW O R D ?22
B
1. "What is that on the end of your sword.
M y dear son, t e l l to me?
What is that on the end of your sword.
M y dear son, t e l l to me?"
"'Tis the very blood of an English crane
M y father sent to me.
'Tis the very blood of an English crane
M y father sent to me."
2. "Crane's blood i s not so red.
M y ^jear son, t e l l to me.
Crane's blood i s not so red,
M y dear son, t e l l to me."
" 'Tis the very blood of m y dear l i t t l e brother,
And I wish i t had never been.
'Tis the very blood of m y dear l i t t l e brother.
And 1 wish i t had never b een ."
3. "What w ill your father say to you.
M y dear son, t e l l to me?
What w ill your father say to you.
M y dear son, t e l l to me?"
Davis, pp. 121-123. Sung on November 20, 1913, by
the mother of Miss Evelyn Purcell of Albemarle County.
C ollected by Miss Purcell, of the Farmville Ballad Club, and
sent in by Professor James M . Grainger.
270
"I w ill put m y foot in the bottom of the boat
And s a il away to sea.
I w ill put m y foot in the bottom of the boat
And s a il away to sea."
4. "What w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e w ife,
M y dear son, t e l l to me?
What w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e w ife,
M y dear son, t e l l to me?"
"She sh all put her foot in the bottom of the boat*
And s a il away with me.
She sh all put her foot in the bottom of the boat
And s a il away with me."
5. "W hat w ill you do with your dear l i t t l e boy,
M y dear son, t e l l to me?
What w ill you do with your dear l i t t l e boy,
M v dear son, t e l l to me?"
"I w ill leave him with h is grandparents
To make him think of me.
I w ill leave him with h is grandparents
To make him think of me."
o. "What w ill you do with your sweet l i t t l e g ir l,
M y dear son, t e l l to me?
What w ill you do with your sweet l i t t l e g ir l,
M v dear son, t e l l to me?"
"I w ill leave her to her grandmother
To make her think of me.
1 w ill leave her to her grandmother
To make her think of me."
7. "W hen do you expect to return again,
M y dear son, t e l l to me?
W hen do you expect to return again.
M y dear son, t e l l to me?"
"W hen the sun and the moon set on yonder h i l l ,
And that w ill never be.
W hen the sun and the moon set on yonder h i l l ,
And that w ill never be."
W H A T IS THAT ON THE El© OF YOUR SWORD?23
C
1. "What i s that on tha and of your sword.
M y daar son, t a l l to ma.
"'Tis tha blood of an English crow
And I wish i t had nsvar been."
2. "Crow's blood was na'ar so rad as th a t.
M y daar son, t a l l to me."
"'Tis tha blood of m y daar l i t t l e brother.
And I wish i t had never been. "
3. "H ow did i t happen.
M y daar son, t a l l to me?"
"'T was digging round tha hollow tr e e .
And I wish i t had never bean."
4. "What w ill you do with your dear l i t t l e son,
M v daar son, t a l l to me?"
"I w ill leave him with h is grandpapa
To make him think of me."
5. "W hat w ill you do with your dear l i t t l e
daughter,
M v daar son, t a l l to one?
"I w ill leave her with her grandmama
To make her think of me."
6. "W hat w ill you do with your dear l i t t l e wife
M y daar son, t e l l to me?"
"She w ill put her foot on yonder boat
And s a il away with me."
7. "W hen w ill you come back.
M y dear son, t a l l to me?
"W han the sun and moon set on yonder h i l l
And that w ill never be."
23Davis, p. 123. Sung on April 23, 1913, by Mrs.
Archibald Cummins of B erryville, Clark County, Virginia
c o lle c te d by Miss Martha M . Davis.
272
ED W A RD 24
D
1. "W hat i t that on your sword so red?
Dear son, pray t a i l unto me."
"'T is the blood of a gay g illeo n .
Dear mother, p ity n e .”
2. "No g ille o n 's blood was e'er so red.
Dear son, pray t e l l unto me."
"'T is the blood of m y dear brother.
0 mother, pity me.
'T is the blood of m y dear brother.
0 mother, pity me."
3. "W hat w ill you do when your father comes home?
Dear son, t e l l unto me."
" I 'll get aboard of yonder ship
And s a il away to sea.
I ' l l get aboard of yonder ship
And s a il away to sea."
4. "W hen w ill you return, m y son?
Dear son, pray t e l l unto me."
"W hen the sun and the moon set on yonder h i l l .
And that w ill never be.
W hen the sun and the moon set on yonder h i l l ,
And that w ill never be."
Davis, p. 124. Collected by Mr. John Stone from
Mrs. Travers Moncure of A ylett, King William County, Vir
gin ia, on September 13, 1913. Mr. Stone stated: "Mrs.
Moncure learned the song from her mother, who learned it
from her mother. She has never heard i t sung out of her
family. She is a direct descendant of Col. William Byrd, of
Westover. I imagine that the song has come down d irectly
from old Colonial days."
273
E25
1. "W illie, a n y ton, whet htvt you dont.
With blood t i l over your clothes?"
He mumbled out with e l l h is might,
"Been bleeding out of my nose."
^ D ev is, p. 124. Recited by Miss Thelma Stevens, of
Igo, King George County, V irginia, on September 11, 1922.
C ollected by Mr. John Stone.
APPENDIX N
ED W A R D 26
1. "H ow can* th is blood on your shirt sloovs?
0 , doar love, t a i l to am."
"It Is ths blood of tho old. gray horsa
That ploughsd that fie ld for me."
"It does look too pale for the old gray horse
That ploughed that fie ld for thee, thee. thee.
That ploughed that fie ld for thee."
2. "H ow came th is blood on your shirt sleeve?
O. dear love, t e l l to me.”
"It i s the blood of the old greyhound
That traced that fox for me."
"It does look too pale for the old greyhound
That traced that fox for thee. thee. thee.
That traced that fox for thee."
3. "H ow came th is blood on your shirt sleeve?
0. dear love, t e l l to me."
"It i s the blood of m y brother-in-law,
That went away with am. me. am.
That went away with am."
4. "And i t ' s what did you f a l l out about?
O, dear love, t e l l to am."
"About a l i t t l e b it of bush
That soon would have made a tr ee, tree, tree.
That soon would have made a tree."
5. "And i t ' s what w ill you do now, m y love?
0 , dear love, t e l l to me."
" I 'll set aiv foot in yonder ship
And I ' l l s a il across the sea, sea, sea.
And I ' l l s a il across the sea."
^John H. Cox, c o l l . , Traditional Ballads Mainly from
West Virginia (New York, 1939), pp. ii- liz . taken from a
manuscript song book coapiled by Miss Camille Dennis from
the singing of school children at Hindoian, Knott County,
Kentucky, 1922-1923.
274
And i t ' s when w ill you cone beck* m y love?
0 , deer love* t e l l to me."
W hen the eun elinke into yonder eycenore tree*
And th et w ill never be, be* be, be.
And th et w ill never be.**
APPENDIX 0
E D W A R D 27
A
1. "H ow cones that blood a l l over your shirt?
M y *on, come t a i l i t to me."
"it i s the blood of m y l i t t l e guinea—
0 mother, please le t m e be.
It is the blood of m y l i t t l e guinea pig—
O mother, please le t m e be."
2. "Your guinea p ia 's blood is not so red.
M y son, come t e l l i t to me."
"It is the blood of m y l i t t l e hunting dog
That played in the fie ld for me.
It is the blood of m y l i t t l e hunting dog
That played in the fie ld for me."
3. "Your dog li e s yonder, O m y son.
And th is i t could not be."
"It Is the blood of m y old roan horse
That pulled the plow for me.
It is the blood of m y old roan horse
That pulled the plow for me."
4. "H ow come that blood a l l over your shirt?
M y son, you must t e l l to me."
"It is the blood of m y l i t t l e brother B ill
W ho I k ille d in the fie ld today."
5. "And what w ill you do when your father comes
home?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me."
27F. C. Brown, The Frank C. Brown C ollection of North
Carolina Folklore, ed. H. M . feelden and A. I 3' . Hudson, TI
'(Durham, North Carolina, 1952), 42-43. Contributed by Pro
fessor Fletcher C o llin s, J r ., of Elon C ollege, Almance
County, in 1941.
276
277
" I 'll put m y fe e t in the bottom of a boat
I ' l l put m y faat in tha bottom of a boat
And s a il across tho saa.
And s a il across tha sea."
D E A R SO N 28
B
1. "Dear son. daar son. coma t a l l to ms.
What did you k i l l your brothar for?"
"H a cuttad down that hazel-nut bush
That once would 'a* made a tree."
2. "Daar son. daar son. coma t e l l to me.
What w ill you do with your children three?
"I'm going to leave them to bear you company
T i l l I s a il over tha sea."
3. "Dear son. daar son. come t e l l to me.
What w ill you do with your wife?"
"I'm going to taka her on yonders big ship
To bear m e company."
N O T ITL E 29
C
1. " ...b lood is that on your knife?
M y youngest son. come t e l l th is to me."
"Who's plowed the f ie ld s for m e m e me.
Who's plowed the f ie ld s for me."
2®F. C. Brown. II. 43. Contributed by Miss Jewell
Robbins of Pekin. Montgomery County, sometime before 192b.
from her manuscript c o lle c tio n of songs.
2^F. C. Brown. II, 43-44. C ollected in the summer of
194b by Professors W . A. Abrams and C. D. Williams from Pat
Frye of East Branch. Yadkin County. Stanza six is incom
p le te . Whether Frye was tired of singing i t or the report
ers simply forgot to fin ish th is la st stanza, the editor
does not know.
278
2. " it i s too red for yo old h orse's blood.
M y youngost son, com t s l l th is to m ."
"It i s tho blood of sty old dog
W ho runs tho door for m m am,
W ho runs tho door for m ."
3. "It i s too rod for yo old dog's blood.
M y youngost son, com t o l l th is to m . ”
"It i s tho blood of m y l i t t l o brother
Who's walked tho roods with a m a m m .
Who's wolkod tho roods with m ."
4. "W hat did you and your l i t t l o brothor f a l l out
about?
M y youngost son, com t o l l t h is to me."
"For cutting down ay hazo nut bush.
Which might 'a' made a troo troo tr e e .
Which might 'a' made a tree."
b . "W hat w ill you do when your father fin ds i t out?
M y youngest son, co m t e l l t h is to me."
" I 'll step m y foot in yonders boat
And s a il across the sea sea sea
And s a il across the sea."
6. "W hen w ill you ever return back?
M y youngest son, com t e l l t h i s t o m . "
APPENDIX P
E D W A R D 30
A
1. How com that blood on your sh irt sleeve?
Pray, son, now t e l l to me.
It i s the blood of the old greyhound
That run young fox for me.
2. It i s too pale for that old greyhound.
Pray, son, now t e l l to me.
It i s the blood of the old grey mare
That ploughed that corn for me.
3. It i s too pale for that old grey mare.
Pray, son, now t e l l to me.
It i s the blood of m y youngest brother
That hoed that corn for me.
4. W hat did you f a l l out about?
Pray, son, now t e l l to me.
Because he cut yon h olly bush
Which might have made a tree.
b. O what w ill you t e l l to your father dear
W hen he comes home from town?
I ' l l set m y foot in yonder ship
And s a il the ocean round.
6. 0 what w ill you do with your sweet l i t t l e wife?
Pray, son. now t e l l to me.
I ' l l set her foot in yonder ship
To keep m e coiqpany.
30C ecil J. Sharp, English Folk Songs from the Southern
Appalachians, ed. Maud Rarpeles, London," 193V)," IS " .--------
Sung by blrs. Jane Gentry at Hot Springs, North Carolina,
August 24, 1916.
279
280
7. O what w ill you do with your thraa l i t t l o babos?
Pray, aon, now t a l l to no.
I ' l l laavo than hara in tha cara of you
For to keep you company.
8. 0 what w ill you do with your houaa and land?
Pray, aon, now t a l l to me.
I ' l l laava i t hara in cara of you
For to aat ay ch lld rtn fraa.
b31
1. 0 what w ill you aay whan your fathar comes back,
0 what w ill you say to me?
I ' l l sat m y foot on yondar l i t t l e boat.
I ' l l s a il away ovar tha saa,
I ' l l s a il away ovar tha saa.
c 32
1. How came that blood on the point of your knife?
M y son, come t e l l to me.
It i s the blood of m y old coon dog
That chased the fox tor me, 0 me,
That chased the fox for me.
d33
1. What has come t h is blood on your sh irt sleeve?
0 daar love, t e l l me.
This is the blood of the old grey horse
That ploughed that fie ld for me, me, me.
That ploughed that fie ld for me.
31
Sharp, I, 47. Sung by Mrs. Rosie Hensley at Carmen,
North Carolina, August 28, 1916.
32Sharp, I, 47. Sung by Mr. Strander Medford at Bal
sam, Jackson County, North Carolina, July 30, 1917.
33Sharp, I, 47-48. Sung by Mr. Trotter Gann at Sevier-
v i l l e , Sevier County, Tennessee, April 15, 1917.
282
2. It does look too polo for tho old groy horoo
Thot ploughod that fio ld for you, you, you.
That ploughod that fio ld for you.
3. What has com th is blood on your shirt sleeve?
0 daar lovo, t o l l m .
This i s tho blood of tho old groyhound
That tracod that fox for m , no, mo.
That tracod that fox for m .
4. It doos look too palo for tho old groyhound
That tracod that fox for you, you, you.
That tracod that fox for you.
5. What has com th is blood on your shirt sloeve?
0 doar lovo, t o l l m .
This i s tho blood of n a y brother-in-law
That wont away with m , me, me.
That wont away with me.
6. And i t ' s what did you f a l l out about?
0 dear lovo, t o l l m .
About a l i t t l o b it of bush
That soon would have made a tr e e , tr e e , tr ee,
That soon would have made a tree.
7. And i t ' s what w ill you do now, m y love?
0 dear lovo, t o l l m .
I ' l l sot m y foot in yonders ship,
And I ' l l s a il across tho sea, sea, sea,
And I ' l l s a il across the sea.
8. And i t ' s when w ill you come back, m y love?
0 d ear.love, t o l l me.
W hen the sun sots into yanders sycamore tr ee.
And i t ' s that w ill never be, be, be,
And i t ' s that w ill never bo.
282
g34
1. How cant that blood on tha point of your knife?
M y aon* cone t e l l to me.
It ie the blood of m y old coon dog
That chased the fox for me* m e* m e*
That chased the fox for me.
2. How come that blood on the point of your knife?
M y eon* come t e l l to me.
It ie the blood of that old horse
That ploughed that fie ld for me, m e* m e*
That ploughed that fie ld for me.
3. How come that blood on the point of your knife?
M y eon, come t e l l to me.
It ie the blood of one of m y brothers
Which f e l l out with m e* m e* m e*
Which f e l l out with me.
4. What did you f a l l out about?
M y eon* come t e l l to me.
W e f e l l out about a holly-bush
That would have made a tr e e , tree* tr e e .
That would have made a tree.
5. What w ill you do when your father comes home?
M y eon, come t e l l to me.
I ' l l put m y foot in a bunkum boat
And s a il across the sea. sea* sea.
And s a il across the sea.
6. What w ill you do with your dear l i t t l e wife?
M y eon* come t e l l to me.
I ' l l put her foot in a bunkum boat
And s a il across the sea* sea* sea*
And s a il across the sea.
7. What w ill you do with your dear l i t t l e babe?
M y son* come t e l l to me.
34
Sharp* I, 49. Sung by Mrs. Meg Shook at Clyde, Hay
wood County, North Carolina* on August 2* 1917. Mrs. Shook
said that the name of the brother was Edward and that the
second line in stanza three was sometimes sung* "It is the
blood of Edward. M
283
1*11 leave i t here in th ie lone world
To dandle on your knee, knee, knee,
To dandle on your knee.
8. And what w ill you do with your old gobbler?
M y aon, com t e l l to m .
I ' l l leave i t here with you when I'm gone
To gobble a fter m , m , m .
To gobble after me.
F35
1. 0 what are you going to do when your
father comes home?
0 son, com t e l l to ms.
I ' l l put m y foot in yonders boat,
And s a il across the sea.
g36
1. Where did you get your l i t t l e blood red?
M y son, com t e l l to m .
1 got i t out of the l i t t l e grey hawk
That s i t s on yonders tree.
2. That l i t t l e grey hawk's blood was never so red.
M y son co m t e l l to m .
I got i t out of that l i t t l e red ( s q m t 1 m s . grey)
c o lt
That ploughed on yonders f ie ld .
3. That l i t t l e grey (jjf red) c o l t ' s blood was never
so red.
M y son, com t e l l to m .
1 got i t out of m y poor l i t t l e brother
That rode away with m .
4. What are you going to do when your papa c o m i home?
M y son, co m t e l l to m .
I ' l l set m y foot in the bottomless ship,
And s a il across the sea.
35
Sharp, I, 50. Sung by Mrs. J. L. Long at Villamont,
V irgin ia, on June 4, 1918.
^Sharp, I, 50. Sung by Mr. Ebe Richards at St.
P eter's School, Callaway, V irginia, on August 18, 1918.
284
5. W hen art you coming back* m y aon?
M y ton* coma t a l i to me.
W han tha moon and tun aata in yondara h i l l .
And that w ill navar ba.
H37
1. 0 what ia th ia tha blood of?
Son. pray t a l l i t to mt.
It ia tha blood of m y good old horae
That ploughad tha fia ld a for me.
2. It ia too rad for your good old horae.
Son, pray t a l l i t to me.
It ia tha blood of m y good old cow
That gava tha milk for me.
3. It ia too rad for your good old cow.
Son, pray t a l l i t to me.
It ia tha blood of m y good old dog
That ran the deer for me.
4. It ia too red for your good old dog.
Son, pray t e l l i t to me.
It ie the blood of m y good old brother
That walked the road with me.
5. 0 what did you and your brother f a l l
out about?
Son, pray t e l l i t to me.
W e f e l l out about a hazel-nut bush
Which might have made a hazel-nut tree,
6. 0 what are you going to do?
Son, pray t e l l i t to me.
I ' l l aet m y foot on yonders shore.
And I ' l l s a il across the sea.
7. What are you going to do with your
pretty l i t t l e wife?
Son, pray t e l l i t to me.
I ' l l aet her foot on yonders shore.
And s h e 'll s a il by the side of me.
37Sharp, I , 51-52. Sung by Mrs. S. V. Cannady at
Endicott, V irginia, on August 23, 1918.
286
8. What are you going to do with your
swaot l i t t i o babe?
Son* pray t a l l i t to me.
I ' l l leave i t hara with m y papa
T i ll I coma home again.
1. How came that blood on your shirt-alaava?
M y son* come t a l l i t to ms.
It is m y own brothor's blood
That flad tha show for ma.
W han w ill you raturn again?
M y son, coma t a l l i t to me.
W hen tha sun and moon sh all set in
yondsrs e a st.
Which you know w ill never be.
J3 9
1. What blood is that a l l on your shirt?
0 son, come t e l l to me.
It i s tha blood of tha old grey mare
That ploughed tha corn for me. O me,
That ploughed the corn for me.
2. It i s too red for the old grey mare.
0 son* come t e l l to me.
It i s tha blood of the old grey hound
That run tha daar for me, 0 me.
That run the deer for me.
3. It is too red for the old grey hound.
0 son, come t e l l to me.
It is the blood of tha l i t t l e guinea-pig
That eat the corn for me, 0 me.
That eat the corn for me.
38
Sharp, I, 62. Sung by Mrs. Nannie Weaver at Wool-
wine* V irginia, on August 26, 1918.
39sharp, 1, 53. Sung by Mrs. Mary Gibson at Marion,
North Carolina, on September 3, 1918.
286
4. It i s too red for ths l i t t l e guinea-pig.
0 son* come t e l l to m».
It i s ths blood of m y old sst brother
Thst travelled along with me* 0 ms.
That tra v elled along with me.
5. What did you f a l l out about?
0 son, come t e l l to me.
About a l i t t l e h o lly bush
That might have made a tree* O tree*
That might have made a tr e e .
6. What w ill you do when your father comes home?
0 son* come t e l l to me.
I ' l l set m y foot in a bunkum boat
And s a il a ll on the sea, 0 sea.
And s a il a ll on the sea.
7. What w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e
wife?
0 son, come t e l l to me.
I ' l l take her on a bunkum boat
And s a il along with me, O me.
And s a il along with me.
8. What w ill you do with your oldest son?
0 son, come t e l l to me.
I ' l l leave him here for you to raise
And dance around your knees, 0 knees.
And dance around your knees.
9. What w ill you do with your oldest daughter?
0 son, come t e l l to me.
I ' l l leave her here for you to raise
For to remember m e* O me.
For to remember me.
APPENDIX Q
TH E B L O O D O F FAIR L U C Y 40
1. "What caused th is blood on your shirt sleeve,
0 son, pray t e l l to 0 *?*
"That blood i t came from m y gross hog
But, Mama, i t ' l l follow me."
2. "That looks too bright for your gross hog,
0 son, pray t e l l to me?”
"This blood i t came from fa ir Lucy
And, Mama, i t ' l l follow me."
3. "0 what w ill you do with your children three,
0 son, pray t e l l to me?”
" I ' ll leave them with you to keep you sweet
company."
4. "0 what w ill you do when your father comes home,
O son, pray t e l l to me?”
" I 'll put m y foot in yon l i t t l e boat
And s a il over the sea."
°Bertrand H. Bronson, The T raditional Tunes of the
Child Ballads (Princeton, 1969), p. 242. Accorded by
Herbert Halpert in the Library of Congress Archive of Amer
ican Folk Song 2863, record B2* Sung by Mrs. Ewart Wilson
of Pensacolo, North Carolina, in 1939.
287
a p p e n d ix r
ED W A RD 41
A
1. How come that blood on your shirt sleeve.
M y son, come t e l l to me.
It i s the blood of the old greyhound
That chased the fox for me.
It does look too pale for the old greyhound
That chased the fox for th ee, th ee, thee.
That chased the fox for thee.
2. How come that blood on your sh irt sleeve.
M y son, come t e l l to me.
It is the blood of the old gray mare
That ploughed the fie ld for me.
It does look too pale for the old gray mare
That ploughed the fie ld for thee, thee, th ee.
That ploughed the fie ld for thee.
3. How came that blood on your sh irt sleeve.
M y son, come t e l l to me.
It i s the blood of m y brother-in-law
That went away with me, me, me.
That went away with me.
4. And i t ' s what did you f a l l out about.
M y son, come t e l l to me.
41
Dorothy Scarborough, e d ., A Song Catcher in Southern
Mountains (New York, 1937), pp. 181-182. Miss Scarborough
?
ot the two versions of the ballad in South Carolina, both
rom Clara Callahan, ot the Weave Shop, near Saluda. She
sang the two somewhat d ifferen t tunes to the accompaniment
of her dulcimer. The B variant has "came" for "come,"
"dear love" for "m y son," and "traced" for "chased" in
stanza one and the refrain , and in stanza five "the" for
"yonder" before "sea."
288
289
About a l i t t l e b it of a bush
That soon would have made a tr e e , tree, tree,
That soon would have made a tree*
b. And i t ' s what w ill you do now, m y son.
M y son, come t e l l to me.
I ' l l set m y foot in yonder ship
And I ' l l s a il across yonder sea, sea, sea,
And I ' l l s a il across yonder sea.
6. And i t ' s when w ill you be back, m y son?
M y son, come t e l l to me.
W hen the sun sets yonder in the sycamore tr e e ,
tr e e , tr e e .
And that w ill never be.
TH E M U R D E R E D B R O T H E R 42
B
1. What is that blood on your hand?
M y son, please t e l l to me.
It i s the blood of m y guinea greyhound
That chased the fox for me.
2. I never saw hound's blood so red.
M y son, please t e l l to me.
It is the blood of m y guinea grey mare
That ploughed in the f ie ld s with me.
3. There never was mare's blood so red,
M y son, please t e l l to me.
It is the blood of m y dear brother
That worked in the f ie ld s with me.
4. What did you and your brother f a l l out about?
M y son, please t e l l to me.
F e ll out about a hazel-nut bush,
Although it was a tr ee.
b. Oh, what w ill you do when your papa comes home?
M y son,please t e l l to me.
I ' l l step m y foot on yonder steam-boat,
I ' l l s a il across the sea.
42
Scarborough, pp. 183-184. Sung by Ora K. Bowerman of
R ussell Fork, Council, V irginia.
290
6. What w ill you do with your wife and child?
M y son, please t e l l to me.
I ' l l leave them here with you, dear mother.
For to keep you company.
7. Oh, what w ill you do with your house and land?
M y son, please t e l l to me.
I ' l l leave i t here with you, mother.
For you to s e l l for me.
8. W hen w ill you be back again?
M y son, please t e l l to me.
W hen the sun sets on yonder h i l l forever,
And you know that w ill never be.
APPENDIX S
E D W A R D 43
1. "What ia that on your sword ao red?
Daar aon, pray t a l l unto me."
"It ia tha blood of a g a g illio n .
0 mother, p ity no.'
It ia tha blood of a g a g illio n .
O mother, p ity me.'"
2. "No g a g illio n 'a blood was ere so red.
Daar aon, pray t e l l unto me."
"It ia the blood of m y younger brother.
O mother, p ity m e.'
It ia the blood of m y younger brother
0 mother, p ity me.'"
3. "What did you and vour brother f a l l out about?
Dear aon, pray t e l l unto me."
"For cutting down a laurel bush
That might have grown a tr ee.
For cutting down a lau rel bush
That might have grown a tree."
4. "And what w ill you do when your father comes
home?
Dear aon, pray t e l l unto me."
" I 'll put m y root in yonder boat
And s a il away to sea.
I ' l l aet m y foot in yonder boat
And s a il away to sea."
b. "And when w ill you return again?
Dear son, pray t e l l unto me."
43Robert W . Gordon, Folk-Sonas of America. National
Service Bureau Publication No. 73-S (New York, December
1938), p. 66. The copyright to the ballad is held by the
New York Times. 1927-28.
291
"W hen the tun end the moon t i t on yonder h i l l
And that w ill never be.'
When the tun and the moon t i t on yonder
h i l l
And that w ill never be.'H
APPENDIX T
BROTHER'S B L O O D 44
A
1. "Oh, what's that blood on your coat sleeve?
Come m y son* and t e l l to me."
" It's the blood of the guinea gay hawk
That b u ilt i t s nest in the tr e e . tr e e , tr e e ,
That b u ilt i t s nest in the tree."
2. "Oh, what's that blood on your coat sleeve?
Come, m y son, and t e l l to me."
" It's the blood of the l i t t l e gray hound
That chased the deer for me, me, me.
That chased the deer for me."
3. "Oh, what's that blood on your coat sleeve?
Come, m y son. and t e l l to me."
“I t ' s the blood of the l i t t l e gray pony,
That plowed a furrow for me, me, me.
That plowed a furrow for me."
4. "Oh, what's that blood on your coat sleeve?
Come, m y son, and t e l l to me."
" It's the blood of m y own dear brother,
That rolled away with me, me, me,
That rolled away with me."
b. "W hat did you f a l l out about?
Oh, come, m y son, and t e l l to me."
"W e f e l l out about a willow sprout,
That might have been a tr e e , tr e e , tr e e ,
That might have been a tree."
4Alton C. Morris, c o ll. and e d .. Folksongs of Florida
(G a in esville, 1950), pp. 248-249. Communicated by Mr. Bar
ney Deloach, who received the song from h is mother, who was
born in north Florida in 1883. She learned the song from a
lady who lived on a farm next to hers in Georgia.
293
294
6. "Oh, what art you going to do whan your fathar
coma a hoot?
Coma m y son, and t a l l to mt."
" I ' ll place m y foot in tha bottom of tha boat
And s a il across tha saa, saa, saa.
And s a il across tha saa.M
7. "Oh, what ara you going to do with your wifa
and child?
Oh, coma, m y son, and t a l l to mt."
" I 'll placa tham in tha bottom of tha boat.
And s a il tham across tha saa, saa, saa,
And s a il tham across tha saa."
8. "What ara you going to do with your housa and
land?
Oh, coma, m y son, and t e l l to me."
"Will tham to m y daar old mother.
W ho thought so much of me, me, me.
W ho thought so much of me."
TH E B L O O D O N TH E LILY-W HITE SHIRT45
B
1. "What's that blood on your lily -w h ite shirt?
M y son, come t a l l i t to me."
"It is tha blood of an old gray mare
That roamed these woods with me."
2. "What's that blood on your lily -w h ite shirt?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me."
"It is tha blood of an old gray hound
That tr a ile d along with me.”
3. "What's that blood on your lily -w h ite shirt?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me."
"It i s the blood of m y own dear brother;
W e fought over a hickory nut tree."
4. "What are you going to do when your father comes
home?
M y son, come t a l l i t to me."
" I 'l l put m y foot on board a ship.
And s a il across the saa."
45Morris, pp. 249-250. Text obtained by Miss Doris
Phelps from the singing of her sis te r in Carbur, Florida.
"What art you going to do with your own trua
lova?
M y aon, coat t a i l i t to na. *
N Sha can put har foot on board anothar ship
And t a i l along by aa."
APPENDIX U
ED W A R D 46
1 ..............................................................................
"It i t the blood of tho l i t t l e gray hound
That ran the fox for me."
2 ..........................................................................................................................
"It is the blood of the l i t t l e gray mule
That plowed the furrer for me."
3 .......................................................................................
"Because he cut down the h olly bush
That might have made a tree."
4. "What w ill you t e l l to your father
W hen he comes home from town?"
" I 'll set m y foot in yonder ship
And s a il th is ocean round."
5. "W hen w ill you return* m y son?
Come t e l l i t unto me."
"W hen the sun and the moon both s i t s in the
north
And you know that never w ill be."
46
Mary O. Eddy* c o l l . and arranger* Ballads and Sonas
from Ohio INew York* 1939)* p. 23. Communicated by Mrs.
James Robertson of P errysville* Ohio* who remembered sing*
ing t h is with other l i t t l e school children f i f t y years ago
in M issouri. It was not uncommon for the children to act
the story in some fashion. She said that in her e ffo r t to
r e c a ll the tune* she enacted the story as she used to do*
but that the tune was apparently gone. She remembered that
Edward planned to leave h is children with h is mother* and to
take h is wife along to keep him conpany "upon the deep blue
s e a ."
296
APPENDIX V
EDW ARD47
A
1. "What blood i t that blood on your sleeve?
M y son, cons t e l l i t to aw."
"It i s the blood of the old gray hound
W ho drove the fox for aw."
2. "The blood i s too red for the blood of a hound;
M y son, come t e l l i t to aw."
"It i s the blood of the old gray mare
W ho plowed the f ie ld for me. H
3. "The blood i s too red for the blood of a atare;
M y son, coow t e l l i t to me.M
M It i s the blood of aiy l i t t l e brother
W ho rode along with me."
4. "What did you and your l i t t l e brother f a l l out
about?
M y son, come t e l l it to me."
"About a h olly bush
That might have been a tree."
5. "W hat w ill you do when your good old father comes
home?
M y son, coow t e l l i t to me."
" I 'l l go away from th is country
And s a il across the sea."
6. "W hat w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e house
and lot?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me."
47Arthur P. Hudson, Folksongs of M ississip p i and Their
flackaround (Chapel H ill, The U niversity of"Kortn Carolina
Press, 1936), p. 71. Communicated by Miss Lois Womble, who
obtained i t from the singing of Mrs. R. E. Hick of Water
Valley.
297
298
"Give i t to m y good old father
To bring m y children up for me."
7. "What w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e wife?
M y ton, come t e l l i t to me."
" I 'll take her with m e and t a i l away
Acroaa the deep blue tea."
TH E CRUEL B R O T H E R 48
B
1. "W hat made you k i l l your brother, m y son.
M y ton, pray t e l l i t to me?"
"For cu ttin g down that l i t t l e bush
Which might have made a tree."
2. "What w ill you do when your father comes home.
M y son, pray t e l l i t to me?"
" I ' l l put m y foot on yonders boat
And s a il a l l over the sea."
3. "W hat w ill you do with your children, m y son.
M y son, pray t e l l i t to me?"
" I 'll leave them with you, dear mother.
To keep you coiqpany."
4. "What w ill you do with your house and land.
M y son, pray t e l l i t to me?"
" I ' l l leave them here with you, dear mother.
To see m y children free."
b. "What w ill you do with your w ife, m y son.
M y son, pray t e l l i t to me?"
" I 'll put her foot on yonders boat
And le t her s a il with me."
6. "W hen are you coming home, m y son,
M y son, pray t e l l i t to me?"
"W hen the sun goes down on yonders high h i l l .
Which you know that never sh all be."
48Hudson, Folksongs of M ississip p i, p. 72. Communi
cated by Miss Annie L. Roberts of P o p la rv ille, M ississip p i,
as w ritten down from memory by Jesse Harvey, a pupil in the
Pearl River County Agricultural High School.
APPENDIX W
BLOOD ON TH' P'lNT O' YOUR KNIFE49
1. Whut blood? Whut blood on th ' p 'in t o' your knife?
Deer ton, come t e l l t ' me.
H it's th* blood o' m y o l' grey horte
Thet plowed th ' corn for me, me, me,
Thet plowed t h ' corn for me.
2. Whut blood? Whut blood on th ' p 'in t o' your knife?
Deer ton, come t e l l t ' me.
H it's t h 1 blood o' m y o l ' Guinea sow
Thet e t th ' corn for roe, me, me,
Thet et th ' corn for me.
3. W hut blood? Whut blood on th' p 'in t o' your knife?
Dear son, come t e l l t ' me.
H it's t h ' blood o' m y oldest brother
Thet fought th ' b attle with me, me, me,
Thet fought t h ' b a ttle with m e.'
4. Whut did you an' him fig h t about?
Deer son, come t e l l t ' me.
W e f i t about th' h olly bush
That grows by th' mary tr e e , tr e e , tree,
That grows by th ' mary tree.
5. Whut w ill you do when your Pap comes home?
Dear son, come t e l l t ' me.
I ' l l put m v foot in a bumken boat
An* s a il across th' sea, sea, sea.
An1 s a il across th' sea.
6. W hut w ill you do with your purty le e tle wife?
Dear son come t e l l t ' me.
I ' l l put her in th* bumken boat
To s a il along with me, me, me.
To s a il along with me.
49Vance Randolph, 0 zsrk Mountain Folks (New York,
1932), pp. 205-208. Recited by Carrie Langley, who said by
way of introduction that "hits a l l 'bout a f e lle r whut k ilt
h is brother an' run o ff."
299
300
7. Whut w ill you do with your purty I t • t ie babe?
Dear ton* c o m t o l l t ' a t.
I ' l l leave i t hyar along with you
T' d and it on your knee, knee, knee
T* dandle on your knee.'
W H A T B L O O D O N TH E POINT O F Y O U R KNIFE?50
B
1. What blood? What blood on the p 'in t of your knife?
Dear son, c o m t e l l to m .
I t ' s the blood of m y old Guinea sow
That ate the corn for m , me, me,
That ate the corn for m .
2. What blood? What blood on the p 'in t of your knife?
Dear son, c o m t e l l to m .
I t ' s the blood of m y old est brother
That fought the b attle with me, me, me.
That fought the b attle with me.
3. What did you an' your dear brother fig h t about?
Dear son, c o m t e l l to me.
W e f i t about the h olly bush
That grows by the mary tr e e , tr e e , tr e e .
That grows by the mary tree.
4. What w ill you do when your father comes home?
Dear son, c o m t e l l to me.
I ' l l put m y foot in a bumken boat
An' s a il across the sea, sea, sea.
An' s a il across the sea.
b. What w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e wife?
Dear son, c o m t e l l to m .
I ' l l put her in the bumken boat
To s a il along with me, me, me.
To s a i l along w ith m .
6. What w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e babe?
Dear son, c o m t e l l to me.
I ' l l leave i t a ll along with you
To dandle on your knee, knee, knee
To dandle on your knee.
Sung by Mrs. E m m a L. Dusenbury of Mena, Arkansas, on January
4, 1931.
301
THE LITTLE YELLOW DOG51
C
1. What's that stain on your sh irt sleeve?
Son, p l e a s e c o m t a l l m .
It i s tha blood of m y l i t t l a yallow dog
That followad aftar m .
2. It is too p a l a for vour l i t t l a yallow d6g.
Son, plaasa c o m t a l l me.
It i s tha blood of m y l i t t l a yallow horsa
That I rode to town today.
3. It i s too pala for vour l i t t l a yallow horsa.
Son, plaasa c o m t a l l ma.
It is the blood of m y own brother dear.
That roda by tha side of m .
4. Oh what did you f a l l out about?
Son, plaasa com t a l l m .
W a f a l l out about a sprout
That might have made a tree.'
b. Oh what w ill you do whan your father comes home?
Son, plaasa com t a l l me.
I ' l l stop on board of Yondo ship
And s a il across tha saa.
6. Oh what w ill you do with Katie dear?
Son, plaasa c o m t a l l me.
I ' l l taka her on board of Yondo ship
To bear m e company.
7. Oh when w ill you come back, m y dear?
Son, plaasa c o m t a l l me.
W han the sun r is e s never to s e t.
And you know t h a t ' l l never be!
^Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, pp. 69-70. Sung by Mr.
Charles Inganthron of Walnut Shade, M issouri, on February 1,
1941. Ha said that he learned i t near Day, M issouri, in the
late n in e tie s.
302
N O TITLE52
D
1. How cam that blood on your coat sleava?
M y ton* come t a l l to me.
It i t tha blood of tha l i t t l a guinea hawk.
That flaw across the fie -e e -e e ld .
That flaw across tha field *
2* It i s too pala for tha l i t t l a guinea hawk.
M y son, coma t a l l to me.
It is tha blood of m y old coon dog
That chased tha fox tor me-ee-ee.
That chased the fox for me.
3. It is too pala for the old coon dog.
M y son, come t a l l to me.
It i s the blood of the old gray mare
That tends tha fie ld s for me-ee-ee.
That tends the fie ld s for me.
4. It is too pale for the old gray mare.
M y son, come t a l l to me,
It i s the blood of your brother John,
What could the matter b e-e e-ee,
What could the matter be?
5. M y son, m y son, what have you done?
M y son, come t e l l to me,
............................ cut the h olly bush
That would have made a tr e e -e e -e e .
That would have made a tree.
6. What w ill you do when your father comes home?
Dear son, come t e l l to me.
I ' l l build a ship and s a il the ocean foam,
I ' l l s a il across the sea -ee-ee,
I ' l l s a il across the sea.
7. W hen w ill you come home, Edward m y son?
W hen w ill you come back to me?
I w ill come back when two Sundays come at once,
52Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, pp. 70-71. From Mrs.
Janet Shreve of Farmington, Arkansas, May 24, 1942. She
said that she learned i t from John Greene, a farmhand, near
Chelsea, Oklahoma, about 1910. She said that i t is a
"Scottish Ballad" but that she never heard any t i t l e .
303
And that w ill never be-ee-ee
And that w ill never be.
R O N A L D 53
£
1. O h what's that red upon your blade?
Ronald* Ronald.
Oh what's that red upon your blade?
M y dear son* now t e l l m e 0.
2. Oh I have k illed m y l i t t l e gray hawk*
Mother« mother.
Oh I have k illed m y l i t t l e gray hawk
That used to hunt with m e 0.
Irene . j, on October 26,
1941. She learned i t from her grandmother in 1912.
53Randolph, Ozark Folk
i
Sung by Mrs
APPENDIX X
H O W COM E THAT BLOOD ON YOUR SHIRT SLEEVE?54
A
1. "H ow com that blood on your shirt sleeve.
M y son, com t e l l to me?
How come th et blood on your shirt sleeve,
M y son, come t e l l to me?"
2. "It is the blood of the old grey mare
Thet pulled the plow for me;
It i s the blood of the old grey mare
Thet pulled the plow for me."
3. "That blood's too red for th at.
M y son, come t e l l to me.
How come that blood on your shirt sleeve,
M y son, come t e l l to me?"
4. "It is the blood of the old grey goose
That flew by the side of me;
It i s the blood of the old grey goose
That flew by the side of me."
5. "That blood's too red for th at.
M y son, come t e l l to me,
How come that blood on your shirt sleeve.
M y son, come t e l l to me?"
O. "It is the blood of m y own dear brother
That plowed by the side of me;
It i s the blood of m y own dear brother
That plowed by the side of me.'1
W illia m A. Owens, Texas Folk Songs. Publication of
the Texas Folklore Society, No. 23 (D allas, 1950), pp.
61-62. Sung by Mrs. Ben Dryden of the Sandy Creek S ettle
ment in Southeast Texas*
304
305
7. "W hat did you and your brother f a i l out about.
M y son, come t e l l to me?M
" W e f e l l out about that l i t t l e juniper tree
That grows under yander tree."
8. "What you gonna do when your father comes home.
M y son, come t e l l to me?”
" I 'll set m y foot in a sa ilin g boat
And I ' l l s a il across the sea.
9. "W hat you gonna do with your pretty l i t t l e w ife.
M y son, come t e l l to me?"
*y
" i ' l l set her foot by the side of m y sid e.
To s a il across the sea."
10. "W hat you gonna do with your pretty l i t t l e
children.
M y son, come t e l l to me?"
" I ' l l leave them here in youry care
T i l l 1 return to thee."
11. "W hen you coming back
M y son, come t e l l to me?"
"I'm coming back when the sun goes east and west
And that sh all never be."
B55
1. "How come that blood on your shirt sleeve.
M y son, come t e llin g to me?"
"It is the blood of m y own brother dear
W ho worked in the fie ld s with me."
2. "W hat have you k ille d your own brother for.
M y son, come t e llin g to me?"
"I k illed him for cutting yonders bush
That might have made a tree."
3. "W hat w ill you do when your father comes home.
M y son, come te llin g to me?"
" I 'll set m y foot in a sa ilin g ship
And s a il across the sea."
''•'Owens, p. 63. Communicated by Mrs. T. H. Burke of
S ilsb ee, Texas.
"W hat w ill you do with your pretty l i t t l e wife
M y eon, cone te llin g to me?"
" I 'll take her by the lily -w h ite hand
To s a il along with me."
"W hat w ill you do with your children three,
M y son, cone te llin g to me?"
" I ' l l leave then here with m y own mother dear
To keep her company."
"W hen you coming home to see your children
three.
M y son, come te llin g to me?H
"Whene'er the sun sets on yonders green h i l l ,
Which you know w ill never be."
APPENDIX Y
E D W A R D ^6
1. "W hat i t that blood on your sh irt sleeve?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me.”
"It i s the blood of that yellow hound
That chased a fox for me, me, me.
That chased a fox for me.”
2. "That blood i s too red for that yellow hound.
M y son, come t e l l i t to me.”
”lt i s the blood of that bay pony
That plowed a fur for me, me, me.
That plowed a fur for me."
3. "The blood is too red for that bay pony.
M y son, come t e l l i t to me.”
"It i s the blood of m y own dear brother
That rode by m y sid e, sid e, sid e,
That rode by m y side.
4. "W hat did you and your brother f a l l out about?
M y son, come t e l l it to me.”
" W e f e l l out about that chinquapin bush
That might have made a tr ee, tr e e , tree,
That might have made a tree."
5. "Where did you bury your brother at?
M y son, come t e l l it to me."
"I buried him under that chinquapin bush
That might have made a tr ee, tr e e , tr e e .
That might have made a tree."
^Burton S. Lowrimore, "A C alifornia Version of
‘Edward.*” C A lifjrnia Folklore Quarterly. 5:310-311, 1946.
Recited tp Mr. Lowrimore during Christmas vacation, 1945,
by h is mother who had learned i t in Bokoshe, Oklahoma,
about 1890. She had never seen it in print or heard it on
the radio or a phonograph record.
307
308
6. "What are you going to do when your father comes
home?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me."
" I 'l l set m y foot on yonder ship,
And s a il across the sea, sea, sea.
And s a il across the sea."
7. "What are you going to do with your pretty l i t t l e
wife?
M y son, corns t e l l i t to me."
"She w ill step her foot in yonder ship.
And s a il by m y sid e, sid e, sid e.
And s a il by m y side."
8. "What are you going to do with your three l i t t l e
babies?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me."
”1*11 leave them with m y own dear mother.
To keep her companee, nee, nee.
To keep her coopanee.”
9. "W hat are you going to do with your house and land?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me.”
" I 'll leave i t with m y dear mother.
To raise m y children fr e e , fr e e , fr e e ,
To raise m y children free."
10. "W hen are you coming home?
M y son, come t e l l i t to me."
"W hen the sun and the moon both go down together,
And I hope that never w ill be, be, be,
And I hope that never w ill be."
a p p e n d ix z
TH E CHERRY-TREE C A R O L57
A
I* Joseph was an old man,
and an old man was he.
W hen he wedded Mary,
in the land of G alilee.
2. Joseph and Mary walked
through an orchard good.
Where was cherries and b erries,
so red as any blood.
3. Joseph and Mary walked
through an orchard green.
Where was berries and ch erries,
as thick as might be seen.
4. 0 then bespoke Mary,
so meek and so mild:
"Pluck m e one cherry, Joseph,
for I am with ch ild."
5. 0 then bespoke Joseph,
with words most unkind:
"Let him pluck thee a cherry
that brought thee with child."
6. 0 then bespoke the babe,
within h is mother's womb:
"Bow down then the t a l le s t tr ee,
for m y mother to have some."
7. Then bowed down the highest tree
unto h is mother's hand;
Then she cried , "See, Joseph,
I have ch erries at command."
57C hild, II, Part I, p. 2. Printed from W . Sandys,
Christmas C arols. 1833, p. 123, West of England.
309
8. 0 then be spake Joseph;
H I have done Mary wrong;
But cheer up, m y dearest,
and be not cast down."
9. Then Mary plucked a cherry,
as red as the blood.
Then Mary went home
with her heavy load.
10. The Mary took her babe
and sat him on her knee.
Saying, "M y dear son, t e l l m e
what th is world w ill be."
11. "0 I sh all be as dead, mother,
as the stones in the wall;
0 the stones in the str e e ts , mother,
sh all mourn for m e a l l .
12. 'Upon Easter-day, mother,
m y uprising shall be;
0 the sun and the moon, mother,
sh all both r ise with me."
b58
1. Joseph was an old man,
and an old man was he.
And he married Mary,
the Queen of G alilee.
2. W hen Joseph was married,
and Mary home had brought,
Mary proved with ch ild ,
and Joseph knew it not.
3. Joseph and Mary walked
through a garden gay,
Where the cherries they grew
upon every tree.
4. 0 then bespoke Mary,
with words both meek and mild:
58Child, II. Part I, pp. 2-3. Text from Husk, S
of the N a tiv ity , p. b9, from a Worcester broadside o7
eighteenth century.
311
"0 gather m e cherries* Joseph,
they run so in m y mind."
b. And then replied Joseph,
with words so unkind:
"Let him gather thee cherries
that got thee with ch ild ."
6. O then bespoke our Savior,
a l l in h is mother's womb:
"Bow down, good cherry-tree,
to m y mother's hand."
7. The uppermost sprig
bowed down to Mary's knee:
"Thus you may see, Joseph,
these ch erries are for me."
8. "0 eat your ch erries, Mary,
0 eat your cherries now;
O eat your ch erries, Mary,
that grow upon the bough."
9. As Joseph was a walking,
he heard an angel sing:
"This night sh all be born
our heavenly king.
10. "H e neither sh all be born
in housen nor in h a ll,
Nor in the place of Paradise,
but in an ox's s t a l l .
11. "H e neither sh all be clothed
in purple nor in p a ll.
But a l l in fa ir linen,
as were babies a l l .
12. "H e neither sh all be rocked
in silv e r nor in gold.
But in a wooden cradle,
that rocks on the mould.
13. "H e neither sh all be christened
in white wine nor red.
But with fa ir spring water,
with which we were christened."
312
14. Then Mary took her young son,
and set him on her knee:
nl pray thee now. dear c h ild .
t e l l how th is world sh all be."
15. " O I sh all be as dead, mother.
as the stones in the wall;
0 the stones in the str e e t, mother,
sh all mourn for m e a l l .
16. "And upon a Wednesday
m y vow I w ill make.
And upon Good Friday
m y death 1 w ill take.
17. "Upon Easter-day, mother,
m y risin g sh all be;
0 the sun and the moon
sh a ll uprise with me.
18. "The people sh all r e jo ic e ,
and the birds they sh all sing,
To see the uprising
of the heavenly king."
TH E CH ERRY-TREE C A R O L59
C
1. Joseph was an old man,
an old man was he,
He married sweet Mary,
the Queen of G alilee.
2. As they went a walking
in the garden so gay.
Maid Mary spied ch erries,
hanging over yon tr ee.
3. Mary said to Joseph,
with her sweet lip s so mild,
"Pluck those ch erries. Joseph,
for to give to m y ch ild ."
^^Child, II, Part I, pp. 3-4. From Bramley and Stain-
er, Christmas C arols, p. 60.
313
4. O then replied Joseph*
with words so unkind*
H X w ill pluck no cherries
for to give to thy child."
5. Mery said to cherry*tree,
"Bow down to m y knee*
That I may pluck cherries*
by one, two* and three."
6. The uppermost sprig then
bowed down to her knee:
"Thus you may see, Joseph*
these cherries are for me."
7. " O eat your ch erries, Mary*
0 eat your cherries now,
0 eat your cherries* Mary,
that grow upon the bough."
8. As Joseph was a walking
he heard angels sing,
"This night there sh all be born
our heavenly king.
9. "H e neither sh all be born
in house nor in hall*
Nor in the place of Paradise*
but in an o x*stall.
10. "H e sh all not be clothed
in purple nor p a ll.
But a ll in fa ir linen,
as wear babies a l l.
11. "H e shall not be rocked
in silv er nor gold,
But in a wooden cradle,
that rocks on the mould.
12. "H e neither sh all be christened
in milk nor in wine *
But in pure spring-well water,
fresh sprung from Bethine."
13. Mary took her baby,
she dressed him so sweet;
She laid him in a manger,
a l l there for to sleep.
314
14. As she stood over him
she heard angels sing,
"O h b less our dear Saviour,
our heavenly king."
d60
1. O Joseph was an old man,
and an old man was he,
And he married Mary,
from the land ox G a lilee.
2. Oft a fter he married her,
how warm he were abroad.
3. Then Mary and Joseph
walkd down to the gardens cool;
Then Mary spied a cherry,
as red as any blood.
4. "Brother Joseph, pluck the cherry,
for I am with child:"
"Let him pluck the cherry, Mary,
as i s father to the ch ild ."
5. Then our blessed Saviour spoke,
from h is mother's womb:
"Mary sh a ll have ch erries,
and Joseph sh all have none."
6. From the high bough the cherry-tree
bowd down to Mary's knee;
Then Mary pluckt the cherry,
by one, two, and three.
7. They went a l i t t l e further,
and heard a great din:
"G od b less our sweet Saviour,
our heaven's love in."
C hild, II, Part I, 4-5. Notes and Queries. Fourth
S eries, XII, 461; taken from the moutn of a wandering
gypsy g ir l in Berkshire.
315
8. Our Saviour was not rocked
in sliv e r or in gold.
But in a wooden cradle,
like other babes a l l .
9. Our Saviour was not christend
in white wine or red,
But in some spring water,
like other babes a l l .
2. W hen Joseph and Mary
walked in the garden good.
There was cherries and b erries,
as red as the blood.
3 is wanting
4 3 some ch erries.
2
so unkind
53 the ch erries
1 9
6 bespoke Jesus in
64 that m y mother may
t a lle s t tree, it bent to Mary's
After 8:
Then Joseph and Mary
did to Bethlehem go.
And with tra v els were weary,
walking to and fro.
They sought for a lodging,
but the inns were f i l l d a l l .
They, alas.' could not have i t ,
but in an ox's s t a ll.
But before the next morning
our Saviour was born.
In the month of December,
Christmas Day in the morn.
^^Child, II, Part I, 5. From Sandy’s Christm astide.
p. 241.
316
9-12 are w anting
o
2* and h is cousin Mary g o t.
24 by whom Joseph knew not.
3* As Joseph
32 the garden
4^ G ather me some
4s Gather me some c h e r r ie s ,
f o r I am with c h i ld .
b^ 0 then bespoke,
with words most.
6. O then bespoke Je su s,
a l l in h is m other's womb:
"Go to the t r e e , Mary,
and i t s h a ll bow down.
7. Go to the t r e e , Mary,
and i t s h a ll bow to th e e .
And the h ig h e st branch of a l l
s h a ll bow down to M ary's knee.
And she s h a ll g a th e r c h e r r ie s ,
by one, by two, by th re e :
"Now you may see, Joseph,
those c h e r r ie s were f o r me."
13^ w ith the spring.
lb . T his world s h a ll be lik e
the stones in the s t r e e t ,
For the sun and the moon
s h a ll bow down a t thy f e e t .
(my f e e t in a Warwickshire broadside: S y lv e s t e r .)
17. And upon the t h i r d day
my u p risin g s h a ll be.
And the sun and the moon
s h a ll r i s e up with me.
k^Child, I I , P art I, b. From Hone's Ancient Myster
i e s . p. 90, from v ario u s co p ie s.
18 i s w a n tin g .
For 9-13 we have, as a se p a ra te c a r o l .
Til C h a p p e ll1 s_ C hristinas & a ro ls . e d ite d
W brL, £ . E. Rlm bault. p. ^ ih e f o l
lowing v e r s e s , t r a d i t i o n a l in Somer
s e ts h ir e : ° 3
1. As Joseph was a walking
he heard an angel sing:
"This night s h a ll be the b irth - tim e
of C h r i s t , the heavenly king.
2. "He n e ith e r s h a ll be born
in housen nor in h a l l .
Nor in the place of P a ra d is e ,
but in an o x 's s t a l l .
3. "He n e ith e r s h a ll be c lo th e d
in purple nor in p a l l .
But in the f a i r white lin e n
th a t usen b abies a l l .
4. "He n e ith e r s h a ll be rocked
in s i l v e r nor in g o ld .
But in a wooden manger,
t h a t r e s t e t h on the mould."
b. As Joseph was a walking
th e re did an angel sin g .
And M ary's c h ild a t midnight
was born to be our king.
6. Then be ye g la d , good people,
t h i s n ig h t of a l l the y ea r,
And li g h t ye up your c a n d le s ,
fo r h i s s t a r i t sh in eth c l e a r .
i l d , I I , P a rt I, b-6.
318
B c
64
l 3 When he
2 i s om itted
A fte r 3:
Joseph and Mary walked
through an orchard good.
Where were c h e r r ie s and b e r r i e s ,
as red as any blood.
5 i s o m itted .
6 ,7 . "Go to the t r e e , Mary,
and i t s h a ll bow t o th e e ,
And the h ig h e st branch of a l l
s h a ll bow d^wn to Mary's knee
"Go to the t r e e , Mary,
and i t s h a ll bow to th e e ,
And you s h a ll g a th e r c h e r r i e s ,
by one, by two, and th r e e .
Then bowed down the h ig h e st tre e
unto h i s m other's hand:
"See," Mary c r ie d , "See, Joseph,
I have c h e r r ie s a t command."
O
17!: my u p ris in g .
173 moon, mother.
18 is w anting.
l i When Joseph
1 and w anting.
r b b
Bd
64C h ild , I I , P art I, 6. From S y lv e s te r, A Garland of
Christm as C a r o l s , p. 45.
^ C h i l d , I I , P a rt I, 6. From a Birmingham chapbook,
of about 1843, in B. H a rris Cowper's Apocryphal G o sp els,
p. x x x v iii.
319
2 • When Joseph he had
h is co u sin Mary g o t.
24 by whom Joseph knew not.
3^ As Joseph.
33,4 Ilh^re^cRe^r^es were growing
upon every spray.
43»4 G ather me some c h e r r i e s ,
f o r I am w ith c h i ld .
5. Gather me some c h e r r i e s ,
th ey run so in my mind.
Then bespoke Joseph,
w ith wordes so unkind,
"I w ill not g a th e r c h e r r i e s . "
Then sa id Mary, "You s h a ll see,
By what w i l l happen,
th ese c h e r r i e s were f o r me."
.The bespoke J e s u s .
6 * "Go to the t r e e , Mary,
and i t s h a ll bow down.
7. "And the h ig h e st branch
s h a ll bow to M ary's knee,
And she s h a ll g a th e r c h e r r i e s ,
by one, two, and th r e e ."
8 i s wanting
10 wanting
11^ But in f in e .
1 2
13 * He never did re q u ire
,, white wine and bread.
13 But co ld sp rin g .
13 precede s 12.
143 *4 Come t e l l me, dear c h i ld , how.
15. "This world s h a ll be
lik e the sto n es in the s t r e e t ,
For the sun and the moon
s h a ll bow down a t my f e e t . "
The r e s t is w an tin g .
320
2
3 t o the garden school.
The f i r s t stanza i s sa id t o have t h i s
v a r i a t i o n in W o rc e ste rsh ire : '
Joseph was a hoary man,
and a hoary man was he.
66
C hild, II, Part I, 6. Noted in Note s and Querie s .
Fourth S e r ie s , I I I , 7b.
APPENDIX A A
THE CHERRY TREE CAROL4 *7
A
1. Then Joseph took Mary up on h i s r ig h t knee
Saying, "Mary won’t you t e l l me when the b irth d a y
s h a ll be,
Saying, "Mary w on't you t e l l me when the b irth d ay
s h a ll b e. "
2. "The b irth d a y s h a ll be on th a t old C hristm as night
When the angels in the glory r e jo ic e at the s ig h t.
When the angels in the glory re jo ic e a t the s ig h t."
3. Oh, Mary walked in the garden j u s t lik e a l i t t l e
c h i l d .
Saying, "Give me some c h e r r ie s for I am b e g u ile d ,"
Saying, "Give me some c h e r r ie s fo r I am b e g u ile d ."
4. Joseph said to Mary, "I give thee no c h e r r ie s ,
Let the man give you c h e r r ie s who did you b e g u ile ,
Let the man give you c h e r r ie s who did you b e g u ile ."
5. Then the tr e e spoke unto her and i t began to bow.
Saying, "Mary g ath er c h e r r ie s from the utterm ost
lim b,"
Saying, "Mary g ath er c h e r r i e s from the utterm ost
lim b ."
£ % 7
Helen Creighton and Doreen H. S enior, c o l l . , Tra
d i t i o n a l Sonas from Nova S cotia (Toronto, 1950), p. 1.
Sung by Mr. W illiam R iley of Cherry Brook. The c o l l e c t o r s
s ta te th a t Mr. R iley sa id , "The tr e e hearkened to him and
i t began to bow" in one singing of the f i r s t lin e of stanza
f i v e .
321
322
g68
Joseph was a young man and a young man was he
W hen he courted fa ir Mary in the land of G a llile e .
bfi
Creighton and Senior, p. 1* Sung by Mrs. Annie C.
Wallace of Halifax.
APPENDIX B8
THE CHERRY-TREE C A R O L69
1. S t. Joseph was an old man--an old man was he—
When he met with Blessed Mary on the banks of
G a lilee .
2. W hen Joseph was married and Mary home had brought,
Mary proved with c h ild , and Joseph knew i t not.
3. As Mary and Joseph was walking through a meadow so
fa ir .
Where ch erries and blossoms were to be seen th ere,
4. Then out spoke Blessed Mary, so so ft and so mild.
Saying, "Pick m e a cherry, Joseph, for I am with
c h ild ."
5. Then out spoke S t. Joseph, so keen and so mild.
Saying, "Let the father of your baby pick ch erries
for thee."
6. Then out spoke our Saviour, out of His Mother's
womb,
Saying, "Bend down, dear ch erries, le t m y M am a pick
t h e e ."
7. The highest branch bended, the lowest branch bowed;
Blessed Mary picked ch erries while her apron could
hold.
8. Our Saviour was not born in a palace or h a ll.
But our Saviour was born in a low ax's £sic“ J s t a l l .
9. Our Saviour was not dressed in s ilk or satin so fin e ,
But a piece of fine linen by h is own Mama's sid e.
6^Helen H. Flanders and Helen N orfleet, Country Songs
of Vermont (New York, 1937), p. 50. Communicated by krY.
E. M . Sullivan of S pringfield , Vermont. This particular
version was learned in a convent in Ireland before 1867.
323
324
10. He neither sh all be christened by white wine or red*
But with clear spring water as we have been
christened.
11. Then Mary took her baby and set him upon her knee*
N I pray thee now* dear child* t e l l m e how th is
world i t i s to be."
12. "O h* I sh all be dead* mother, as the stones in the
w all.
Oh* the stones in the street w ill mourn for m e a l l .
13. "It w ill be on a Wednesday m y vows shall be paid.
And 'twas on Good Friday, 1 was cru cified .
14. "O n Sunday morning, great sight you w ill see,
The sun and moon dancing in honor of me."
APPENDIX CC
TH E CHERRY-TREE C A RO L70
A
1. "Lie down, Lady Mary,
And taka a long sla tp ,
I am going to Jarusalem,
M y tin t for to weep."
2. Said Mary to Josaph,
So mild and to low,
H I ' l l go along with you, Joseph,
Wherever you go."
3. As Mary and Joseph
Were walking the green,
Said Mary to Joseph,
So mild and serene,
"Joseph, p u ll m e a cherry,
I am surely with ch ild ."
4. Said Joseph to Mary,
So stubborn and unkind,
"Let the father of your baby
Pull ch erries for you."
5. Well bespoke our blessed Saviour,
In h is mother's womb,
"Cherries, bow down
T i ll m y mother gather of you."
b. The highest of branches
Bowed down to the ground,
Mary gathered cherries
T ill her apron overflowed.
TOoavis, p. 173. Contributed by Miss Anges O'Halloran
of Lynchburg, V irginia, as sung on January 22, 1916, by her
mother, immigrant from County C lare, Ireland.
325
326
B71
1. JoMph was an old man*
An old man mas ha:
And ha marriad Mary,
Tha quaan of G alilee.
c ”
1. Josaph was an old m an*
And an old man was ha.
That tims ha marriad Mary
W ay down in G alilaa.
7*Davis, p. 174. C ollacted by Mr. John Stone, who
heard i t sung by a Negro woman of Culpeper County, on Novem
ber lb , 1916.
7^Davis, p. 174. Contributed by Miss Ellen Conway on
November 1, 191b, as sung by her old Negro nurse.
APPENDIX DD
C H E R R Y TREE C A R O L73
1. "Lie down. Lady Mary* and taka a long sleep;
I'm going to J a m s'la n , m y sins for to wasp."
Said Mary to Joseph so n ild and so low:
" I ' l l go along with you, Josaph, wharavar you go."
2. As Mary and Josaph wara walking tha graan,
Said Mary to Josaph so mild and sarana:
"Josaph, p u ll m a a charry. I'm suraly with ch ild ,"
3. Said Josaph to Marry so stubborn and unkind:
"Lat tha father of your baby p u ll ch erries for you."
4. Wall bespoke our blessed Savior in h is mother's womb:
"Cherries, bow down, t i l l m y mother gather of you."
The highest of the branches bowed down to the ground;
Mary gathered ch erries t i l l her apron overflowed.
73
'^George P. Jackson, c o l l . and e d ., Down-East S oiritu
als_ and. Others (New York, 1942), pp. 60-61. Recorded Dy
Winston Wilkinson in Lynchburg, V irgin ia, on M ay 16, 1933,
from the singing of Miss Agnes O’Halloran.
APPENDIX EE
THE CHERRY-TREE CAROL74
1. Joseph and Mary walked one day
A ll in an orchard good.
The trees were f u l l of cherries
As red as any blood.
2. Mary spoke to Joseph,
Her words were soft and kind:
"Pick m e one cherry, husband.
For they do f i l l m y mind."
3. Then Joseph answered Mary,
His words was most unkind:
"Let your lover pick your cherries;
I care not what's on your mind.M
4. And then the l i t t l e baby spoke
Unto the cherry bough;
"Bend down your branch to m y mother
And give her cherries now."
5. Then a ll the cherry tree bowed down
Unto sweet Mary's hand.
And she cried out, "See, Joseph,
I have cherries at m y command."
6. Old Joseph was ashamed
That he had done Mary wrong.
And told her to be cherry \sic}
And not to fe e l cast down.
7. And a ll the stones in Bethlehem,
In the str e e ts and in the w all.
Cried out in praise of Mary,
And loud they cried to a ll.
74F. C. Brown, II, 61-62. Communicated by a Mrs.
Sutton, teacher, who secured it from the singing of a
l i t t l e g ir l at Christmas time in the M iller's Gap School of
Madison County.
328
APPENDIX FF
JOSEPH A N D M A R Y 75
A
1. When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he.
He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of G a llile e .
2. As Joseph and Mary were walking one day.
Here are apples, here are ch erries, enough to behold
3. Then Mary spoke to Joseph so meek and so mild,
"Joseph, gather m e some ch erries, for I am with
ch ild ."
4. Then Joseph flew in anger, in anger flew he:
"Let the father of thy baby gather cherries for thee
5. Then Jesus spoke a few words, a few words spoke He,
"Let m y mother have some ch erries, bow low down,
cherry tree."
6. The cherry tree bowed low down, bowed low down to
the ground.
And Mary gathered ch erries while Joseph stood around
7. Then Joseph took Mary a l l on h is righ t knee;
"W hat have 1 done. Lord, have mercy on me.'"
8. Then Joseph took Mary a l l on h is le f t knee:
"Oh, t e l l me, l i t t l e baby, when Thy birthday w ill
be?"
9. "The sixth of January m y birthday w ill be.
W hen the stars in th eir elem ents, sh all tremble with
g l e e . "
75Jean Thomas, Ballad Makin1 in the Mountains of
Kentucky (New York, 1939), pp. 223-224. Sung by J ilso n
S etters of Lost Hope Hollow.
329
330
TH E SIXTH O F JANUARY76
B
1. Joseph was an old man, an old man was ha;
Ha marriad swaat Mary, tha Quaan of G alilaa.
2. As thay want a-walking, in tha gardan so gay.
Maid Mary spiad ch arrias, hanging over yon traa.
3. Mary said to Josaph, with har swaat lip s so mild,
"Pluck thosa ch arrias, Josaph, for to giva to m y
ch ild ."
4. "Oh.,M then rep lied Josaph, with words so unkind,
" I 'll pluck no ch erries, Mary, for to give to thy
ch ild ."
b. Mary said to the cherry tr e e , "Bow down to m y knee
That I may pluck ch erries, by one, two, and three.
6. Tha uppermost sprig then bowed down to her knee;
"Thus you may see, Joseph, these ch erries are for
me."
7. As Josaph was walking, he heard Angels sing,
"This night sh a ll be born our heavenly King."
8. "H a neither sh all be born in house nor in h a ll.
Nor in the place of Paradise, but in an o x -sta ll."
9. Mary took her Baby, she dressed Him so sweat.
She laid Him in a manger, a l l there for to sleep.
10. As she stood over Him, she heard angels sing,
"Oh, b less our dear Saviour, our heavenly King."
11. 'Twas on the sixth day of January angels did sing;
And the shepherds drew nigh th eir g i f t s for to bring.
76Thomas, pp. 226-227. Sung by B ill Kitchen Isom of
Carter County.
331
JOSEPH AM ) M A R Y 77
C
10. "He neither sh a ll bs born in house nor in h a ll,
Nor in the place of Paradise* but in an o x -s ta ll."
11. He sh all not be clothed in purple nor p all;
But a l l in fa ir linen as wear babies a l l .
12. He sh a ll not be rocked in silv e r nor gold.
But in a wooden cradle that rocks on the mold.
13. He neither sh a ll be christened in milk nor in wine;
But in pure spring-well water, fresh sprung from
Bethine.
77Thomas, pp. 22g-230. Sung by John Creech, whose
version is the same as J ilso n S etters' with four additional
stansas.
APPENDIX GG
THE CHERRY TREE CAROL78
1. 0 , Joseph was an old man, an old man was ha:
Ha marriad sweet Mary, tha Quean of G a lilee.
2. As they want a-walking, in tha garden so gayt
Main Mary spied ch erries, hanging over yon tr e e .
3. Mary said to Josaph, with her swaat lip s so mild,
"Pluck those ch erries, Josaph, for to give to m y
Child."
4. "0 then," replied Joaeph with words so unkind,
" I ' l l pluck no ch erries for to give to thy Child."
5. Mary said to cherry tr e e , "Bow down to m y knee.
That I may pluck cherries by one, two and three."
6. The uppermost sprig then bowed down to her knee;
"Thus you may see, Joseph, these cherries are for
me."
7. As Joseph was a-walking, he heard Angels sing.
"This night sh all be born our heavenly King."
8. "He neither sh all be born in house nor in h a ll.
Nor in the place of Paradise, but in an o x -s ta ll."
9. "He sh all not be clothed, in purple nor p all;
But a l l in fa ir lin en , as wear babies a ll."
10. "H e sh all not be rocked, in silv e r nor gold.
But in a wooden cradle that rocks on the mold."
11. "He neither sh all be christened in milk nor in wine.
But in pure spring w ell water, fresh from Bethene."
78Mary Wheeler, c o l l . , Kentucky Mountain Folk-Songs.
(Boston, 1937), pp. 3-8,
332
a p p e n d ix h h
TH E C H ER R Y TREE79
1. W hen Joseph war tn o l' men
An o l' men wer he.
He hitched to Virgin Mery.
The Queen of G elile e.
2. Then Mery spoke to Joseph
So meek en' so mild.
"Joseph, gether m e some ch erries.
For I am wi* ch ild ."
3. Then Joseph flew in snger.
In enger flew he.
"Let the fether of thy baby
Gether ch erries for thee."
4. Then Jesus spoke s few words.
A few words spoke he.
"Let m y mother hsve some ch erries.
Bow low down, cherry tree.’"
b. The cherry tree bowed low down,
Bowed low down to the groun'
And Mery gethered cherries
While Joseph stood aroun'.
79R. W . Gordon. "A Kentucky Mountein Ballad," The
Golden BookMagazine. 14:39b. December 1931.
333
APPENDIX I I
THE CHERRY-TREE CAROL80
1. Joseph was an old man.
An old man was ha.
W han ha marriad Mary,
The Quaan of G a llile e .
2. Joseph and Mary walked
Through a garden gay.
Where tha charrias grew
Upon every tr e e .
3. And they heard while walking,
Angel voices sing,
"Lo, th is night sh all be born
Our Lord and Heavenly King.
4. "He neither sh all be born
In a house nor a h a ll,
Nor in Paradise,
But within a s ta ll."
80M ellinger E. Henry, c o l l . and e d ., Folk-Sonos from
the Southern Highlands (New York, 1938), p. b9. Obtained
January 14, 1931, from Miss Mary Wheeler, 504 Kentucky
Avenue, Paducah, Kentucky.
334
on
APPENDIX J J
THE CHERRY-TREE81
1. W hen Joseph war an oldan man.
An oldan man war ha;
Ha hitchad to Virgin Mary,
Tha Quaan of G alliaa.
2. Onca Mary spoke to Josaph,
So backward and so mild:
"Go, Josaph, gat m a soma charrias,
for you know I am with ch ild ."
3. Than Josaph sat and wondarad
How h it had corns to ba.
An' ha said. "Mistrass Mary:
Yar baba haini nothing to ma."
4. Than Josaph flaw up in anger,
In anger flaw up he:
"Let tha ppppy of your baby
Climb tha cherry-traa for thee."
b. Than Jasus said a few words,
A few words said he:
"Let m y m am m y have some ch erries
Row low down, cherry-tree."
6. The cherry-tree bowed low down.
Bowed low down to the ground,
And Mary gathered some cherries
W hils't Josaph stood around.
81John J. N ilas, c o l l . and a r r ., Seven Kentuckv
Mountain Tupes (New York, 1928), pp. 4 -5. Recorded from the
singing of Cnarles Mulleneoux at Lexington, Kentucky,
during tha Trotting-Horse Race meeting, in the autumn of
1912.
336
7. Then Joteph he took Mary
Up upon h it knot*
And ttid : "I'm fea rfu l torry
If I've dopt hurt to thee."
8. Thtn taid Virgin Mary,
A - t it t in ' on h it knta:
"If y o u 'll g tt a m tom* more c h er riet,
Tha birthday I ' l l t a l l to ya.
9. "'T it goin' to ba at Chrittm at-tim e,
Hit birthday h it w ill ba,
W han a ll tha fo lk t on earth w ill be
tinging out with glee."
APPENDIX KK
TH E CHERRY-TREE82
1. When Joseph was an oldan man.
Had lived f u l l many a year, a year.
He courted and wedded the Queen of Heav'n
And ca lled her h is dear.
2. Then Joseph was a carpenter,
And Mary baked and spun, and spun,
And when 'twas ripe-cherry time again
A family was begun.
3. Then Mary in her meekness,
Then Mary what was mild, so mild.
Said: "Cherries i s the b estest thing.
For wimmen bearin' ch ild ."
4. Then up spake Joseph to Mary—
He was a man unkind, unkind—
"Oh, i t ' s who has sired your baby
That's a-botherin' m y mind.
5. "Go t e l l th is one, and straight-way.
That ch erries h ain 't nothin' to me, to me;
If h e's e'er a man to sire a c h ild .
He's a man to climb a tree."
6. Then Mary's Son, our Saviour,
He spake from Mary's heart, her heart:
" I 'll make th is tree bow low down.
I ' l l take m y mammy's part."
7. Then the cherry-tree h it bowed low down.
Hit bowed down to the ground, the ground.
And gentle Mary helped h erself
To cherries without a sound.
82
John J. N iles, Ten Christmas Carols from the Southern
Appalachians (New York, n .d .J , p. 17. From B reatnitt
County, tontucky, in May, 1934.
338
8. Then Joseph Mid in terror:
N I see m y wrong i t great, i s great,
Pray corns, m y gontls Quotn of Heav'n,
Ths M crst do r e la t e .”
9. Thtn said the Virgin Mary,
"Tha sacrtt I w ill share, w ill share:
On Christmas Eve, in a ox's s t a l l .
The Christ-Child I w ill bear."
APPEMDIX LL
THE CHERRY-TREE CAROL83
1. A* Joseph end Mary were a-walking tha green,
Thay was applas and charrias planty thara to ba seen.
Thay was applas and charrias planty thara to ba saan*
2. And than Mary said to Josaph so maak and so mild:
Gathar m a soma ch erries, Josaph, for I am with ch ild .
3. Than Josaph said to Mary so rough and unkind:
Lat tha daddy of tha baby gat the charrias for th ine.
4. Than tha baby spoka out of i t s mother's womb:
Bow down you lo fty cherry tr e e s , le t m y m am m y have
soma.
5. Then the cherry tree bant and i t bowed lik e a bow.
So that Mary picked ch erries from the uppermost
bough.
6. Than Josaph took Mary a l l on h is l e f t knee.
Saying: Lord have mercy on m e and what 1 have done.
7. Then Josaph took Mary a l l on h is right knee,
Saying: 0 m y l i t t l e Saviour, when your birthday
shall be,
The h i l l s and high mountains sh all bow unto thee.
8. Then the baby spoke out of i t s mother's womb:
On old Christmas morning m y birthday sh all be
(or. i t ' l l be ju st before day),
W hen the h i l l s and high mountains sh all bow unto me.
83Sharp, English Folk Sonos. p. 90. Sung by Mrs. Tom
Rice at Big Laurel, North Carolina, on August 17, 1916.
339
340
TH E CHERRY-TREE C A RO L84
B
1. Joseph were * young man.
A young man wora ha.
And ha courtad Virgin Mary.
Tha Quaan of G a llile e .
2. Mary and Joaaph
W ara a-walking ona day.
Hara i t applaa and charrias
A-planty to bahold.
3. Mary tpoka to Josaph
So maak and so mild:
Josaph. gathar m a some ch erries.
For 1 am with ch ild .
4. Josaph flaw in angry.
In angry ha flaw.
Saying: Let tha father of your baby
Gather cherries for you.
b. The Lord spoke down from Heaven.
These words ha did say:
Bow you low down, you cherry tr ee.
While Mary gathers some.
6. Tha cherry tree bowed down,
It was low on tha ground;
And Mary gathered ch erries
While Josaph stood around.
7. Then Joseph took Mary
All on h is right knee:
Pray t e l l me. l i t t l e baby.
W han your birthday sh all be.
8. On the f i f t h day of January
M y birthday shall be.
W hen the stars and the elements
Shall tremble with fear.
^Sharp. p. 91. Sung by Mrs. Jane Gentry at Hot
Springs. North Carolina, on August 24. 1916.
341
9. Then Joseph took Mery
A ll on h it l e f t knee.
Saying: Lord have mercy upon m e
For what 1 have done.
C85
1. When Joseph was a young man,
A Young man was he.
He courted Virgin Mary,
The Queen of G a lile e ,
He courted Virgin Mary,
The Queen of G a lilee.
2. As Joseph and Mary
Were walking one day.
Here i s apples and cherries
Enough to behold.
3. Then Mary spoke to Joseph
So neat (meek?) and so mild:
Joseph, gather m e some ch erries,
For 1 am with ch ild .
4. Then Joseph flew in angry.
In angry he flew:
Let the father of the baby
Gather cherries for you.
5. Lord Jesus spoke a few words
A ll down unto them:
Bow low down, low down, cherry tr e e .
Let the mother have some.
6. The cherry tree bowed low down.
Low down to the ground,
And Mary gathered cherries
While Joseph stood around.
7. Then Joseph took Mary
A ll on h is right knee:
He cried: 0 Lord, have mercy
For what have I done.
8& Sharp, p. 93. Sung by Mr. William Wooton at Hindman,
Knott County, Kentucky, on September 21, 1917.
342
8. And Joteph took Mary
A ll on h it lo f t kntt.
Pray t a l l ma, l i t t l a baby.
W han your birthday w ill ba?
9. On tha f i f t h day of January
M y birthday w ill ba.
Mian tha atart and tha elementa
Doth tremble with faar.
D® 6
Jotaph wai a young man.
A young man wara ha;
Ha courtad Virgin Mary.
Wat tha Quaan of G a lilee.
H a courtad Virgin Mary.
Wat tha Quaan of G alilee.
e 87
Joteph wat a young man.
How young he may be.
W hen he courted Virgin Mary.
The Queen of G alilee.
W hen he courted Virgin Mary.
The Queen of G alilee.
F88
Joteph took Mary a l l on h it right knee
T ell me. m y pretty baby.
W hen your birthday th a ll be.
Sharp, p. 93. Sung by Mra. Margaret Dunagan at St.
H elen 't. Lee County. Kentucky, on September 12, 1917.
® 7Sharp» p. 94. Sung by Mra. A lice and Mrs. Sudie
Sloan at B arbourville, Knox County. Kentucky. May 8. 1917.
88
Sharp, p. 94. Sung by Mrt. Towntley at P in e v ille ,
B ell Col. Kentucky, on M ay 4. 1917.
APPENDIX M M
THE CHERRY-TREE CAROL89
1. Joseph was an old nan, an old man was ha,
W han ha marriad Mary, of tha land of G a lilee.
2. Mary and Josaph walkad through an orchard good
Whara charrias and barrias graw rad as His blood.
3. Than up spaka Mary so msek and so mild,
"Pick m a soma charrias, Josaph, for I am with c h ild ."
4. And Josaph mada answar with words most unkind,
"Let him pick your charrias by whom you're with
c h ild .M
5. And out spoke the Christ ch ild from h is mother's
womb,
"Bow down, low down, ye cherry tr ee, le t m y mother
have some."
"Geneva Anderson, "Additional English and S cottish
Ballads Found in East Tennessee," Tannassaa Folklore Society
B u lle tin . 8:78, September 1942. Given by Mrs. Nancy Burns
of M aryville, who at tha age of fourteen heard a Mrs. Fish,
wife of a Mexican doctor, sing i t .
343
APPENDIX NN
SW E E T M A R Y A N D SW E E T JOSEPH90
1. Sweet Mary and sweet Joaaph walked out on tha green,
Whara applas and charrias aplanty to ba saan,
Whara applas and charrias aplanty to ba saan.
2. Swaat Mary spoka to Josaph so maakly and so kind,
"Com a gathar ma soma charrias for I am with child;
Coma gathar m a soma charrias for I am with c h i l d .H
3. Swaat Josaph spoke to sweet Mary so crabby and so
crime.
"Let the father of the baby gather the ch erries for
thine;
Let the father of the baby gather the ch erries for
thine."
4. Sweet Jesus broke the limbs down so low into Mary's
hands,
Swaat Mary gathered cherries off the endmost bows;
Swaat Mary gathered cherries off the endmost bows.
5. Sweet Josaph taken sweet Mary a l l on h is right knee.
"Pray t e l l m e sweet Mary when h is birthday w ill be;
Pray t e l l m e sweet Mary when h is birthday w ill be."
6. Sweet Joseph taken sweet Mary a l l on h is l e f t knee.
"Pray t e l l m e sweet Mary when h is death day w ill be;
Pray t e l l m e sweet Mary when h is death day w ill be."
7. "All on that same Friday when a l l things are c le a r ,
The earth it sh all be darkened and the sun disappear;
The earth i t sh all be darkened and the sun disappear."
90Alton C. Morris, c o ll. and e d ., Folksongs of Florida
(G ain esville, 1950), pp. 262-263. Recorded £rom the singing
of Mrs. G. A. G riffin of Newberry.
344
3451
8 .............................................................................................................
Then the righteous of the body sh all r ise from the
tomb;
Then the righteous of the body sh all r ise from the
tomb.
APPENDIX 00
THE CHERRY TREE CAROL91
1. Joseph was an old man.
An* a vary old man was ha,
Th' tima ha marriad Mary,
Th' quaan of G allilee*
2. Jesus spoka a few words.
An* a vary faw words spoke he.
M y mother wants some ch erries.
Band over, cherry-tree.'
^Ivance Randolph, e d ., Ozark Folksongs (Columbia,
M issouri, 1946), p. 88. Suna by Mrs. Marie Wilbur of Pine-
v i l l e , M issouri, on May 14, 1930, who learned i t from her
mother's people, who came from Tennessee.
APPENDIX PP
H E N R Y M A R T IN?2
1. In merry Scotland* In merry Scotland
There lived brothers three;
They a l l did cast lo ts which of them should go
A robbing upon the sa lt sea.
2. The lo t i t f e l l on Henry Martyn,
The youngest of the three;
That he should go rob on the s a lt , sa lt sea,
To maintain h is brothers and he.
3. He had not a sailed a long w inter's night,
Nor yet a short w in ter's day.
Before that he met with a lo fty old ship,
Come sa ilin g along that way.
4. O when she came by Henry Martyn,
"I prithee now, le t us go.'"
" O no.' God wot, th at, that w ill I not,
0 that w ill I never do.
b. "Stand off! stand off.'" said Henry Hartyn,
"For you sh all not pass by me;
For I am a robber a l l on the sa lt seas,
To maintain us brothers three.
b. "H ow fa r, how far," c r ie s Henry Martyn,
"How far do you make it?" said he;
"For I am a robber a ll on the sa lt seas.
To maintain us brothers three."
?2child, IV, Part II, pp. 393-394. Taken down by the
Reverend S. Baring-Gould from Matthew Baker, an old cripple
of Lew Down, Devon.
347
7. For three long hours they merrily fought.
For hours they fought f u l l three;
At la st a deep wound got Henry Martyn,
And down by the mast f e l l he.
8. 'T was a broadside to a broadside then,
And a rain and h a il of blows,
the sa lt sea ran in, ran in, ran in,
To the bottom then she goes.
news, bad news for old England,
Bad news has come to the town,
a rich merchant's v essel is cast away,
And a l l her brave seamen drown.
news, bad news through London str e e t.
Bad news has come to the king,
a ll the brave liv e s of the mariners lo s t .
That are sunk in the watery main.
3^ a sailed three w inter's nights.
3~ W hen a l i t t l e before the day.
33 He spied the king h is gay gallant ship.
4 W a n tin g
b, "Stand o ff! Stand off.'" the captain he cried ,
"The life-gu ard s they are aboard;
M y cannons are loaden with powder and shot.
And every man hath a sword."
7. They merrily fought for three long hours,
They fought for hours f u ll three.
And many a blow dealt many a wound.
As they fought on the s a lt, sa lt sea.
8. 'T was a broadside to a broadside then,
And at i t the which should win;
A shot in the gallant ship bore a hole,
And then did the water rush in.
But
9. Bad
For
10. Bad
For
^^Child, IV, Part II, p. 39b. Taken down by Rev.
Baring-Gould from Roger Luxton, an old man at Halwell,
North Devan.
9. W an tin g .
10^ of tha lifeguards
104 O the tid in g s be sad that 1 bring.
H E N R Y M A R T Y N
B . 94
1. There was three brothers in merry Scotland*
In merry Scotland there were three*
And each of these brothers they did cast lots*
To see which should rob the sa lt sea.
2. Then th is lo t did f a l l on young Henry Martyn*
The youngest of these brothers three*
So now h e's turned robber a l l on the sa lt seas*
To maintain h is two brothers and he.
3. He had not saild one long w in ter's night*
One cold w inter's night before day*
Before he espied a rich merchant-ship,
Come bearing straight down that way.
4. "W ho are you? W ho are you?" said Henry Martyn,
"Or how durst thou come so nigh?"
"I'm a rich merchant-ship for old England bound
If you p lease, w ill you le t m e pass by."
b. "0 no.' 0 no."' cried Henry Martyn*
"0 no.' that never can be.
Since I have turnd robber a l l on the sa lt seas.
To maintain m y two brothers and me."
o. "Now lower your to p s a ils, you alderman bold.
Come lower them under m y lee;"
Saying, "I am resolved to pirate you here*
To maintain m y two brothers and me."
7. Then broadside to broadside to b attle they went
For two or three hours or more;
At la st Henry Martyn gave her a death-wound*
And down to the bottom went she.
^4C hild, IV, Part II, p. 394. A broadside, Catnach
Seven D ials.
350
8. Bad news, bad news to England hat come.
Bad newt 1 w ill t a l l to you a l l ,
'T was a rich merchant-ship to England was bound.
And most of her marry man drownd.
1. In Scotland thara lived thraa brothers of la te ,
In Scotland thara lived brothers three;
Now the youngest cast lo ts with the other two.
Which should go rob on the sa lt sea.
The lo t i t did f a l l to bold Henry Martin,
The youngest of a ll the three.
And he had to turn robber a i l on the sa lt seas,
To maintain h is two brothers and he.
3. He had not been sa ilin g past a long w in ter's
night.
Past a long w inter's night before day.
Before he espied a lo fty fine ship
Come sa ilin g a l l on the sa lt sea.
4. "O where are you bound for?" cried Henry Martin,
"0 where are you bound for?" cried he;
"I'm a rich-loaded ship bound for fa ir England,
I pray you to le t m e pass free."
5. " O no.’ 0 no.'" cried Henry Martin,
"0 no.' that can never be,
Since I have turned robber a ll on the sa lt sea,
To maintain m y two brothers and me.
6. "Heave down your main tack, likew ise your main
t i e ,
And l i g yourself under m y lee;
For your rich glowing gold I w ill take i t away.
And your fa ir bodies drown in the sa lt sea."
7. Then broadside to broadside they merrily fought.
For fu lly two hours or three.
W hen by chance Henry Martin gave her a broadside,
And right down to the bottom went she.
9 S )C hild, IV, Part II, pp. 395-396. Kidson, Tradi
tio n a l Tunes (1891), p. 31, from fishermen at Flamborough,
Yorkshire.
351
8. Bad news, bad news unto old England,
Bad news I t e l l unto thee;
For your rich glowing gold i s a l l wasted away.
And your mariners are drownd in the sa lt sea.
B 96
c
1. There lived three brothers in merry Scotland,
In merry Scotland lived brothers three.
And they did cast lo ts which should rob on the sea.
To maintain h is two brothers and he.
2. And the lo t i t did lig h t on Henry Martin,
The youngest of a l l the brothers three,
And he went a roaming on the sa lt sea.
To maintain h is two brothers and he.
3. And when they had sailed fiv e days and more
On a rich merchant-ship coming down they then
bore,
As he went a roaming on the sa lt sea.
To maintain h is two brothers and he.
4. The rich merchant-ship got wounded by he.
And right down to the bottom of the sa lt sea
we nt she,
As he went a roaming on the sa lt sea.
To maintain h is two brothers and he.
c 9 7
1. There were three brothers in bonnie Scotland,
In bonnie Scotland lived they.
And they c u ist kevels them sells amang,
W ha sould gae rob upon the sa lt sea.
9^Child, IV, Part II, p. 396. Kidson. T raditional
Tunes (1891), p. 30; sung by a very old woman about ninety
years ago.
97C hild, IV, Part II, pp. 394-395. In Motherwell's MS.,
p. 660; recited by Alexander MacDonald, a coal-heaver of
Barkip, a parish of Dairy, Ayr. This ballad was sung by h is
mother, a native of Ireland.
352
2. The lo t i t f e l l upon bold Robin Hood*
The youngest brither of the hele three:
"O, 1 s a il gae rob upon the sa lt sea*
And I t ' s a l l to mauntain m y two brothers and
me."
3. They hadna sailed a lang winter night*
A lang winter night sc a r se lie .
T i l l they were aware of a t e ll* t a l l ship*
Come s a ilin down under the le e .
4. "0 where are you bound for* m y bonnie ship?"
Bold Robin Hood he did cry;
"O I'm a bold merchantman, for London bound,
And I pray you* good sir* le t us b y.M
5. "0 no.' 0 no."' said bold Robin Hood,
"0 no such thing may be;
For 1 w ill gae in and plunder your ship.
And your fa ir bodies I ’l l d ro w n in the sea."
6. 0 he has gone in and plundered th eir ship*
And holes in her bottom bored three;
The water came in so thick and so fa st
That down, down to the bottom gade she.
7. Bad news, bad news to old England i s gone*
Bad news to our king, old Henrie*
That h is merchant-goods were taken on board.
And th ir ty -fiv e seamen drownd in the sea.
1. Three loving brothers in Scotland dwelt*
Three loving brothers were they.
And they cast lo ts to see which of the three
Should go robbing a ll oer the sa lt sea, sa lt
sea,
Should go robbing a l l oer the sa lt sea.
2. The lo t it f e l l to Andrew Bodee,
The youngest of the three.
That he should leave the other two,
And go robbing a l l oer the sa lt sea.
^®Child, IV, Part II, p. 395. Communicated by Mr.
George M . Richardson, as learned by a lady in northern New
Haopshire more than f i f t y years ago from an aged aunt.
1
APPENDIX QQ
H E N R Y M A R T Y N 99
1. There were three brothers in fa ir London town.
In fa ir London town lived threa.
And thay ca st lo ts for to saa which of them would
go robbing
A ll on the sa lt saa, sa lt sea, sa lt sea.
And thay cast lo ts for to sea which of them would
go robbing
A ll on the sa lt sea.
2. The lo t i t f a l l to Henry Martyn
The youngest of the three
That ha should go robbing a ll on the sa lt sea
To maintain h is two brothers and he.
3. He had not sa iled many cold w in ter's nights
Not many cold w inter's nights sailed he
T i ll ha spied a fa ir lo fty ship coming in
A-bearing down on h is lea.
4. "Who's thara? Who's there?" then said Henry Martyn,
"Who's thara? Who's there?" cried he.
"'Tis a rich merchant ship for fa ir London bound.
W ill you please to le t m e pass by?"
5. "Pass by? Pass by?" said Henry Martyn,
"Such a thing as that couldn't be.
Since I've bean sent roving upon the sa lt sea
To maintain m y two brothers and me."
6. "Pull down your top mainsail and square your fore
yard
And bring your ship under m y le e .
And I w ill taka from you your rich flowing gold
And your mariners sink in the sea."
Q Q ■
Helen Creighton and Doreen H. Senior, c o l l . .
T raditional Sonos from Nova Scotla (Toronto. 1950). pp.
8 6 - 8 7 . Sung by Mr. Andrew Scott of Enfield and Mrs. Ed
ward Gallagher of Chebucto Head. Mr. Scott remembers Henry
Martyn's name as Henry Burt Doyle.
353
354
7. " I ' ll not p u ll down m y top mainsail or square m y
fore yard
Or bring m y ship under your lee*
But 1 w ill fig h t you for m y rich flowing gold
And m y mariners safe on the sea."
8. Broadside to broadside those two ships did fig h t
For the space of two hours or three*
T i l l Henry Martyn he gave h is death wound
And h is mariners sank in the sea.
9. Bad new* bad news for old Engaland*
Bad news as there could be*
A rich merchant ship i s robbed of her gold
And her mariners sank in the sea.
APPENDIX F IR
H EM IY M ARTIN100
1. There were three brothers in merry Scotland,
And only thra# brothers ware thay.
Thay had to cast lo ts for to see who would go,
would go.
To stand pirate a l l on the sa lt sea.
2. Hard lo t i t did f a l l to Henry Martin,
The youngest of the three.
A ll for to stand pirate a l l on the sa lt sea, sa lt
sea.
To maintain h is two brothers and he.
3. He had not been sa ilin g but a long w in ter's night
And part of a short w inter's day
W hen a long, lo fty ship he chanced to spy, to spy.
Came bearing down under th eir le e .
4. "W hat ship, what ship?" cried Henry Martin.
"W hat ship, what ship?" said he.
"I'm a rich merchant ship, to England I'm bound. I'm
bound,
And I pray you to le t m e go free."
5. no, 0 no," cried Henry Martin,
"That thing i t can never be.
For I had to cast lo ts for to see which would go,
would go.
To maintain m y two brothers and me."
Maud Karpeles, c o l l . and e d ., Folk Sonos from New
foundland (London, 1934), p. 104. Sung by Mr. Joseph
Jackman at Grole, Hermitage Bay. The te x t i s as sung by
Mr. John N eville at Clarke's Beach, Conception Bay.
355
356
6. H 0 throw back your main to p sa il and heave your ship
to .
And lie close up under m y le e .
For your rich merchant's goods I w ill h oist them on
board, on board.
And your mariners sink in the sea."
7. 'Iwas yard-arm on yard-arm those two ships did lay.
For the space of two hours or three.
T i l l Henry Martin gave to her a broadside, broadside.
And down to the bottom went she.
8. Bad news, bad news for George our King,
Bad news with a sorrowful sound.
A rich merchant's goods were taken away, away.
And th ere's th ir ty -fiv e mariners drowned.
APPENDIX SS
BOLENDER MARTIN101
1. There liv e d th re e b ro th e r s in f a i r Scotland*
In S co tlan d th e r e liv e d b r o th e r s t h r e e .
And th ey drew l o t s t o see which would go
A robbing a l l on the s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l on Bolender Martin*
The youngest of the th ree*
That he should tu r n robber a l l on th e s a l t sea
To m aintain h i s two b ro th e rs and he.
3 ............................................................................................................
" I an the r ic h merchant from f a i r Engeland,
And 1 pray you t o l e t me pass by.
4. "Gh no, oh no*M says Bolender M artin ,
M That th in g can never be*
For I have tu rn e d robber a l l on the s a l t sea*
To m ain tain my two b r o th e r s and me."
W. Roy Mackenzie* c o l l .* B a lla d s and Sea Sonas from
Nova S c o tla (Cambridge, 1928), p. o i . Sung by L ittle Ned
L a n g ille . in gille.
357
APPENDIX TT
HEMIY MARTIN102
1. In Scotland th e re dw elt th r e e b r o th e r s of l a t e .
Three b r o th e r s of l a t e , b r o th e r s t h r e e .
And th ey c a s t l o t s , t o see which of them
Should go robbing a l l on the s a l t se a.
S a l t sea.'
And th ey c a s t lo ts* t o see which of them
Should go robbing a l l on th e s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l on Henry M artin ,
The youngest of th e se b r o th e r s t h r e e .
That he should go robbing a l l on th e s a l t sea.
To m ain tain h i s two b r o th e rs and he.
3. He had scarce s a ile d one long w i n t e r 's n ig h t,
One long w i n t e r 's n ig h t on the sea,
Before he e s p ie d a l o f t y brave sh ip .
A s s a ilin g off over the sea.
4. "Put back.'" he c r i e d , "and square your main t a c k , -
Come s a i l down under my le e .
Your gold w e 'l l tak e from you, your ship w e 'l l l e t
d r i f t .
And your bodies w e 'l l sink in the sea!"
5. B ro ad sid es, b ro ad sid e s th e y gave t o each o th e r.
They fought f o r hours f u l l t h r e e .
T i l l Henry M artin re ce iv e d h i s d ea th wound,
And h is body did sink in th e sea.
6. Bad news, bad news I bring t o old England,
Bad news I bring unto th e e .
Your r ic h merchant ship i s now c a s t away,
And your m ariners sunk in the sea.
P h i l l i p s B arry, " T r a d itio n a l B a lla d s in New Eng
la n d ," J o u rn a l of American F o lk lo r e . 18:135-136, 1905.
Communicated by s . C. G ., of M inneapolis, M innesota, a s sung
over f i f t y y e a rs ago.
358
APPENDIX UU
HEMIY MARTIN103
1. There were th re e b r o th e r s in merry S c o tla n d ,
In merry S co tlan d th e re were th r e e ;
And th e y did c a s t l o t s which of them should go, should
t o , should oo.
And tu r n robber a l l on the s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l upon Henry M artin,
The youngest of a l l th e th r e e .
That he should tu r n robber a l l on the s a l t sea, the
s a l t se a , th e s a l t sea.
For t o m ain tain h is two b ro th e rs and he.
3. He had not been s a i l i n g but a long w i n t e r 's n ig h t.
P a rt of a sh o rt w i n t e r 's day,
Before he e sp ie d a s to u t lo f t y sh ip , lo f t y sh ip ,
l o f t y sh ip .
Come a~bibing down on him s t r a i g h t way.
4. "H ello, H e llo ," c r ie d Henry M artin,
"What makes you s a i l so nigh?"
"I'm a r ic h merchant ship bound f o r f a i r London town,
London town, London town.
W ill you please f o r t o l e t me pass by?"
5. "Oh no, 0 no," c r ie d Henry M artin,
"That th in g i t never can be.
For I have tu rn ed robber a l l on the s a l t sea, the s a l t
sea, the s a l t se a .
For t o m ain tain my two b ro th e rs and me."
103
H erbert H au fre ch t, comp, and e d . . The W avfarin'
S tra n g er (New York, 1945), p. 21. H aufrecht s t a r t e d c o l
le c ti n g American f o lk songs and b a lla d s a s a r e p r e s e n ta tiv e
of the U. S. R esettlem ent A d m in istra tio n in West V irg in ia
in 1936, where he supervised community music.
359
360
6. "Than lower your t o p s a i l and bow down your mizzen.
Bow y o u rse lv e s under my le e .
Or 1 s h a l l give t o you a f a s t flow ing b a l l , flow ing
b a l l , flow ing b a l l .
And your d ea r b o d ies drown in th e s a l t sea!"
7. With broadside and broadside and a t i t th e y w ent,
For f u l l two hours or t h r e e ,
' T i l l Henry M artin give t o h er th e death sh o t, the
death s h o t, the death sh o t.
And s t r a i g h t t o the bottom went she,
8. Bad news, bad news t o old England c a m ,
Bad news t o old London town:
T h e r e 's been a r i c h v e s s e l and s h e 's c a s t away, c a s t
away, c a s t away.
And a l l of h er merry men drowned.
APPENDIX W
THREE BROTHERS OF MERRY SCOTLAND104
A
1. There were th re e b r o th e r s in Merry S co tlan d ,
Three loving b r o th e rs were th e y ;
They a l l drew l o t s t o see which should go
A-robbing a l l on the s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l t o Andrew Battam,
The youngest of the t h r e e .
T hat he should go a-robbing a l l on the s a l t sea
To m ain tain h i s two b ro th e r s and he.
3. He had not s a ile d f o r two w i n t e r 's n ig h ts .
For two w i n t e r 's n ig h ts or more,
When th ey saw a ship s a i l i n g f a r o ff and f a r on.
T i l l a t len g th she came s a i l i n g c lo s e by.
4. "Who's th e re ? who's th e re ? " c r ie d Andrew Battam,
"Who's th e re t h a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"We are th e r i c h m erchants of Old England,
And i t ' s w on't you p lease l e t us pass by?”
5. "O, no.' 0 , no.'" c r i e d Andrew Battam,
"Such th in g s can never be;
W e w i l l take away a l l your r ic h m erchandise.
And your m ariners drown in the s e a ."
t>. "Go home, go home.'" c r i e d Andrew Battam,
"King Henry he wears the crown;
I t i s now t h a t he o f f e r s a larg e sum of g o ld .
If t h i s Andrew Battam can be fou n d ."
104P h i l l i p s B arry, Fannie Eckstrom, and Mary Smyth,
e d s . , B r i t i s h B a lla d s from Maine (New Haven, 1929), pp.
248-250. Sent in by Mrs. Annie V. M arston of West Gould
boro in 1926.
365
7. "Go b u ild me a s h ip ," c r i e d C a p ta in C h a rle s S te w a rt,
"Go b u ild i t stro n g and su re .
And 1 w i l l bring you t h i s Andrew Battam,
Or my l i f e I ' l l no longer e n d u re."
8. They had not s a ile d f o r two w in te r n ig h ts ,
For two w in te r n ig h ts or more.
When th e y saw a ship s a i l i n g f a r off and f a r on,
T i l l a t le n g th th e y came s a i l i n g c lo s e by.
9. "Who's th e re ? who's th e re ? " c r i e d C a p ta in C h arles
S tew art,
Who's th e re t h a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"We are the bold ro b b ers of Merry S co tlan d ,
And i t i s w on't you p le ase l e t us pass by?"
10. "O, no, 0, no," c r i e d C a p ta in C h a rle s S tew art,
"Such th in g s can never be;
W e w i l l take away a l l your r ic h shining g o ld .
And your m ariners drown in the se a ."
11. And th e n the b a t t l e i t d id begin,
The cannon loud did r o a r .
They had not fought but an hour or two.
When t h i s C a p ta in Stew art gave o 'e r .
12. "Go home, go home.'" c r ie d Andrew Battam,
"And t e l l your King f o r me.
If he r e ig n s King upon dry land.
I t i s I who r e ig n s King on the se a ."
363
ANDREW MARTIN105
B
1. There dwelt th re e b ro th e rs in merry S c o tla n d ,
Three b r o th e rs th e re dwelt t h e r e , t h r e e ,
And th e y did c a s t l o t s to see which one
Should go robbing upon the s a l t sea,
Should go robbing upon the s a l t sea,
2. The l o t i t f e l l upon Andrew M artine
The youngest of the t h r e e ,
That he should go robbing upon the s a l t sea.
To support h i s th re e b ro th e rs and he.
3. "Oh, who are you?" sa id Andrew M artine,
"Who are you t h a t comes to s s in g so high?"
"I am a brave ship from merry England,
W ill you p le ase f o r t o l e t me pass by?"
4. "Oh, no, oh no.'" said Andrew M artine,
"Oh no, th a t never can be.'
Your ship and your cargo w e 'l l a l l take away,
And your bodies give to the s a l t sea.'"
6 . The news i t came to merry England,
And t o King G eorge's e a r s .
And he d id f i t out a nice l i t t l e band,
For to c a tc h t h i s Andrew M artine.
t>. "Oh, who are you?" said C a p tain C h a rle s S tu a r t,
"Who are you th a t comes to s s in g so high?"
" I am a brave ship from merry Scotland,
W ill you p lease f o r to l e t me pass by?"
7. "Oh, no, oh noJ said C ap tain C h a rle s S tu a r t,
"Oh, no th a t never can beJ
Your ship and your cargo w e 'l l a l l take away.
And your bodies give to the s a l t se a ."
^ ^ B a r r y , B r i t i s h B a lla d s from M aine, pp. 250-261.
From a te x t c o n trib u te d t o the boaton T ra n s c r ip t on Septem
ber 24, 1904, by A. C. A ., who said t h a t ne heard i t sung
many y e a rs ago in P o rtlan d by E liz a O s t i n e l l i , daughter of
O s t i n e l l i , the m usician.
They fought and fo u g h t, and fought a g a in .
U n til the l i g h t did ap p ear.
And where was Andrew, and a l l h is brave crew?
T h e ir bodies were in th e s a l t sea.
APPENDIX W W
ANDREW BART IN106
1. Three bold b r o th e r s of m errie S co tlan d ,
And th re e bold b ro th e rs were th e y ,
And th e y c a s t l o t s the one w ith the o th e r,
To see who should go robbing a l l o 'e r the
s a l t sea;
And th ey c a s t l o t s the one w ith the o th e r,
To see who should go robbing a l l o 'e r the
s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l on Andrew B art in .
The youngest of the th r e e ,
That he should go robbing a l l o 'e r the s a l t sea.
To m aintain h i s two b ro th e rs and he.
3. He had not s a ile d but one long summer n ig h t.
When d a y lig h t did appear;
He saw a ship s a i l i n g f a r off and f a r round,
At l a s t she came s a ilin g q u ite near.
4. "Who a r t ? Who a r t? " says Andrew Bart in,
"Who a r t comes s a i l i n g so nigh?"
"W e are the r i c h merchants of m errie England,
J u s t p le ase f o r to l e t us pass by."
5. "Pass by? pass by?" says Andrew Bart in ,
"No, no, th a t never can be;
Your ship and your cargo I w i l l take away.
And your brave men drown in the s e a ."
6. Now when t h i s news reached m errie England —
King George he wore the crown —
That h is ship and h i s cargo were tak en away.
And h is brave men they were a l l drowned.
^ ^ R e e d Sm ith, c o l l . and e d . . South C a ro lin a B a lla d s
(Cambridge, 1928), pp. 157-158.
365
366
7. "Go b u ild me a s h ip ," says C a p ta in C h a rle s
S te w a rt,
"A ship both s to u t and su re .
And i f I d o n 't f e tc h t h i s Andrew B a rtin ,
My l i f e s h a l l no longer e n d u re ."
8. He had not s a ile d but one long summer n ig h t.
When d a y lig h t d id appear.
He saw a ship s a ilin g f a r o ff and f a r round.
At l a s t she came s a i l i n g q u ite n ea r.
9. "Who a r t ? Who a r t ? " says C ap tain C h a rle s S tew art,
"Who a r t comes s a ilin g so nigh?"
"we are the bold ro b b ers of m errie S cotland
J u s t p le ase f o r t o l e t us pass by."
10. "Pass by? p ass by?" says C a p ta in C h a rle s S te w a rt,
"No, no, t h a t never can be;
Your ship and your carg o I w i l l tak e away,
And your brave men c a rr y w ith me."
11. "Come on.' come on!" says Andrew B a rtin ,
" I value you not one pin ;
And though you are lin e d w ith good b ra s s w ith o u t,
I ' l l show you I 'v e f in e s t e e l w ith in ."
12. Then th e y drew up a f u l l broadside
And a t each o th e r l e t pour;
They had not fought f o r th r e e hours or more,
When C aptain C h a rle s Stew art gave o 'e r .
13. "Go home.' go home."' says Andrew B a rtin ;
And t e l l your king from me.
That he may re ig n king of the merry dry land.
But t h a t I w ill be king of the s e a ."
APPENDIX X X
AND REW BRITON, OR, THE THREE BROTHERS107
1. There were th r e e b r o th e rs in old S cotland,
Three b r o th e rs and only th re e ;
And th e y did c a s t l o t s , and th e y d id c a s t l o t s ,
To see who should m ain tain the whole t h r e e .
2. The l o t i t f e l l t o young Andrew B rito n ,
The youngest of the t h r e e .
That he should tu r n robber upon the s a l t sea,
To m aintain h i s two b r o th e rs and he.
3. They had not been s a ilin g p a s t two in the n ig h t.
Before a l o f t ship they did spy;
At le n g th she came s a ilin g f a r off and f a r on,
And a t le n g th she came s a ilin g c lo s e by.
4. "Who's t h e r e , who's th e re ? " c r i e s Andrew B rito n ,
"Who's th e re a - s a i l i n g so nigh?"
" I t ' s a r ic h merchant ship from old merry England,
W ill you p le a s e , s i r , to l e t us pass by?
5. "O no, 0 no," c r i e s Andrew B rito n ,
"0 no, such a th in g n e 'e r can be;
W e 'll take your sh ip , your cargo to o ,
And your m ariners drown in the sea.'"
6. When the news went back t o old merry England,
King George was wearing the crown;
"A r ic h merchant ship has been tak en and robbed.
And the m ariners a l l of them drowned."
7. "Go b u ild me a s h ip ," c r i e s C a p ta in C h a rle s
S tew art,
"Go b u ild i t firm and secure;
And i f I d o n 't show you young Andrew B rito n ,
My l i f e I ' l l no longer endure.'"
107
P h i l l i p s B arry, e d . , The Maine Woods S ongster
(Cambridge, 1939), pp. 64-65. t e x t from Mr. Lamont Forbuss,
Monson, Maine.
367
368
8. He had not been s a i l i n g p a s t two in the n ig h t,
Before a l o f t ship he d id spy;
At le n g th she came s a i l i n g f a r o ff and f a r on.
And a t le n g th she came s a i l i n g c lo s e by.
9. "Who's th e r e , w ho's th e re ? " c r i e s C a p tain C h a rle s
St f t
"Who's th e re a - s a i l i n g so nigh?"
" I t ' s two bold p i r a t e s from old S c o tla n d ,
W ill you p le a s e , s i r , to l e t us p a ss by?"
10. "0 no, 0 no," c r i e s C ap tain C h a rle s S te w a rt,
"0 no, such a th in g ne'er can be;
W e 'll ta k e your sh ip , your carg o to o .
And your m ariners drown in the s e a ."
11. "F ire on, f i r e on," says Andrew B rito n ,
" I value you not one pin;
If y o u 're good b ra s s on tne o u ts id e ,
W e 'll show you b rig h t s t e e l w ith in ."
12. They fo u g h t, th e y fought f u l l fo u r hours long
While cannon lik e thunder did ro a r;
They fo u g h t, th e y fought f u l l fo u r hours long.
When C a p tain C h arles Stew art gave o 'e r .
13. "Send word r i g h t back t o old merry England,
And t e l l King George f o r me.
If he r e ig n s king o 'e r old England,
Young Andrew r e ig n s king o 'e r the seal"
APPENDIX YY
ANDREW MARTEEN108
A
1. In boney S cotland th re e b r o th e rs did d w ell,
Three b r o th e rs d id d w ell, the t h r e e .
And a l l d id c a s t l o t s t o see which of them
Would go robbing down on the s a l t sea.
And a l l d id c a s t l o t s t o see which of them
Would go robbing down on the s a l t sea.
2. The l o t s th ey f e l l on Andrew, fo u rte e n .
The youngest of those b r o th e rs t h r e e ,
That he should go robbing down on the s a l t sea
To m aintain h i s two b ro th e rs and he.
3. As he was a - s a i l i n g one fin e summer's morning
J u s t as the day d id appear.
He spied a large v e s s e l a - s a i l i n g f a r off
And a t l a s t she came s a ilin g q u ite near.
4. "Art thou, a r t thou?" c r ie d Andrew M arteen,
"Are th o u , a - s a i l i n g so high?"
"A r i c h m erchant-ship from Old E ngland's shores
And p lease w i l l you l e t me pass by?"
5. "O no, O no," c r ie d Andrew Marteen,
" I t ' s a th in g t h a t c a n 't very w e ll be;
Your ship and your cargo I w ill take away.
And your body feed to the s a l t se a ."
6. The news i t went back t o Old E n g lan d 's shore.
King Henry he wore the crown.
His ship and h i s cargo were a l l c a s t away
And h i s m ariners th ey were a l l drowned.
108
Helen K. F lan d e rs and M arguerite Olney. c o l l . ,
t
a l l a d s M igrant in Now England (New York, 1953), pp. 72-74.
ung by Mr. Hanford Hayes In s t a c e y v i l l e , Maine, on Septem
ber 22, 1940.
369
370
7. "Come b u ild me a boat.*' c r ie d C a p tain C h a rle s
S te w a rt,
"And b u ild i t both safe and secu re,
And i f I d o n 't b rin g in t h a t Andrew M arteen,
My l i f e I w i l l never endure.
8. As he was a - s a i l i n g one f in e summer's morning.
J u s t as the day d id appear.
He spied a la rg e v e s s e l a - s a i l i n g f a r o f f .
And a t le n g th i t came s a i l i n g q u ite near.
9. "Are th o u , a r t thou?" c r ie d C a p ta in C h a rle s
S tew art,
"Art thou a - s a i l i n g so high?"
"A Scotch bone-y robber from Old S c o tla n d 's
sh o re ,
And i t ' s p le ase w i l l you l e t me p ass by?"
10. "0 no, 0 no," c r ie d C aptain C h a rle s S te w a rt,
" I t ' s a th in g t h a t c a n 't very w ell be;
Your ship and your cargo I w i l l take away.
And your body te e d t o the s a l t se a ."
11. "F ire on, f i r e on.'" c r ie d Andrew M arteen,
"Your t a l k I d o n 't value one p in .
Your b ra ss a t your side makes a very fin e show
But I'm pure s t e e l w ith in ."
12. Broadside t o broadside those two came to g e th e r;
T h e ir cannons lik e th under d id r o a r .
When C a p ta in C h a rle s Stew art took Andrew, fo u r
te e n .
And th e y hung him on Old E ngland's shore.
371
ANDREW BATAN109
B
1. There were th re e b ro th e rs in merry Scotland;
Three b ro th e rs th e y were a l l th re e
And th e y c a s t l o t s from one to the o th e r
To see which the robber would be.
2. The l o t did f a l l on Andrew Batan,
The youngest of the th r e e .
That he would go robbing a l l on the high sea
To m aintain h is two b ro th e rs and he.
3. As he was s a ilin g one co ld w i n t e r 's night
A l i g h t did soon appear.
They saw a ship s a ilin g f a r off and f a r off
And a t len g th i t came s a ilin g near.
4. "Who a r e , who a r t , " c r ie d C apting C h a rle s S tew art,
"Who are t h a t ' s s a ilin g so nigh?"
"We are the bold robbers from f a i r S co tlan d .
W ill you please f o r to l e t us pass by?"
b. "O no, 0 no, th a t th in g we never s h a ll do,
That th in g we never s h a ll do.
Your ship and your cargo w e 'l l a l l take away
And s a l t w ater your bodies s h a l l see.
Your ship and your cargo w e 'l l a l l take away
And s a l t w ater your bodies s h a ll see.
6. The news soon came on E ngland's home shore
(King George he wore the crown.)
That the r ic h m erchant's goods had been ta k en away
And the crew and the c a p ta in was drowned.
That the r ic h m erchant's goods had been ta k en away
And the crew and the c a p ta in was drowned.
F lan d e rs and Olney, pp. 201-203. Sung on May 16,
1949, by Mr. O scar Degreenia of West Cornwall, C o n n e ctic u t,
as sung by h i s p a re n ts t o t h e i r e ig h t c h ild r e n , liv in g in a
log ca b in in B arton, Vermont. Mr. Degreenia moved to West
Cornwall in 1932.
272
7. M Go and b u ild me a s h ip ," c r i e s C a p ta in C h a rles
S te w a rt,
"Go and b u ild i t safe and su re.
I ' l l tak e the command from Andrew Batan
Or my l i f e I w i l l never e n d u re ."
8. As he was s a i l i n g one c o ld w i n t e r 's n ight
A l i g h t did soon ap p ear.
They saw a ship s a i l i n g f a r off and f a r off
And a t le n g th i t came s a i l i n g n ea r.
9. "Who a r e , who a r t ? " c r i e s C a p tain C h a rle s S te w a rt,
"Who a r t t h a t ' s s a i l i n g so nigh?"
"We are the bold ro b b ers from f a i r S c o tla n d .
W ill you p le a se f o r t o l e t us p ass by?"
10. "0 no, 0 no, t h a t th in g we never s h a l l do;
That th in g we never s h a l l do.
Your sh ip and your cargo w e 'l l a l l tak e away
And your bodies f a i r England w i l l s e e ."
11. '^Come on, come o n," c r ie d Andrew B atan,
"We f e a r you not one p in .
For w e 're b ra s s w ith o u t th a t makes the fin e show
But we are a l l s t e e l w ith in ."
12. B ro ad sid es, b ro a d sid e s th e y q u ick ly put on
And cannons loud d id ro a r
And C ap tin g C h a rle s Stew art took Andrew Batan
And th e y hung him on E n g lan d 's own shore.
373
ANDREW BARDEEN110
C
1. Three loving b r o th e rs in S co tlan d did dw ell
And loving were th e t h r e e .
They each c a s t l o t s t o see which of the th re e
Should go robbing round the s a l t sea.
They each c a s t l o t s t o see which of th e th re e
Should go robbing around th e s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l upon Andrew Bardeen,
The youngest of a l l the t h r e e ,
And f o r t o m ain tain h i s o ld e r two b r o th e rs
Went robbing around the s a l t sea.
3. He had not s a ile d but one summer n ig h t.
When d a y lig h t d id appear:
He saw a ship s a ilin g very f a r o f f ,
And a t l a s t i t came s a i l i n g q u ite n ear.
4. "Who's th e r e , w ho's th e re ? " c r ie d Andrew Bardeen.
"Who's th e re t h a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"W e a re the r i c h m erchants from M errie England
And no o ffe n s e . Let us by.'"
5. 't)h no.' Oh no.'" sa id Andrew Bardeen.
"Oh no.' That never can be.
Your ship I ' l l have, and your ca rg o , to o .
And your bodies I ' l l sink in th e se a ."
6. Now when t h i s news reached M errie England
(King George he wore the crown)
That h i s ship and h i s cargo were tak en away,
And h is brave men they were a l l drowned,
7. "Go b u ild me a s h ip ," says C a p ta in C h a rle s S te w a rt,
"A ship both s to u t and su re .
And i f I d o n 't f e tc h t h i s Andrew Bardeen,
My l i f e s h a ll no longer e n d u re ."
Helen H. F la n d e rs , Country Sonos of Vermont (New
York, 1937), p. 9. Sung by Mr. Euclid I. w illia m s , who
liv e d in Lower W aterford, on a high h i l l farm overlooking
the C o n n e cticu t R iver v a lle y in n o r th e a s te rn Vermont.
374
8. He had not s a ile d but one summer's night
When d a y lig h t did appear.
He saw a ship s a ilin g very f a r o f f - -
At l a s t i t came s a ilin g q u ite near.
9. "Who's th e re ? Who's th e re ? " c r ie d C ap tain C h a rle s
S te w art,
"There t h a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"We are the bold b ro th e rs from Merry Scotland
And no o ffe n se. Let us by."
10. "Oh noi Oh no.'" c r ie d C ap tain C h arles S tew art,
"Oh no.' t h a t never can be;
Your ship I ' l l have and your cargo, to o ,
And your bodies I ' l l c a rry w ith me."
11. Then th ey drew up a f u l l broadside
And each t o the other l e t pour.
They had not fought but a very sh o rt time
When C aptain C h arles Stew art gave o 'e r .
12. "Go home, go home," says Andrew Bardeen,
"And t e l l your king f o r me
That he may re ig n king of the merrie dry land,
But th a t I w ill be king of the se a ."
APPENDIX ZZ
ELDER BARDEE111
1. There was th r e e b r o th e r s in Scotland did d w ell.
Three loving b ro th e r s were th ey ;
They a l l did c a s t l o t s to see which of them
Should go robbing a l l round the s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l on E lder Bardee,
The youngest of the t h r e e .
And f o r t o m ain tain those o th e r two
He went robbing a l l round the s a l t sea.
3. He had not s a ile d but one day, two, or th r e e .
Before th r e e v e s s e ls he sp ie d .
S a ilin g f a r o f f , and s a i l i n g f a r o f f .
T i l l a t le n g th came s a i l i n g c lo se by.
4. "Who th e re ? Who th e re ? " c rie d E ld er Bardee,
"Who th e re t h a t s a i l s so nigh?" —
"We are th re e merchant v e s s e ls from old England
s h o re ;
And i f no o ffe n ce, l e t us pass by." —
5. "Oh no, 0 no.'" c r ie d E ld er Bardee,
"0 no, t h a t can never be.
I ' l l have your sh ip s , your c a rg o e s, my boys,
And your bodies I ' l l c a s t in the s e a ."
6. The news i t reached King H enry's e a r s .
The man t h a t wears the crown.
To th in k he had l o s t th r e e of h i s sh ip s ,
And h i s merry men th ey were a l l drowned.'
7. "Go b u ild a ship both strong and secu re,
As you s h a ll u n d erstan d .
And on board place C a p ta in C h a rle s Stewart
To take th a t bold command."
Harold W . Thompson, Body. Boots & B ritc h e s (P h ila
d e lp h ia , 1939), pp. 37-38. from P. W. Andrew o£ C o rin th ,
New York.
375
376
8. They b u i l t a ship both stro n g and se cu re.
As you s h a l l u n d ersta n d .
And on board p laced C a p ta in C h a rle s S tew art
To take t h a t bold command.
9. He had not s a ile d but one day, two, or t h r e e .
Before a v e s s e l he sp ie d .
S a ilin g f a r o f f , and s a i l i n g f a r o f f ,
T i l l a t le n g th came s a i l i n g c lo s e by.
10. "Who th e re ? Who th e re ? " c r ie d C a p tain C h a rle s
S te w a rt,
"Who th e re t h a t s a i l s so nigh?" —
"We are th e bold ro b b ers from Merry S co tlan d ,
And i f no o ffe n c e , l e t us p ass by." —
11. "O no, 0 no," c r ie d C a p tain C h a rle s S te w art,
"0 no, t h a t never can be.
I ' l l have your sh ip , your c a rg o , my boys.
And your bodies I ' l l c a r r y w ith me."
12. B roadside, b ro a d sid e , those sh ip s th ey did come;
The cannon loud did r o a r .
They took E lder Bardee and h i s whole company
To the land of old E ngland's shore.
APPENDIX A A A
THREE BROTHERS OF SCOTLAND112
1. Three loving b ro th e rs in S cotland did dw ell.
Three loving b ro th e rs were they;
They each c a s t l o t s to see who must go
To m aintain h i s two b ro th e rs and he.
2. The lo t i t f e l l on Andrew Bardun.
The youngest of the th r e e .
That he should go roving around the s a l t sea
To m aintain h i s two b ro th e rs and he.
3. They had not s a ile d scarce th re e w i n t e r 's n ig h ts ,
T i l l a ship th ey did espy,
A -s a ilin g f a r off and a - s a i l i n g f a r o f f .
And a t l a s t they came s a ilin g along sid e .
4. "Who's th e re ? Who's th e re ? " c rie d Andrew Bardun,
"Who's th e re th a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"We are the r ic h merchants from old England,
And be pleased i f you'd l e t us pass by."
b. "0 no.' 0 no."' c r ie d Andrew Bardun,
"That th in g can never be;
Your ship and your cargo I have, my brave boys,
And your body I ' l l drown in the se a ."
6. And when the men reached old England,
I t caused the king to frown.
To th in k th a t h is ship and h is cargo had [been]
ta k en .
And many a man had been drowned.
112
John H arrington Cox, e d . , Folk-Songs of the South
(Cambridge, 192b), p. I b l. Communicated by Mr. George
Paugh of Thomas, Tucker County, West V irg in ia , on January
10, 1916. I t was w ritte n down by Mrs. S te ll a Thomas of Ben
Bush, who had learned i t about twenty years before from her
mother.
377
378
7. "Go b u ild me a sh ip ," c r ie d C aptain C h a rles
S tew art,
"Go b u ild i t strona and sure;
If I d o n 't bring you in Andrew Bardun,
My l i f e w ill no longer en d u re."
8. The ship was b u i l t a t h i s command,
'T was b u i l t both strong and sure;
And C aptain C h a rles Stew art was placed th e reo n .
For t o m aintain h i s crew.
9. They had not s a ile d scarce th re e w i n t e r 's n ig h ts .
T i l l the ship they did espy,
A -s a ilin g f a r off and a - s a i l i n g f a r o f f,
And a t l a s t they came s a ilin g long sid e .
10. "Who's th e re ? Who's th e re ? " c r ie d C aptain C h arles
Stcwdrt
"Who's th e re th a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"We are the bold robbers from old S cotland,
And be pleased if you'd l e t us pass by."
11. "0 no! O no!" c rie d C aptain C h a rles S tew art,
"That th in g can never be;
Your ship and your cargo I have, my brave boys.
And your bodies I c a rry w ith me."
12. "Come on! Come on!" c r ie d Andrew Bardun,
" I ' l l value not one pin;
If you can but show me b rig h t b ra sse s w ith o u t.
I ' l l show you good s t e e l w ith in ."
13. Now the b a t tle had begun.
Loud the cannons roared;
They had not fought sc a rc e ly a h a lf hour.
T i l l C ap tain C harles gave o 'e r .
14. "Go home! Go home!" c r ie d Andrew Bardun,
"Go home and t e l l your king.
That he can re ig n king o 'e r a l l the dry land.
I ' l l re ig n king over the se a."
APPENDIX BBB
THE PIRATES113
A
1. Down in old England th e re liv e th r e e b ro th ers*
Three* oh* th r e e kind b r o th e r s ,
They were c a s tin g l o t s t o see which of them
Should p lu n d er a l l o 'e r th e s a l t sea, s a l t sea*
They were c a s tin g l o t s t o see which of them
Should p lu n d er a l l o 'e r the s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l upon Henry Martin*
The youngest b ro th e r of th r e e ;
They rig g e d him up, both g a l l a n t and s to u t ,
To plunder a l l o 'e r the s a l t sea, s a l t sea*
3. Away, away s a ile d Henry M artin ,
Away, away s a ile d he;
For s ix weeks or more he plowed o 'e r the blue
ocean
Before t h a t a v e s s e l he see, he see,
4. E arly one morning he mounted on c a b in .
With s p y -g la s s f o r to see,
And th e re he espied t o p s a i l of a ship
Come s a i l i n g down under h is le e , le e ,
b. "Oh, who comes th e re ? " c rie d Henry M artin ,
,,Ch, who dare s a i l so nigh?"
" S h e's a r i c h m e rc h an t's sh ip , f o r f a i r London
s h e 's bound,
Won't you p le a se fo r t o l e t her pass by, p ass by,
113
Mary 0. Eddy, e d . . B a lla d s and Sonas. from Ohio (New
York, 1939), pp. 78-79. Mrs. Anna E. Housley of Canton,
Ohio, was 91 when she sang t h i s b a lla d f o r her son. Rev.
Edwin L. H ousley, and h i s wife to re c o rd . The above v e rsio n
i s as she sang i t in her e a r ly home in L ancaster County, Pa.
379
380
6. "Oh, no, oh, no," c r ie d Henry M a rtin ,
"T h e re's no such th in g can be.
Since I 'v e took t o robbing a l l o 'e r th e blue ocean
To support my two b ro th e r s and me, and me,
7. "So lower down your t o p s a i l mast.
And s a i l down under our le e .
Or I ' l l take from you your r i c h goods and g o ld .
And your bodies I ' l l give t o th e sea, th e sea,
8. "We w on't lower down our t o p s a i l m ast.
Nor w i l l we s a i l under your le e .
But here we w i l l f i g h t f o r our r i c h goods and gold;
Our bodies w e 'l l save from the sea, the sea,
9. From broadside to broadside th e se v e s s e ls did f i r e
For one long hour or more;
At le n g th Henry M artin gave h er th e death wound,
And down t o the bottom she b o re , she bore,
10. "Bad news.' Bad news!" c r ie d Henry M artin,
"Bad news I bring unto th e e ,
I 'v e tak en from you your r ic h goods and gold.
Your bodies I 'v e given to the sea, the sea,
ANDREW BATAN114
B
1. There were th re e b r o th e r s from merry S co tlan d ,
And th re e merry b r o th e rs were th ey ;
They c a s t l o t s from one to the o th er
To see which of them ro b b ers should be.
2. The lo t i t f e l l on Andrew B atan,
The youngest of the th r e e .
That he should go robbing on the high seas
A ll fo r h is b r o th e r s and he.
Eddy, pp. 80-81. From Dr. James H. Hanford of
C lev elan d , Ohio, who procured t h i s song from L. C. W illiams
whose home was in North C a ro lin a . Mr. W illiam s had i t from
h is f a th e r , who was a New Englander.
381
3. He had not s a ile d one long w i n t e r 's n ig h t,
When d a y lig h t d id appear.
He saw a ship s a ilin g f a r o ff and f a r o f f .
T i l l a t l e a s t I t came s a ilin g so near.
4. "Who's t h e r e , who's t h e r e ," c rie d Andrew Batan.
"Who's th e re come s a ilin g so nigh?"
"We are the r ic h merchants from old England shore;
W ill you p le ase f o r to l e t us pass by?"
5. "Oh, no, oh, no," c r i e s Andrew Batan,
"Oh, no, th a t never can be.
Your ship and your cargo I ' l l take a l l away.
And your bodies s h a ll feed the s a l t se a."
6. The news to old England gone,
(King Henry wears the crown,)
That th e r ic h m erchant's goods were a l l ta k en away
And h is m ariners th ey were a l l drowned.
7. "Go, b u ild me a s h ip ," c r i e s C aptain C h arles S tu a r t,
"Go build i t strong and secure.
And i f I do not bring back Andrew Batan,
His l i f e s h a ll not long en d u re."
8. T his ship was b u i l t both strong and secure.
As we do understand,
And C aptain C h a rle s S tu a rt was placed th ereo n
To take the bold command.
9. He had not s a ile d one long w i n t e r 's n ig h t,
When d a y lig h t did appear;
He saw a ship s a ilin g f a r off and f a r o f f .
T i l l a t l a s t i t came s a ilin g so near.
10. "Who's th e r e , who's th e r e ," c r ie d C aptain C harles
S t u a r t ,
"Who's th e re come s a ilin g so nigh?"
"W e are the Scotch ro b b ers of merry Scotland;
W ill you p le ase f o r to l e t us pass by?"
11. "Oh, no, oh, no," c r i e s C aptain C h a rle s S tu a r t,
"Oh, no, th a t never can be;
Your ship and your cargo I ' l l take a l l away.
And your bodies I ' l l c a rry w ith me."
12. "Come on, come on," c r i e i Andrew Batan,
"I value you not one pin ;
If you can show fin e b ra s s w ith o u t,
I can show y o u 's fin e s t e e l w ith in ."
From broadside to broadside th e n a t i t th e y went
So loud th e cannons d id ro ar*
T i l l C a p tain C h a rle s S tu a r t took Andrew Batan
And c a r r ie d him t o old E n g lan d 's shore.
APPENDIX CCC
THE THREE SCOTCH ROBBERS115
1. There were th r e e b r o th e r s in old S co tlan d ,
Three j o l l y b r o th e r s were th e y ,
For th e y c a s t l o t s , and th e y d id c a s t l o t s ,
To see which would m ain tain the whole t h r e e , t h r e e ,
t h r e e .
To see which would m ain tain the whole t h r e e , t h r e e ,
th r e e .
2. The l o t i t f e l l on Andrew B retan,
The youngest of th e t h r e e .
That he should go roaming a l l o 'e r the s a l sea
To m aintain h i s two b ro th e rs and he.
3. They h a d n 't been s a i l i n g but a week or te n days
When a ship th e y did espy,
A ship which came s a i l i n g f a r o ff and f a r on.
And a t le n g th i t came s a i l i n g so nigh.
4. "Who are you? Who are you?" c rie d Andrew B retan ,
"Who are you, and where are you bound?"
"We are the r i c h m erchants from old England.
W ill you p le a se f o r to l e t us pass by?"
5. "O no, 0 no," c rie d Andrew B retan ,
"Such a th in g could never be;
Your ship and your cargo w e'11 take a l l away
And your j o l l y crew drown in the se a ."
t>. "Go b u ild me a s h ip ," c rie d C ap tain James S t u a r t ,
"Go b u ild i t strong and s u re .
And i f I d o n 't b rin g in t h a t Andrew B retan
My l i f e s h a ll no longer e n d u re."
1 Emelyn E. Gardner and G eraldine J . C h ic k e rin g ,
e d s . . B a lla d s and Sonas of Southern Michigan (Ann Arbor,
1939), pp. 211-212. Sung in 1934 by Mr. O tis E v i l s i z e r , a
farm er from A lger.
383
I
384
7. They h a d n 't been s a ilin g but a week or te n days
When a ship they did espy,
A ship which came s a ilin g f a r o ff and f a r on.
And a t le n g th i t came s a ilin g so nigh.
8. "Who are you? Who are you?" c rie d C aptain James
S tu a r t,
"Who are you, and where are you bound?"
"We are the Scotch robbers from old S co tla n d ,
Would you p le ase f o r to l e t us pass by?"
9. "0 no, 0 no," c rie d C aptain James S tu a r t
Such a th in g could never be.
Your ship and your cargo we'11 take a l l away.
And your j o l l y crew drown in the se a."
10. "Come on, come on," c rie d Andrew B retan,
"We f e a r you not a pin.
You show us b rig h t b rass w ith o u t, w ith o u t.
W e 'll show you b rig h t s t e e l w ith in ."
11. The f i g h t , the f ig h t i t did begin.
Loud cannons they did r o a r ,
The b a t t l e i t la s te d two hours and a h a l f ,
When C a p tain James S tu a rt gave o 'e r .
12. "Go home, go home," c rie d Andrew B retan,
"Go home and t e l l King George
That i f h e ' l l re ig n king o 'e r a l l the dry land,
I w i l l re ig n king o 'e r the se a."
APPENDIX D D D
ANDER BARDEEN116
1. There were th r e e b r o th e r s in Scotland d id d w ell.
Three loving b r o th e r s were th e y .
And th e y did c a s t l o t s to see which of them
Would go robbing around the south sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l on Ander Bardeen,
The youngest of the t h r e e ,
And he did m aintain h i s o th e r two b r o th e r s .
And went robbing around the south sea.
3. He had not s a ile d on a cold w i n t e r 's night
T i l l he a ship did spy.
I t was s a i l i n g f a r o f f , i t was s a i l i n g f a r o f f .
And a t len g th i t came s a ilin g c lo se by.
4 . "Who's th e r e , who's th e re ? " c r ie d Ander Bardeen;
"Who's th e re th a t s a i l s so nice?"
"We are the r i c h v e s s e ls from old London shore.
And my f r i e n d s , I say, l e t us pass by."
5. "0 no, 0 n o," c rie d Ander Bardeen,
"The th in g i t cannot be.
Your v e s s e ls I ' l l ta k e , your cargo to o .
And your men I w i l l drown in the se a ."
6. And now King George t h a t h eld the throne
An awful t a l e d id h e a r,
That a l l h is r i c h v e s s e ls were ta k en
And a l l of h is j o l l y men drowned.
Louise Pound, " 'S i r Andrew B arton' in N ebraska,"
Southern F o lk lo re Q u a r te r ly . 2:205-206, December 1938.
o b ta in e a by f c ’r o t e s s o r R u s se ll P r e s c o tt of the Nebraska Col
lege of A g ric u ltu re from h is f a t h e r , who learn ed i t from
h i s s t e p f a t h e r , who came t o Nebraska from the neighborhood
of E n n is k ille n in n o rth ern Ire la n d about 1880.
385
386
7. "Go b u ild a sh ip , go b u ild i t quick.
Go b u ild i t t i g h t and stro n g .
And put on board young C ap tain Joe S tu a rt
To take the s h i p 's command."
8. He had not s a ile d on a cold w i n t e r 's night
T i l l a ship he did spy.
I t was t a i l i n g f a r o f f , i t was s a ilin g f a r o f f.
But at length i t came s a ilin g clo se by.
9. "Who's th e r e , who's th e re ? " c r i e s C aptain Joe
S tu a rt;
"Who's th e re th a t s a i l s so nice?"
"W e are the bold robbers from bonny Scotland,
And, my f r ie n d s , I say, l e t us pass by."
10. "0 no, 0 no," c r i e s C aptain Joe S tu a rt;
"The th in g i t cannot be.
Your v e s s e l I ' l l ta k e , your cargo to o ,
And your men I w i l l c a rry w ith me,"
11. The ships r o lle d on, r o lle d side by sid e .
And now t h e i r cannons do r o a r.
And now they have captured young Ander Bardeen
And c a rr ie d him home to the shore.
APPENDIX EEE
ANDREW BARDEEN117
1. There was th re e b r o th e r s in old S co tlan d ,
Three lo v i n ' b r o th e r s was th e y ,
They a l l c a s t l o t s to see who should go
A-robbin* a l l o 'e r the s a l t sea.
2. The l o t i t f e l l to Andrew Bardeen,
He being the youngest of t h r e e ,
Was fo rced to go robbing a l l o 'e r the s a l t sea
To m aintain h i s two b ro th e rs and he.
3. He had not s a ile d more th an a week in the y e a r,
When a ship he did espy,
Come s a ilin g so f a r off and so f a r on
T i l l a t l a s t i t come s a i l i n g so high.
4 . "Who are you? Who are you?" c r i e s Andrew Bardeen,
"Who are you? And where are you bound?”
"We're the merry r i c h m erchants from old England,
Won't you p le a se fo r to l e t us p ass on?"
b. "Oh no, oh no," c r i e s Andrew Bardeen,
"Oh no, th a t never can be.
Your ship and your cargo w e 'l l tak e a l l away
And your merry men w e 'l l drown in th e se a ."
6. "Go b u ild me a b o a t," c r i e s C a p ta in C h a rle s S tu a r t,
"Go b u ild i t both safe and stro n g .
That I may go ca p tu re t h i s king of the sea,
Or my l i f e i t w i l l not l a s t me long."
117
Vance Randolph, e d . , Ozark Folksonos (Columbia,
1946), pp. 177-178. Contribute"d" by Mr. Bruce Evans of
R o g e rs v ille , M isso u ri, on A p ril 19, 1934. Mr. Evans in d i
ca ted t h a t h is m o th e r's people learn ed the song in B r e a t h i t t
County, Kentucky.
387
388
7. He had not s a ile d more th an a week in the y e a r.
When a ship he did espy.
Come s a i l i n g so f a r off and so f a r on
T i l l a t l a s t i t come s a ilin g so high.
8. "Who are you? Who are you?" c r i e s C a p tain C h a rles
S t u a r t ,
"Who are you? And where are you bound?"
"We're the merry Scotch ro b b ers from old S c o tla n d ,
Won't you p le a se f o r t o l e t us p ass on?"
9. ''Oh no, oh no," c r i e s C ap tain C h a rles S tu a r t,
"Oh no, th a t never can be.
Your ship and your cargo w e 'l l take a l l away
And your merry men w e 'l l drown in the s e a ."
10. "Come on, come o n ," c r i e s Andrew Bardeen,
" 'T i s I th a t d o n 't f e a r you a p in ,
'T is you th a t can show your b r ig h t b ra s s e s w ith o u t,
But w e 'l l show you b rig h t s t e e l w ith in ."
11. 'Twas a t th a t moment the b a t t l e began,
And lo u d ly the cannon did r o a r ,
They had not fought more than a l a s t and a h a l f ,
T i l l C a p tain C h a rles S tu a r t gave o 'e r .
12. "Go back, go back," c r i e s Andrew Bardeen,
"And t e l l King George T h ird f o r me.
That he may be king of the whole wide land,
But t h a t 1 w ill be king of the s e a ."
APPENDIX FFF
ANDY BARDAN118
1. Three b ro th e rs in old Scotland did dw ell,
Three loving b ro th e rs were they;
They a l l c a s t l o t s t o see which of them
Should go robbing around the s a l t sea.
2. The lo t f e l l on to Andy Bardan,
The youngest of the th r e e .
For to m aintain the o th er two
A-robbing around the s a l t sea.
3. He had not s a ile d very many long n ig h ts ,
Before a ship he did spy;
I t s a ile d f a r o f f , i t s a ile d fa r o f f.
And then i t came s a ilin g close by.
4. "Who's t h e r e , who's th e re ? " said Andy Bardan,
"Who's th e re th a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"W e are the r i c h merchants from old England,
If no o ffe n se , l e t us pass by."
b. "Oh, no, oh, no."' sa id Andy Bardan,
"Oh, no th a t never can be.'
Your ship and your cargo w e 'l l have, my boys.
And your bodies sink in the s a l t sea."
6. The news came in to King Henry,
(For i t was him they crowned)
His ship and h is cargo both were l o s t .
And a l l h is merry men drowned.
1 1 fi
H. M. Belden and G. L. K ittre d g e , "Five Old Country
B a lla d s ." Jo u rn a l of American F o lk lo r e . 2b:171-173, 1912.
Communicated by Miss Lucy R. Laws, (Christian C ollege,
Columbia, M issouri. Miss Laws derived the te x t from C h a rlie
Sims of In d ian a, a pensioner of the C i v i l War who, she sup
posed, heard the b a lla d while in army s e rv ic e .
389
390
7. "Go b u ild a ship both wide and deep.
And b u ild i t safe and secu re,
And i f Andy Bardan you do not bring in ,
Your l iv e s s h a ll no longer en d u re."
8. They had not s a ile d very many long n ig h ts ,
Before a ship th e y did spy.
I t s a ile d f a r o f f , i t s a ile d f a r o f f ,
And then i t came s a ilin g c lo se by.
9. "Who's th e re ? Who's th e re ? " sa id C a p ta in C h arles
Stew art
"Who's th e re t h a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"We are the bold ro b b ers from bold S cotland,
If no o ffe n s e , l e t us pass b y ."
10. "Oh no! oh no.'" sa id C a p tain C h a rle s S tew art,
"Oh no! th a t can never be;
Your ship and your cargo w e 'l l have, my boys,
And your bodies sink in the s a l t se a ."
11. "Peel on! p e e l on!" said Andy Bardan,
And loud the cannon did ro a r ;
And C a p ta in C h a rle s S tew art took Andy Bardan,
He took him to F a ir E n g lan d 's shore.
12. "What now, what now," said Andy Bardan,
"What now my f a te i t s h a ll be!"
"The gallow s are ready f o r Andy Bardan,
The bold robber around the s a l t se a ."
12. "Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
And dig i t clo se to the sea;
And t e l l my b r o th e rs as th ey pass by,
I'm done robbing around the s a l t s e a ."
APPENDIX G O G
ANDY BARDEAN119
1. Three loving b ro th e rs from Old Scotland.
Three loving b ro th e rs were th e y .
They a l l c a s t l o t s to see which would go
A robbing a l l on the s a l t sea.
2. The lo t i t f e l l t o young Andy Bardean,
The youngest one of the th r e e .
To m aintain him self and h is b ro th e rs too
He went robbing a l l on the s a l t sea.
3. He had not s a ile d scarce th ree cold w in te rs '
night s
When a ship he did espy,
S a ilin g f a r o f f, a - s a i l i n g f a r o ff,
And a t length i t came s a ilin g clo se by.
4. "Who's th e r e , who's th e re ? " c rie d Andy Bardean;
"Who's th e re th a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"We're th re e merchant v e s s e ls from old England
shore.
Won't you please t o l e t us pass by?"
5. "Ch no, oh no," said Andy Bardean,
"Such a th in g as th a t never could be,
For I ' l l take your ship and your carg o , boys.
But your bodies I ' l l sink in the se a ."
6. Then broadside to broadside the two v e s s e ls s a ile d ,
And cannons did loudly ro a r
U n til Andy Bardean gained the v ic to ry ,
And the r ic h merchant v e s s e l gave o 'e r .
110
L ester A. Hubbard and LeRoy J . Robertson, "Tradi
ti o n a l B allads from U tah," Jo u rn al of American F o lk lo r e .
64:49-51, 1951. Sung by M ilas E. Wakef ie ld of 6gden, who
learned i t in 1889 from A rlie Day a t a sawmill in Huntington
Canyon, Emery County.
391
392
7. The news soon reached to th e e a r s of the king.
Young A lfred th e n wore th e crown.
He said* "Is th e re anyone here le a n fin d
T hat w i l l run young Andy Bardean down?"
8. "Go b u ild me a ship*" sa id C a p ta in C h a rle s S tew art;
"Go b u ild i t stro n g and su re,
And i f 1 d o n 't bring in t h a t young Andy Bardean,
My l i f e I ' l l no longer endure.
9. The ship i t was r ic k e te d and ready f o r s a i l
With guns and men galore*
And one c o ld , f r o s t y morning th e anchor she weighed
And s a ile d from old England shore.
10. They had not s a ile d scarce th r e e co ld w in te r n ig h ts
When a sh ip he did espy*
S a ilin g f a r off* s a i l i n g f a r o f f .
And a t le n g th i t came s a i l i n g c lo s e by.
11. "Who's t h e r e , who's th e re ? " c rie d C aptain C h a rle s
"Who's th e re t h a t s a i l s so nigh?"
"We're th re e bold ro b b ers from old Scotland shore:
Won't you p le a s e t o l e t us p a ss by?"
12. "Oh no* oh no," c r ie d C ap tain C h a rle s S tew art,
"Such a th in g as t h a t never could be*
For I ' l l sink your ship and your ca rg o , boys*
But your bodies I ' l l c a r r y w ith me."
13. Then broadside to broadside the two v e s s e ls sailed *
And cannons d id lo u d ly ro a r
T i l l C a p tain C h a rle s Stew art was fo rced to give up*
And he s a ile d f o r Old England shore.
14. "Go back, go back," c r ie d Andy Bardean,
"And t e l l your king fo r me
That he may re ig n icing over th e d ry land,
But I s h a ll re ig n king on the se a ."
APPENDIX H H H
ANDY BARDINE120
1. There were th re e b ro th e rs in Bonnie Scotland.
Three loving b ro th e rs were th ey .
And th ey a l l c a s t l o t s to see which of the th re e
Should go robbing a l l 'round the s a l t sea.
And th ey a l l c a s t l o t s to see which of the th re e
Should go robbing a l l 'round the s a l t sea.
2. I t f e l l upon young Andy Bardine,
The youngest of the th r e e .
That he the o th er two to m aintain
Should go robbing a l l 'round the s a l t sea.
3. He had not s a ile d more days than th re e
When a v e s s e l r ic h he spied.
S a ilin g a fa r and s a ilin g a fa r
'T i l at len g th i t came s a ilin g 'long sid e .
4. "Who's th e re ? Who's th e re ? " c rie d Andy Bardine.
"Who's th e re w ith s a i l s so high?"
"We are a r ic h v e s s e l from England with s to r e s ,
And 1 pray you, f r ie n d , l e t us pass by.
5. "Not so. Not so," c rie d Andy Bardine.
"Not so. Not so ," c rie d he.
"Your v e s s e l I ' l l ta k e , your cargo and f r e i g h t ,
And your bodies sink in the s a lt sea.
In the next two v e rse s a b a t t l e occurred. The news of
t h i s b a t tle got back to the King of S co tlan d . He said b i t
t e r l y th a t i f they c o u ld n 't fin d Andy Bardine and stop t h i s
p ira c y on the high se a s, h is crown would be w o rth le ss. So
C aptain C harles Stewart said th a t he would take a v e s se l
and t r y . That is the next v erse.
120
R ussel M. H arriso n , "Folk Songs from Oregon,"
Western F o lk lo r e . 11:180-181, J u ly 1952. Sung by Mrs.
C la ric e Judkins of Eugene, Oregon, in 1951.
393
394
8. "Give me a b o a t," c rie d C ap tain C h a rle s Stew art.
"Give me a b o a t," c rie d he.
"And i f I r e tu r n not w ith Andy Bardine
My l i f e w i l l be w o rth less t o me.
9. He had not s a ile d more days th a n th re e
When a v e s s e l black he sp ied .
S a ilin g a fa r and s a i l i n g a f a r
'T i l a t le n g th i t came s a ilin g 'lo n g s id e .
10. "Who's th e re ? Who's th e re ? " c rie d C aptain C h a rle s
S^t^w drl#
"Who's th e r e w ith s a i l s so high?"
"Three j o l l y ro b b e rs from S c o tla n d 's shores
And I pray you, f r ie n d , l e t us pass by.
11. "Not so. Not so ," c rie d C a p tain C h a rle s Stew art.
"Not so. Not so," c rie d he.
"Your v e s s e l I ' l l ta k e , your cargo and f r e i g h t
And your bodies sink in the s a l t sea.
In v e rse s 12 and 13 th e re ensues a b a t t l e much the same
as in v e rse s 6 and 7. Then Andy Bardine says:
14. "Go back. Go back," c r i e s Andy Bardine,
"And t e l l your m aster f o r me,
That he may remain king on the dry land
And I ' l l remain king of the sea."
APPENDIX I I I
THE DEVIL AND THE SCOLD121
Give e a r e , my loving country-men
t h a t s t i l l d e s ire newes.
Nor passe not while you heare i t sung,
or e ls e the song peruse;
For ere you heare i t I must t e l l
my newes i t i s not common;
But l i e unfold a t r u t h betw ixt
a D e v ill and a woman.
Tom Thumb i s not my s u b je c t,
whom F a i r i e s o ft did a id e .
Nor t h a t mad s p i r i t Robin,
th a t plagues both wife and maid;
Nor i s my song sa ty ric k e li k e ,
invented a g a in s t no man.
But onely of a pranke betw ixt
a D e v ill and a woman.
Then, widdowes wives and maids
give care a s w ell as men.
And by t h i s woman learne
t o g u l l the world agen:
You may by t h i s tu r n a r t i s t s ,
or m asters of your a r t .
And when the D e v ill comes fo r you
you need care nothing f o r ' t .
A woman w e ll in y eares
l i v 'd w ith a husband k in d e ,
Who had a g re a t d e s ire
to liv e co n te n t in minde;
But 'tw as a th in g im possible
t o compass h is d e s ir e .
For night and day w ith scolding
she did h er husband t i r e .
121
J . P. C o l l i e r , e d . , Roxburohe B alla d s (London,
1847), pp. 35-41.
395
With* roughish lo w tish clowne.'
d e s p ite th e e l i e be w ilde;
Doest thou th in k I marryed thee
t o use th ee lik e a c h i l d e .
And se t th ee on my la p ,
or humour what you speake?
Before l i e be so fond
th e y very h e a rt l i e breake.
Why, loving w ife , quoth he,
l i e never doe th ee wrong.
So t h o u l ' t be r u l ' d by me,
and onely hold th y tongue;
And when 1 come from worke
w i l t p lease a t board and bed;
Doe t h i s , my loving w ife,
and take a l l , being dead.
Marke w e ll, quoth she, my words,
what ere you speake me t o ,
By f a i r e meanes or by f o u le ,
th e c o n tra ry l i e doe.
According t o h e r speech
t h i s man led such a l i f e .
That o ft he w i s h 't the D e v ill
t o come and fe tc h h i s w ife.
Had he bid h er goe homely,
why th e n she would goe brave;
Had he c a l 'd h er good w ife ,
she c a l 'd him rogue and slav e;
Bade he, w ife, goe t o church,
and take the f a i r e s t pew,
Shee 'd goe unto an alehouse
and d r in k e , lye downe and spew.
The D e v ill, being merry
w ith laughing a t t h i s m irth ,
Would needs from h e l l come t r o t t i n g
to f e tc h h er from the e a r t h ;
And coming lik e a horse
d id t e l l t h i s man h i s minde,
Saying, s e t h e r but a s t r i d e my backe,
li e h u rry h er through th e winde.
Kind* D e v ill, quoth the man,
i f thou a while w i l t w a it,
l i e bid h er doe th a t th in g
s h a ll make h er backe thee s tr a ig h t
And here lie make a vow,
f o r a l l she i s my w ife,
l i e never send f o r h e r ag ain e,
w h ile st I have b reath or l i f e .
C o n ten t, the D e v ill c r y 'd :
th en t o h is wife goes he;
Good w ife, goe leade t h a t horse
so blacke and f a i r e you see.
Goe le a d e , s i r knave! quoth sh e ,
and wherefore not goe rid e ?
She tooke the D e v ill by the r e in e s ,
and up she goes a s t r i d e .
The D e v ill neighed loud,
and threw h is h e e le s i 't h 'a y r e :
Kick in the D e v ills name.' quoth she,
a shrew doth never f e a r .
Away to h e l l he went
w ith t h i s most wicked scold.
But she d id curbe him with the b i t ,
and would not lose her hold.
The more he c r y 'd . Give way,
the more she kept him in .
And k ic k t him so w ith both her h ee les
t h a t both h is sid e s were th in .
A lig h t, the D e v ill c r y 'd ,
and quicke the b rid le loose:
No, 1 w ill rid e (quoth she)
w hiles thou h ast b reath or shoes.
Again she k ick t and p r i c k t ,
and sate so s t i f f and w e ll.
The D e v ill was not so p la g u 'd
a hundred y eares in h e l l .
For p i t y li g h t (quoth he)
thou p u t 's t me to much p aine:
I w ill not l ig h t (quoth she)
t i l l 1 come home againe.
398
The D e v ill shewd h er e l l
th e p a in e • w ith in th a t p la c e .
And t o l d h er t h a t they were
o rd a in 'd f o r sco ld s so base.
Being b e r e f t of b re a th ,
f o r scolding ' t i t my due;
But w h ile s t I liv e on e a r t h ,
l i e be rev e n g 'd on you.
Then she d id draw h e r k n ife ,
and gave h i s e a rs a s l i t :
The D e v ill never f e l t
th e lik e from m o rta ll y e t.
So, f e a rin g f u r t h e r danger,
he t o h i s h e e le s did ta k e .
And f a s t e r th e n he came
he p o st h aste home did make.
Here take her (quoth the D e v ill)
t o keep her here be b o ld .
For h e l l w i l l not be tro u b le d
w ith such an e a r t h l y sco ld .
When 1 come home I may
to a l l my fello w e s t e l l ,
1 l o s t my la b o u r, and my bloud,
t o bring a scold to h e l l .
The man h a lf dead did sta n d ,
away the D e v ill hyde:
Then since the world nor h e l l
can w ell a scold abide.
To make a s a ile of sh ip s
l e t husbands f a l l t o worke.
And give t h e i r f r e e co n sen ts
to send them to the Turke.
Then, honest wives and maides,
and widdowes of each s o r t .
Might liv e in peace and r e s t
and S ilence keep her c o u rt:
Nor would 1 have a scold
one penny here bestow.
But, honest men and wives,
buy th e se b efo re you goe.
APPENDIX J J J
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE122
1. There was an old farm er in Sussex d id d w ell,
(Chorus of w h i s t l e r s )
There was an old farm er in Sussex d id dw ell.
And he had a bad w ife , as many knew w e ll.
(Chorus of w h is tl e r s )
2. Then Satan came to the old man a t the plough:
"One of your fam ily I must have now.
3. " I t i s not your e l d e s t son t h a t I c ra v e .
But i t i s your old w ife , and she I w i l l have."
4. "Oh welcome, good S atan , w ith a l l my heart.'
I hope you and she w i l l never more p a r t . "
b. Now Satan has got the old wife on h is back,
And he lugged h er alo n g , lik e a p e d l a r 's pack.
b. He trudged away t i l l th ey came to h i s h a l l - g a t e ;
Says he. Here take in an old Sussex c h a p 's mate.
7. O th e n she d id kick the young imps about;
Says one to the o th e r, " L e t's t r y tu r n her o u t."
8. She spied t h i r t e e n imps a l l dancing in c h a in s .
She up w ith h er p a tte n s and beat out t h e i r b r a in s .
9. She knocked the old Satan a g a in s t the w all:
" L e t's tu r n her o u t, or s h e 'l l murder us a l l . "
10. Now h e 's bundled h er up on h i s back amain,
And to her old husband he took h e r again.
122
F. J . C h ild , e d .. E n g lish and S c o ttis h Popular
B alla d s (Boston, c . 1894), V, P a rt IX, 107-l 6 8 . T h i s b a lla d
e n t i t led "The F arm er's Old Wife" in Dixon, Ancient Poems.
B a lla d s, and Sonas of th e P easan try of E naland.
399
400
11. "1 have been a torm entor th e whole of my l i f e .
But 1 neer was torm ented so as w ith your w ife ."
„123
1. The auld D e il cam to the man at the pleugh,
Rumchy ae de a id ie
S aying, I wish ye gude luck a t th e making o yer
sheugh.
Mushy to o r in an ant ta n a i r a .
2. " I t ' s n e ith e r your oxen nor you t h a t X crav e;
I t ' s t h a t old scolding woman, i t ' s her I must
hav e."
3. "Y e're welcome to her wi a ' my gude h e a rt;
I wish you and h er i t ' s never may p a r t . "
4. She jumpet on t o the auld D e i l 's back,
And he c a r r ie d her awa lik e a p e d l a r 's pack.
b. He c a r r ie d her on t i l l he cam to h e l l ' s door.
He gaed her a kick t i l l she landed in the f l o o r .
b. She saw seven wee d e i l s a ' s i t t i n g in a raw.
She took up a me 11 and she murdered them a ' .
7. A wee r e e k i t d e i l lo o k it owre the wa:
"O ta k her awa, or s h e 'l l r u in us a ' . "
8. "0 what to do wi her X canna weel t e l l ;
S h e 's not f i t fo r heaven and s h e 'l l no bide in
h e l l . "
9. She jum pit on t o the auld D e i l 's back,
And he c a r r ie d her back lik e a p e d l a r 's pack.
10. She was seven year gaun, and seven year comin,
And she c rie d fo r the sowens she l e f t in the p o t.
123child, V, P art XX, 108. From the Macmath manu
s c r i p t , tak en down by Mr. Macmath from the r e c i t a t i o n of
h i s a u n t. Miss Jane W ebster, C rossm ichael, K irk cu d b rig h t
s h ir e , August 27, 1892; learned many y e a rs ago, a t A irds of
K e lls , from th e singing of Samuel Galloway.
APPENDIX K K K
THE DEVIL'S SONG124
1. I t ' s of a farm er who liv e d in York,
He had an old wife and he wished her in h e l l .
Chorus
Sing f a l the d i daddy
Sing f a l the d i daddy
Sing f a l the d i daddy
2. The d e v il came to him when he was a t plough.
Saying, “One of your fam ily I must have now."
3. "O tak e h e r, 0 take h er w ith a l l of my h e a r t ,
I hope you two d e v i ls you w i l l never p a rt.'"
4. The d e v il he took h e r, put h er in to a sack;
He o ff to h e l l w ith h er onto h is back.
b. She saw th re e l i t t l e d e v ils a l l dancing in c h a in s ,
She off w ith h er clo ak to knock out t h e i r damn
b r a in s .
6. The th re e l i t t l e d e v i l s to t h e i r f a th e r did bawl,
"This old d e v il w i l l murder us a l i i "
7. The women, they say, are te n tim es worse th a n the
men.
For when t h e y 'r e in h e l l t h e y 'r e kicked out ag ain .
124
W. R. Mackenzie, e d . . B allad s and Sea Songs from
[ova S c o tia (Cambridge, 1928), p. 64. from th e ^ s in g in g of
lavid Rogers, P ic to u , P icto u County.
401
APPENDIX LLL
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE125
A
1. There was an old farm er liv e d on a h i l l .
(w h istle second lin e )
There was an old farm er liv e d on a h i l l .
And i f h e 's not dead he l iv e s th e re s t i l l .
Chorus
To me c h o r l a lid o , c h o rl a lid o ,
f a l l the d id d le I dey.
2. The old d e v il he came to the man a t the plow.
He says, "I am a f t e r your scolding wife now."
3. "Take h e r, old d e v i l , w ith a l l of my h e a r t ,
I hope you and her w i l l never p a r t .
4. The old d e v il he slounced her on h is back.
And lik e an old ped d ler when c a rry in g h is pack.
b. He c a r r ie d her t i l l he came in s ig h t of home.
The ti c k l e d the skin off the d e v i l 's backbone.
6. The d e v il he opened a big iro n door
And he slammed h er in among te n thousand more.
7. The l i t t l e d e v i ls th ey a l l hung on c h a in s .
She up w ith her fo o t and she kicked out t h e i r
b r a in s .
8. Some of them th e y hung on a w ire,
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
125
Helen C reig h to n , e d ., Songs and B alla d s from Nova
S c o t i a . (Toronto and Vancouver, 1932], pp. IE-19. A ll
v e rs e s are arranged in the same form ation as the f i r s t .
Sung by Mr. F au lk n er, D e v il's Is la n d , w ith the a s s is ta n c e of
Mr. Ben Hennebery and o th e rs .
402
403
9. Three l i t t l e d e v i ls peeped over the w a ll.
Saying, "Take h er away, m aster, or sh e *11 k i l l us
a l l . "
10. Oh, the old d e v il he slounced h er on h is back.
And lik e an old fo o l he c a r r ie d h er back.
11. "Oh, h e r e 's vour w ife , s h e 's not worth a c u r s e .
S h e 's been a l l through h e l l and s h e 's te n d e v i ls
wor s e ."
12. And th e n she went w h is tlin g over the h i l l ,
" If the d e v il w on't have me I d o n 't know who w i l l , "
b126
1. There was an old farm er who liv e d in a d e l l ,
(w h istle chorus)
There was an old farm er who liv e d in a d e l l
Whose wife was acquainted w ith d e v ils in h e l l ,
Sing f o l de r o l , e t c .
2. Now the d e v il he came to the farm er one day.
Says he, "Some of your fam ily I'm bound take away."
3. "Now i t i s n ' t my son or my daughter t h y ' 11 take
But my c r u s ty old w ife, you can tak e the b itc h
back. "
4. Now th e d e v il he threw h er r i g h t over h is back
J u s t lik e an old Scotchman c a r r i e s h is pack.
5. Now the d e v il he got her o u tsid e h e l l ' s gate
And he threw h er r i g h t in a t a h e l l of a r a t e .
6. Now one young d e v il came in a straw h a t,
She up with her fo o t and she soon s e t t l e d t h a t .
7. Another young d e v il came r a t t l i n g h is c h a in s .
She off w ith her clog and she dashed out h is
b r a in s .
126
Helen C reighton and Doreen H. S e n io r, c o l l . , T ra d i
t i o n a l Songs from Nova S c o tia (Toronto, 1950), pp. 96-97.
C o n trib u ted by Percy B ates who heard i t sung on the V eldt by
a Lancashire s o ld ie r in 1901.
404
8. She knocked a l l d e v ils in h e l l about,
The old d e v il he says we must tu rn the b itc h out.
9. Now th a t shows th a t women are worse than men
For i f you send them to h e l l they w ill come back
again.
c 127
1. There was an old man liv ed under the h i l l ,
(w h istle second lin e )
There was an old man liv e d under the h i l l
And i f h e 's not dead he liv e s th e re s t i l l .
Chorus
Right f a l l de lo r , de laddie de la .
2. The d e v il came to him one day a t h is plough,
Saying, "One of your fam ily I must have now."
3. " I t ' s not vour o ld e st daughter th a t I want
But your old scolding w ife, and her I must have."
4. "Take her with you, take her with you, old d e v il,"
he sa i d ,
"And a f t e r her no more w ill I c ra v e ."
t>. The old d e v il he put her on h is back
And lik e a bold p e d lar he c a rr ie d h is pack.
6. Now when he came unto h e l l ' s gate
She l i f t e d her f i s t and she knocked out h is b ra in s .
7. She was seven years going and four coming back
And she c a lle d f o r the pudding she'd l e f t in the
pot.
127
C reighton and S en io r, p. 97. Sung by Mr. Frank
Sweeney of Yarmouth.
405
d12S
1. The d e v il he came to the farm er one day,
( w h i s tle )
"You owe me a debt and you now got to pay."
g f r a r i i s
With my whack f a l l th e diddy,
Fol l o l the die aye.
2. " I t i s not you nor your daughter 1 want
I t ' s t h a t son of a b itc h of a w ife you have g o t."
3. "Oh take her dear d e v il w ith a l l of my h e a r t ,
A-hoping t h a t you and her never p a r t . "
4. The d e v il he c a r r ie d her onto h is back
And lik e an old p e d la r when c a rry in g h is pack.
5. And when the old d e v il he got to h e l l ' s door,
"Go in you old b itc h and not get out any more."
6. The l i t t l e blue d e v i ls peeped over the w a ll,
"0 take h er home f a th e r or s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l . "
7. The d e v il he put her up one step h ig h e r.
She swung her l e f t le g , knocked down nine in the
f i r e .
8. The old d e v il he g ath ered her onto h is back
And lik e a darn fo o l he went c a rry in g her back.
9. He says to the farm er, "H ere's your wife back ag ain ,
I kept her in h e l l t i l l she broke a l l my c h a in s ."
10. And then she went w h is tlin g over the h i l l ,
"If the d e v il w on't have me I d o n 't know who w i l l . "
128
C reig h to n and S en io r, pp. 97-98. Sung by Mr.
Sidney Grover of Whitehead.
406
E129
1. The old d e v il came in to a f i e l d one day.
Dol d o l d o l do l d id d le do l day.
I t i s n ' t your o ld e s t son I crave
I t ' s your old scolding wife and she I must have.
Shsim
With my t o r r o l ro r a l t o r r o l ro r e l
Diddle a l l d id d le dol dey.
2. Take her old d e v i l w ith a l l of my h e a rt
Dol d o l dol d o l d id d le dol dey.
Take her old d e v il w ith a l l of my h e a r t.
I hope you and her w i l l never p a r t .
3. The old d e v il he muscled her on to h i s back.
And lik e an old Jew went c a rry in g h is pack.
4. And when he got her in sig h t of h e l l .
Saying h e r e 's the place where you got to dw ell.
5. He c a r r ie d her to a big iro n door.
And tumbled her in w ith te n thousand more.
6. One l i t t l e d e v il peeped over the w a ll.
Saying take her away or she '11 k i l l us a l l .
7. No. says the old d e v i l , w e 'l l hang her up h ig h e r.
And then she up fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
8. The old d e v il he mustered her on to h is back.
And lik e an old fo o l went c a rry in g her back.
9. And when he got her in sig h t of home,
She kicked a l l the skin off the d e v i l 's backbone.
10. He s a id , I brought your old scolding wife back
safe and w e ll.
S h e's been through h e l l and s h e 's te n tim es
w orse.
^29C reig h to n and S en io r, pp. 98-99. Sung by Ralph
Huskins of Cape Sable Is la n d .
APPEM>IX M M M
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE130
A
1. There was an old farm er, he h ire d a farm,
F I - d i d d l e , f i- l a y .'
There was an old farm er, he h ire d a farm.
He had no oxen t o c a r r y i t on,
F i - l a y , f i - l i d d l e f i - l a y , d e rry down,
F i - l a y , f i - l i d d l e f i - l a y , d e rry down.
2. He yoken up h i s hogs in order to plow.
They went t h i s way and t h a t , and the d e v il knows
how,
3. He had not plowed more th an a furrow or so.
When th e D evil he met half-w ay on h i s row,
4. Then c r ie d th e old man: M I'm su re ly a l l done.'
For the D evil has come f o r my o ld e s t son."
5. "(Jh, no.' oh, no.' I t ' s your old scolding wife."*
M Oh, take her.' Oh, take her.'" the old man c r i e d ,
6. The old D evil he shouldered her on h i s back,
J u s t lik e an old Scotchman a -c a rry in g h is pack,
7. He c a r r i e d her over some f i e l d s or moor.
U n til he came t o L u c i f e r 's door,
8. And th e re sa t L u c ife r bound in c h a in s .
She up with her f e e t and kicked out h is b r a in s ,
9. And the l i t t l e d e v ils peeped out of the w a ll.
They c r i e d : "Take h er away, or s h e 'l l b ra in us a l l .'"
130
P h i l l i p s B arry, e d . . B r i t i s h B a lla d s from Maine
(New Haven, 1929), pp. 325-327. C o n trib u te d by Mr. George
H. G oodell of Hampden, by the kindness of Mrs. Susie C arr
Young. No t i t l e .
407
10. He shouldered h er again upon h i t back,
And, lik e a dam f o o l, went c a rry in g her back.
11. The old man c rie d : M She was born f o r a c u r s e ,"
S h e 's been through h e l l and s h e 's te n tim es worse
C131
1. There was an old man, he had a farm.
W hack-fol-la, f o l - l i d d l e , f o l - l e e ;
He had no oxen f o r to plough fo r h is corn,
To my f a - l a , ludy, f o l - l i d l e , f o l - l e e .
2. So he h ire d the old d e v il to help him one day,
Then the old d e v il came a f t e r h is pay,
3. " 'T is not your o ld e st son 1 w ant,"
" 'T is your old scolding w ife , and ' t i s she I
w i l l have,"
4. "Take h e r, 0 take h e r, w ith a l l my h e a r t ,"
"1 hope you and she never w ill p a r t , "
b. The old d e v il he took h er upon h is back.
He looked lik e a peddler c a rry in g h is pack,
b. He c a r r ie d her home t o h is door a l l n ic e.
He throwed her down, saying, "Go in th e r e , you
old scolding w ife,"
7. Along came l o t s of young d e v i ls , r a t t l i n g t h e i r
ch a in s.
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked out t h e i r b ra in s
8. Then said the old d e v il, " L e t's boost her up
h ig h e r,"
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked him in the f i r e ,
9. Then the old mother d e v il peeked over the w a ll,
"Carry her back, c a rry her back, or s h e 'l l k i l l
us a l l , "
131Barrv, B r i t i s h B allads from Maine. pp. 328-329.
Ballad e n t i t l e d “ he Ola Scolaing w if e , sent in August
1925, by Mr. J u s t i n DeCoster of B uckfield. (The same bur
den, and same arrangement f o r each stanza as th a t shown f
the f i r s t . )
40$
10. Then the old d e v il took her upon h i t back,
Then lik e an old f o o l cane b rin g in g her back,
11. t ) h , w e ll, you've got back, my old scolding wife.'"
"You're te n tim es worse th a n you was before you
went to h e l l in your l i f e . "
1. There was an old man who owned a small farm,
S c r a t c h - a - f i l l e e , f i l l e e , f i l i d d l e , filu m .
And he had no oxen t o c a rry i t on,
S c r a t c h - a - f i l l e e , f i l l e e , f i l i d d l e , filu m .
2. He yokes h i s hogs r i g h t onto the plow.
And down comes the D e v il, saying, "How are you
now?"
3* "D evil, 0 D ev il, are you a f t e r my lif e ? "
"0, no. I'm a f t e r your darned ugly w ife ,"
4. "Take h e r, 0 take h e r, w ith a l l of my h e a r t ,"
"And I hope to the Lord you never w ill p a r t . "
5. The D evil he slung h er a c ro s t h i s back
And to H ell he went f l i p p e r t y crack.
6. She saw the D evil p rep arin g h is c h a in s.
And she up w ith her fo o t and kicked out h is b r a in s .
7. A l i t t l e wee d e v il looked over the w all
And s a id , "Take her away, or s h e 'l l murder us a l l . "
8. The Devil he slung her a c ro s t h is back.
And, lik e an old f o o l, went c a rry in g her back.
9. He c a r r ie d her r i g h t to the man w ith the plow,
And s a id , "You dumb b e a s t, I w on't have you now."
10. "My dear old w ife, you have done w e ll,"
"For you've k i l l e d a l l the d e v ils and re n t
jreignedjj over H e ll."
Barry, B r itis h B allad s from Maine, pp. 330-331.
(No t i t l e . ) Taken down from the singing and r e c i t a t i o n of
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin F. Robbins, N ortheast Harbor, August,
1928. The burden and arrangement f o r each stanza i s the
same as th a t given in the f i r s t .
410
e 133
1. The old farm er was ploughing h i t f i e l d one d ay t
F a l l a l - d i n g , t a l - l a l - o - d a y ,
F a l l a l - d i n g , t a l - l a l - o - d a y ,
2. The old O tv il came in to h i s f i e l d one day.
Saying, "One of your fam ily I ' l l c a rry away."
3. " Is i t my e l d e s t son you do crave?"
4. " I t i s not your e l d e s t son I do c ra v e ,
But i t ' s your old scolding wife I ' l l c a r r y awfy.'"
b. He picked her up in to h i s knapsack.
And lik e a brave s o ld ie r went sacking h i s pack.
t>. He c a r r ie d h er t i l l he came to H e l l 's g a te .
Then he la id h er down a s p e ll f o r to w a it.
7 ................................................................................................................
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
8. Then a l i t t l e imp comes peeping over the w a ll.
Saying, "Take her back or s h e 'l l d e s tro y us a l l . ' "
9. He picked her up in to h is knapsack
And lik e a d— d f o o l went packing h er back.
1 0 ................................................................................................................
"S h e's been through H e ll and s h e 's te n tim es
wor s e .'"
133
Barry, B r i t i s h B a lla d s from Maine, pp. 331-332.
The b a l la d , a s r e c o l le c te d by an old s o ld ie r of the n o rth ern
p a r t of Penobscot County, Maine.
411
p i 34
1. There was an old man who liv e d in the West,
Who had a wife was none of the b e s t.
With a r i g h t le g , l e f t le g .
Upper le g , under le g .
Over the h i l l s to Rowley.
(The old man c a l l s fo r the D evil. He comes, and ta k e s
the old woman to h e l l . )
2. She kicked seven imps in to the f i r e ,
She kicked the old D evil th re e pegs higher.
3. The d e v i ls , th ey a l l began to c ry and s q u a ll,
"Take her back, or s h e 'l l k i l l us a ll.'"
(The Devil ta k e s her back, sa y in g ,— )
4 ............................................................................................
She b eat the D evil and conquered Hell.'"
THE DEVIL AND THE FARMER135
G
1. The D evil came to the farm one day.
With h is t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l .
Diddle d o ll day.
2. "Oh, say.' have you come fo r my o ld e s t son?
With your t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l ,
Diddle d o ll day."
3. "Oh, no.' I'v e not come fo r your e ld e s t son,
With my t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l ,
Diddle d o ll day."
P h i l l i p s Barry, "New Ballad T e x ts ," Jo u rn al of
American F o lk lo r e . 24:344-349, 1911. From J. H. W .~, Cam
b rid g e, M assachusetts, as t r a d i t i o n a l in the fam ily of a
descendant of Roger W illiam s.
*3^ P h i l l i p s Barry, e d . . Folk Music in America. N ational
Service Bureau P u b lic a tio n No. feOs (New Vork, June 1939),
p » 60.
"Oh.* th e n , you have come f o r my h ire d man?
With your t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l .
Diddle d o l l day."
^Oh, no.* I 'v e not come fo r your h ire d man,
With my t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l .
Diddle d o l l d ay ."
"But I have come f o r your scold of a w ife .
With my t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l .
Diddle d o l l day."
"Take her r i g h t o f f , s h e 's the plague of my l i f e ,
With your t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l .
Diddle d o ll d a y . "
The D ev il came back to the farm next day,
With h i s t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l .
Diddle d o l l d ay ."
"Oh, say,' I 'v e brought back your scold of a w ife,
With my t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l .
Diddle d o l l day."
"She f i l l e d a l l h e l l w ith clamor and s t r i f e .
With her t o l de r o l , t o l de r o l ,
Diddle d o l l d a y ."
APPENDIX N N N
THE DEVIL AND THE FARMER'S WIFE136
1. 0 , the d e v il he came to the farm er one day,
(whistled phrase, etc.)
Saying, You owe me a debt and I w i l l h a ' my pay,
To me r i g h t f o r - l o r f o r-ia d d y I day.
2. I t i s not vour c h ild r e n nor you th a t I c ra v e .
But your old sco ld in g wife and i t ' s her I must
have.
3. 0 take h e r, 0 take her w ith a l l my h e a r t ,
And I hope you and she w i l l never p a r t .
4. So the D evil he mounted her onto h is back.
And lik e a bold p e d la r went c a rry in g h i s pack.
b. Nine l i t t l e d e v i ls were hanging in c h a in s .
She up w ith a poker and knocked out t h e i r b ra in s
b. She climbed up a s to o l fo r to make h e r s e l f highe
She threw round her l e f t leg and knocked nine in
the f i r e .
7. The l i t t l e blue d e v i ls peeped over the w a ll,
0 take her back, dad, or s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l .
8. So the d e v il he mounted h er onto h i s back,
And lik e a bold p e d la r went c a rry in g her back.
136Evelyn K. W ells, The B allad Tree (New York, 19bO)
122. Sung by Mrs. C a rrie Grover of Gorham, Maine, to
K. W ells in May, 1944.
413
APPENDIX 000
THE DEVIL AND THE FARMER'S WIFE137
A
1. The d e v i l he came t o the farm er one day,
F o l - l o l , f o l - l i - d e e - i - l e e ,
The d e v il he came to the farm er one day,
Saying, T h e r e 's one in your fa m 'ly I ' l l c a rry
aw ay."
S c r a t c h - a - f o l - l e e , f o l - l o l , f o i - l i - d e e - i - d a y .
2. "And now," says the farm er, HI t ' s 1 am undone,"
For the d e v il has come fo r my o ld e s t son."
3. "Oh, no," says the d e v i l, " I t ' s not your o ld e st
son."
"But the old scolding woman's the very one."
4. The d e v il he got her r ig h t onto h i s back,
And down in to h e l l he went snappety-crack.
5. He se t the young d e v ils p rep arin g some c h a in s.
She up with her fo o t and kicked out a l l t h e i r
b r a in s .
6. "Oh, now," says the d e v i l , " w e 'll h ’i s t her up
h i g h e r ."
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
7. The d e v il he got her r ig h t onto h is back,
And back to the farm er went snappety-crack.
8. And now i t ' s no use f o r women to t e l l ,
For I know one old woman got sent back from h e l l .
E loise Hubbard L in s c o tt, e d ., Folk Sonos of Old New
England (New York, 1939), pp. 188-191. Sung by Henry
P r e s c o tt of Hyde Park, M assachusetts.
414
415
B138
8. Says he, "Old lady, did you fa re very w ell?"
F o l - l o l - f o l - l i - d e e - 1 -l e e .
Says h e, "Old lad y , d id you fa re very w ell?
Says she, "Old man, I f l a t t e n e d a l l h e l l . "
S c r a tc h -a -f o l - l e e - f o l - l o l - f o l - l i - d e e - i - d a y .
9. Now you see what th e se old women can do,
F o l - l o l - f o l - l i - d e e - i - l e e .
Now you see what th e se old women can do,
They can whip old men and d e v i ls , to o ,
S c r a tc h -a -f o l- le e - f o l - l o l - f o l - l i - d e e - i - d a y .
138
O lin Downes and E lie S ie g m e iste r, A T reasu ry of
American Song (New York, 1940), p. 195. Stanzas 1-v are
tne same as E lo ise H. L i n s c o t t 's in Appendix 000, A. Downes
does not give the source of h is v a r ia n t but s t a t e s : "A
b a lla d from the New England p ie b e l t t h a t is sung f e r v e n tly
— and p r i v a t e l y — by th e henpecked husbands of the w o rld ."
APPENDIX PPP
THE SCOLDING WIFE139
A
1. He voked up h i s p ig s one day fo r t o plow,
Fy le e , fy l i d d l e , fy lum.
He yoked up her p ig s one day f o r to plow
And one broke away, the D evil knows how.'
To my twice fy l i d d l e , fy la y , go down.
2. The d e v i l , he came to him one day,
Saying, 'Cne of your fam ily 1 must take away."
3. Then says the farm er, "I'm undone,"
For th e d e v il has c a lle d f o r my o ld e s t son."
4. " 'T i s not your o ld e s t son I c r a v e ,"
But your old sco ld in g wife t h a t I must have."
b. "Oh, take h e r , oh, take h e r , w ith a l l my h e a r t , "
Hoping you w i l l liv e happy and never w i l l p a r t .
6. He took her and threw her a c ro s s h is back,
And he looked lik e a p ed d ler a -c a rry in g a pack.
7. He la i d her r i g h t down beside of H e l l 's door
Saying, "Now, go in and say no more."
8. She saw the young d e v ils p re p a rin g the c h a in s .
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked out t h e i r b r a in s .
9. Then said the old d e v i l , "We must c a s t her up
h i g h e r . "
She up w ith h er fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
139
Helen H artness F lan d e rs and George Brown, e d s . ,
Vermont Folk-Sonas and B alla d s (B r a ttle b o ro , Vermont, 1932),
pp. 2 ^ 6 - 2 2 8 . Recorded by Mr. Brown, August 28, 1930, in
Wardsboro, Vermont, from the singing of Mr. George Farnham,
as learn ed from Mr. E. S. Gale of M illin g to n , M assach u setts,
near Orange.
416
417
10. Then says the old d e v il, *>iust c a rry her back,"
For I b e lie v e , on my soul, she would d e stro y the
whole pack."
11. Then he took her and threw her acro ss h is back.
And the damned old peddler came bringing her back.
12. T h e re 's j u s t th re e th in g s t h a t the d e v il c a n 't
d riv e —
A hog, and a woman, and bees in to a hiv e.
FARMER'S CURST WIFE140
B
1. There was an old man who bought him a farm
Saying low-land t i c k - l e 0 lay.
There was an old man who bought him a farm
And he had no team to c a rry i t on
Saying low-land t i c k - l e 0 la d d ie .
Low-land t i c k - l e 0 lay.
2. So he yoked up h is dog beside h is sow
He yoked up h is dog beside h is sow
And he went w alloping 'round, the D evil knows how.
3. But he met the old D evil on one c e r t a i n day.
He met the old D evil on one c e r t a i n day
Saying: "One of your fam ily I ' l l c a rry away."
4. "0 ,"o u t c r i e s the old man, "I am undone."'
Out c r i e s the old man, "I am undone.'
The Devil has come fo r my o ld e st son."'
5. "No, i t is not your son," the Devil did say,
" 'T is not your son," the D evil did say
"But your scolding old w ife -- I ' l l c a rry away."
140
Helen H. F lan d ers and M arguerite Olney, c o l l . ,
B allads M igrant in New England: with an in tro d u c tio n by
Robert F ro st (New York, 1953J, pp. 49-51. Sung by Mr.
Elmer Barton of Quechee, Vermont, who learned i t when a young
boy from h is uncle who lived in the n o rth ern p a rt of the
s t a t e .
418
6 . "0 take h e r, 0 take her with a l l my heart.'
Take h e r, 0 take her with a l l my h e a rt
And 1 hope and pray you w i l l never part.'
7. So the old D evil swung her a c ro ss h is back
The old Devil swung her a c ro ss h is back
And up to H e l l 's door he went c l ic k e r ty - c l a c k .
8. There was one l i t t l e D evil p rep arin g the c h a in s .
There was one l i t t l e Devil p rep arin g the c h a in s ,
While she up w ith her fo o t and she kicked out h is
b ra in s .
9. Then another l i t t l e Devil s a id , "Hitch h er up
h ig h e r.'"
Another l i t t l e D evil sa id , "Hitch her up higher."'
For she up w ith her foot and she kicked nine in
the f i r e .
10. Then another l i t t l e Devil peeked over the w a ll,
Another l i t t l e D evil peeked over the w all;
"Carry her back, master D ev il, she w i l l k i l l us
a ll.'"
11. So the old D evil he swung her a c ro ss h is back.
The old Devil he swung her a c ro ss h is back.
And lik e a darn fo o l he went tugging her back.
12. And the old D evil he throwed her down on the f l o o r ,
The old D evil he throwed her down on the f lo o r
Saying, "Got to sta y here— go to H ell no more.'"
13. Then out c rie d the old man, "You were born fo r a
c ur s e .' "
Out c r ie d the old man, "You were born fo r a curse
You've been to H ell now y o u 're a whole lo t worse."'
APPENDIX Q Q Q
THE DEVIL AND THE FARMER'S WIFE141
1. There was a man liv e d under the h i l l
( w h i s t l e )
If he a i n ' t moved away he l i v e s th e re s t i l l .
Chorus
Sing r i t e f u l awful a y - f u l - a - n i - g o .
R i t e f u l awful a - n i- g o - l e e .
2. T h is old man went out to h is plow.
He hooked up h i s wife and h is old white sow.
3. One day th e D evil came down to the f i e l d .
S aid, "One of your fam ily I'm going t o s t e a l . "
4. The old man c r i e s o u t, "Oh, I am undone.
For the D evil has come f o r my o ld e s t son.'"
b. "No, t ' a i n t your son I'm a f t e r now.
But t h a t danged old r i p th a t you c a l l your wife.'"
6. He took the old woman r i g h t on to h is back,
And down in to h e l l he went, snappety crack.'
7. Nine l i t t l e d e v ils came, r a t t l i n g t h e i r c h a in s .
She up w ith a poker and knocked out t h e i r b r a in s .
i410 1 in Downes and E lie S ie g m e ls te r, e d s . , A T re asu ry
of American Song. 2nd ed. (New York, 1943), pp.
"Age-old t a l e of the 'c u r s t ' henpecking w ife , a b a lla d
sung in innumerable v e rs io n s in Old and New England, and a t
l e a s t as f a r west as M isso u ri. Aunt Molly Jackson says:
"A l o t of tim es i t was sung by th e farm ers t o skeer t h e i r
wives up a l i t t l e b i t when th e y 'd been q u a r r e l i n ' and r a i s
i n ' sand around, t o make 'em a f r a i d the same th in g might
happen t o th e m .'" The p re s e n t v e rs io n h a i l s from New Y o rk 's
C a t s k i l l M ountains.
419
420
8. "Oh now," said the D ev il, " l e t ' s h ' i s t her up
h i g h e r . "
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked nine in th e f i r e .
9. The odd l i t t l e d e v il peeped over th e w a ll.
Saying, "Take h er back, daddy, s h e 'l l k i l l us
a l l ! "
10. The D ev il he got h er r i g h t on t o h i s back.
And back to th e farm er went, snappety crack.'
11. Says h e, "Old la d y , did you fa re very w ell?"
Says she, "Old man, I f l a t t e n e d a l l h e ll.'"
12. The old man c r i e s o u t, " I am t o be cursed—
S h e 's been down to h e l l and come back w o rse!”
13. And now you can see what women can do:
They can li c k old men and d e v i l s , too.'
APPENDIX RRA
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE142
1. There was an old man; he had him a farm.
F i lay f i l id d l e f i la y .
He had no team t o c a rr y i t on.
Twice f i lay f i lid d l e f i la y .
2. So he yoked up h is p ig s one day t o plow.
He saw the old D evil come over the slough.
3. "Now," c r i e s the old man, "1 am undone;
The old D e v i l 's come a f t e r my o ld e s t son." —
4. "'Twas not your o ld e s t son t h a t I c ra v e .
But your damned old s c o ld in ' wife I ' l l have."
b. So the old D evil slung her on h is back
And down in to H ell he went, c l i e k e t y - c l a c k .
b* She saw the young D evil p re p a rin g the c h a in s .
She up w ith her h a tc h e t and s p l i t out h i s b r a in s .
7. Then sa id the old D e v il, "W e'll take her up
h i g h e r . "
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
8. Then the young d e v i ls began f o r t o bawl,
S a y in ', "Take her away, or s h e 'l l sure k i l l us
a l l . "
9. So ag a in the old D e v il, he slung her on h i s back.
And lik e a damn f o o l he went lu g g in ' her back.
10. He c a r r ie d her up to the old man's plow.
Saying, "H ere's your old w ife : I c a n 't keep her
now." —
^ i d i t h E. C u ttin g , Lore of an Adirondack Countv
( I th a c a , 1944), pp. 71-72. R ecited by John C u ttin g , age 80,
liv in g In 1943 in Essex County, in th e Adirondacks of New
York S ta te .
421
422
11. "Well, w e ll, old woman, y o u 'l l wear the b e l l .
You've been t o a d e v il; you've conquered a l l
H e ll."
12. You see, the women are worse than the men —
If th e y g e t in to H e ll, they w i l l g et out again.
a p p e n d ix s s s
OLD JOKEY SONG143
1. I t ' s o ff an old roan* and he liv e d poor.
He liv e d in a house t h a t had but one door.
gl LOJ.V ?
Sing whack f a lo o r a , loora lay .
Sing whack f a lo o r a , laddie.'
2. T h is old man he went out to f o i l e r the plow;
"Long comes the old d e v i l, saying, " I ' l l have you
now]"
3. "You s h a n 't have me nor my o ld e s t son.
But my old scolding w ife, take her and welcome.1"
4. He hobbust her up a l l onto h is back,
Like a p ed lar p ack in ' h is pack.
b. He packed her along t i l l he come to h e l l ' s g ates;
He n i t her a kick, saying, "Go in , you old jade."'
6. And he packed her along t i l l he come to h e l l ' s door;
And he h i t her a kick, saying, "Go in , you old
whore.'"
7. Now one l i t t l e d e v il come and s i t down by 'e r:
She up w ith her fo o t and she kicked him in the f i r e .
8. Oh, two l i t t l e d e v ils with r a t t l e some ch a in s,
She up with the poker, she knocked out t h e i r b r a in s .
9. Then two l i t t l e d e v ils were lying in bed:
She up with the poker, she k ill e d 'em both dead.'
% eorge Korson, e d ., Pennsylvania Sonas and Legends
(P h ila d e lp h ia , 1949), pp. 3 9 -4 l. Recorded by Samuel Bayard
from the singing of F. P. Provance a t Point Marion, F ayette
County, 1943.
423
424
10. Then one l i t t l e d e v i l run up the w a ll,
Crying* T a p , tak e 'e r out o' h e l l , or s h e 'l l k i l l
us a l l ! "
11. Then he hobbust her up a l l onto h i s back.
And lik e a danged f o o l he went p a c k in ' h e r back.
12. Then he packed 'e r along t i l l he come to h e l l ' s
door;
He h i t h er a k ic k , say in g , "Gwout, you old whorei"
13. Then he packed h e r along t i l l he come t o h e l l ' s
g a te s ;
And he h i t her a k ic k , saying, "Gwout, you old ja d e !"
14. He sa y s, "Now h e r e 's your old woman both sound and
w e ll—
If I 'd kep' her much lo n g er, sh e'd la th e re d a l l
h e ll.'"
lb . She was seven y ea rs going and seven coming back.
And she c a lle d f o r the mush t h a t she l e f t in the p o t.
APPENDIX TTT
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE144
1. There wet an old man liv e d under the h i l l .
Hi ran d i dan d i da
If he a i n ' t moved away h e 's liv in g th e re s t i l l .
So g a llo p mi ra n d i dan d i da.
2. The d e v il came to the old man a t the plow.
Says he, "I want the old woman you promised me
now."
3. Says he, "You may have her w ith a l l my h e a r t;
If you c a n 't pack h er away, I ' l l lend you my
c a r t . "
4. He picked h er up a l l on h is back.
And lik e a gay p ed d ler went packing h is sack.
5. He packed her to the g a te s of h e l l .
Says h e, "Walk in and take a c h a i r . "
6. Four l i t t l e d e v i ls came r a t t l i n g t h e i r c h a in s .
She up w ith h er c ru tc h and knocked out t h e i r
b r a in s .
7. Four more l i t t l e d e v i ls say, "Hoist her up
higher.'"
She up w ith her c r u tc h and knocked nine in the
f i r e .
J . H. Cox, e d . , Folk-Sonas of the South (Cambridge,
1925), pp. 164-165. "One copy only of t h i s b a lla d has been
found in west V irg in ia and, n o tw ith stan d in g s e v e ra l prose
l i n e s , i t i s the most i n t e r e s t i n g of the v e rs io n s recovered
in t h i s c o u n try . Notice the F a l s t a f f i a n touch in Stanza 7 ."
T h is v e rs io n communicated by Mr. P arker C. Black, P ark ers
burg, Wood County, January 3, 1917; re c e iv e d from h is
mother, who learn ed i t from "my u n c le , W . B. F oley, who
learned i t from h is c o u s in , M. F. F oley, who learn ed i t
from one Mr. D ils , who now r e s id e s in C la rk sb u rg ."
425
426
6. Four more l i t t l e d e v ils jumped upon the w a ll,
C rie d , "Father take her home or s h e 'l l k i l l us
a l l . "
9. So he picked h er up a l l on h is back.
And lik e an old fo o l went packing her back.
10. He packed her to the house where she was born.
When she got th e re the old man was in bed.
11. She c a lle d fo r the mush th a t was l e f t in the p o t,
Says he, 'Old la d y , we've e a t i t a l l . "
12. Says he, "Old lady did you fa re very w ell?"
Says she, "Old man, 1 f la tt e n e d a l l h e l l . "
13. Now you see what th e se old women can do.
They can whip old men and d e v i ls , too.
APPENDIX U U U
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE145
1. There was an old farm er liv e d under the h i l l —
(w h istled )
There was an old farmer lived under the h i l l ;
He had a l i t t l e farm and on i t did dwell.
Twice fa la , fa l i l l y , fa lay r i 0.'
2. The d e v il came to him one day at the p lo w ...
Says, 'One of your fam ily I ' l l have to have now."
3. " I t ' s n e ith e r your son nor your daughter I crave
But your old scolding wife I now must have."
4. "Take h e r, 0 take her with a l l my h ea rt
I hope you and she w i l l never more p a r t . "
5. So the d e v il he bundled her up in a sack
And slung her up acro ss h is back.
6. He c a rr ie d her down to the high g a te s of H ell
Says, "Poke up the f i r e , boys, w e 'l l scorch her
w e ll."
7. Twelve l i t t l e d e v ils came walking by
She up w ith her f o o t, kicked eleven in the f i r e .
8. The odd l i t t l e d e v il peeped over the w all
Says, "Take her back, daddy, s h e 's a-murdering us
a l l . "
9. The poor old farmer he looked through the crack
And saw the old d e v il a-w aggin' her back.
145
Richard Chase, c o l l . and e d ., Old Songs and Singing
Games (Chapel H i l l , 1938), pp. 23-24. Most of the v erse s
came from Randolph H arrison (17 years o ld ) , of C a r t e r s v i l l e ,
V irg in ia , who learned them from h is f a th e r . Several v erse s
came from Harton B arker, of C hilhow ie, V irg in ia , and were
furnished by Pat Buchanan, of Marion, V irg in ia , who had
learned them from Mr. Barker.
427
The poor old man he lay sick in the bed.
She upped w ith the b u t t e r s t i c k and paddled h is
head.
And now you see what a woman can do
She can outdo the d e v i l , and her old man, to o .
APPENDIX WV
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE146
A
1. There was an old man, he had a farm ,
Sing f o l - e - r o l - d o l l i - s i n g - f o l - e - r o l - d a ,
Sing f o l - e - r o l - d o l l i - s i n g - f o l - e - r o l - d a .
He had no oxen to c a rr y i t on.
Sing f o l - e - r o l - d o l l i - s i n g - f o l - e - r o l - d a .
Sing f o l - e - r o l - d o l l i - s i n g - f o l - e - r o l - d a .
2. He hooked up h i s pig and began to plow;
He seen the old d e v il coming over the brow.
3. "And now, old d e v i l. I ' l l have you undone;
For I b eliev e y o u 're a f t e r my o ld e s t son."
4. " I t ' s not your o ld e s t son I cra v e .
But i t ' s your scolding wife I am d eterm in ed ."
i>, "O tak e h er on w ith a l l your h e a r t,
Be sure t h a t you and her d o n 't p a r t . "
6. He picked her up a l l on h is back,
And away to h e l l c l ic k e ty - c la c k .
7. He took h er to the d e v i l 's door;
He threw her spraw ling in the f l o o r .
8. One l i t t l e d e v il came running w ith a ch ain ;
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked out h is b r a in s .
9. One l i t t l e d e v il c a lle d her a l i a r ;
She up w ith her f o o t , kicked nine in the f i r e .
146A. K. D avis, e d . , T r a d i t i o n a l B allads of V irg in ia
(Cambridge, 1929), pp. b O b l T . TKTT v e rs io n c o lle c te d by Mr.
John Stone; sung by Mr. C. A. Sours of B e n to n v ille , Warren
County, V irg in ia , September 23, 1922.
429
430
10. One l i t t l e d e v i l peeped over the w a ll.
C rie d , "Take h er away, daddy, a h e '11 murder us a l l . "
11. He picked her up a l l on h i s back,
And away he went a-lu g g in g her back.
12. Seven years going, seven y ea rs coming.
She c a lle d f o r th e p ie she l e f t in the oven.
13. T h a t 's where the women got the advantage of the
men:
They can go to h e l l and g et back again.
b147
1. There was an old farm er in London did d w ell.
Oh me, sing t u le la lu ,
He had an old w ife , not w ishing her w e ll,
Tu le l a , lu le l a , lu .
2. The d e v i l he came to h i s plow one day.
Saying, "One of your fam ily I ' l l c a rry away."
3. "Well, you can have my o ld e s t son.
If t h a t d o n 't do, take two fo r one."
4. "Well, ' t a i n t your o ld e s t son I crav e .
I t ' s your old wife I ' l l c a rr y away."
5. "Well, take h e r , dear d e v i l , w ith a l l my h e a r t ,
Hoping to God y o u 'l l never more p a r t . "
6. He gathered ("g eth ere d ") her up in to h is old
sack,
'T was f i r s t ( " f u s t " ) on h i s shoulder and th e n on
h is back.
7. When he got to the iro n g a te .
She f e l l out the old sack and skun her old fa c e .
8. There ("Thar") came th r e e d e v i ls w ith b a l l s and
c h a in s ,
She hauled off her f e t t e r s ( " f l a t t e r s " ) and s la p t
out t h e i r b r a in s .
147
D avis, pp. 5 0 5 ff. C o lle c te d by Miss J u l i e t F auntle
roy; sung by Mr. Beaver A rthur near Lynch S ta tio n , P i t t s y l
vania County, V ir g in ia , November 26, 1915.
431
9. A c o u rt to g e th e r the d e v il did c a l l :
" If (" e f" ) she sta y s here much longer s h e 'l l
conquer us a l l . H
10. He gathered ("g eth ered ") her up in to h is old
sack,
And lik e an old fo o l he went waggin* her back.
11. While tr a v e lin g along through showers of r a i n .
Says ("sez") he, "H ere's your old wife I'v e brought
back a g a i n ."
12. "W ell," says the old farm er, "I was born f o r a
cuss;
I sent my wife to the d e v i l , and he brought her
back w u ss."
C148
1. There was an old farmer and he had a l i t t l e farm.
( w h is tle )
He had no h orses to c a rry i t on.
Sing f o l - d e - r o l- d o l- d e - r o l- d i- d o .
2. He hitched h is oxen (up) to the plow;
Mr. D evil come along a -c ro s s in g h is brow.
3. "Now, Mr. D ev il, what is i t you crave?"
"Your derned old scolding wife I ' l l have."
4. "Now, Mr. D evil, I ' l l t e l l you a p a rt.
You can take her with a l l my h e a r t ."
b. He threw her over ac ro ss h is back
And off he went a - c lie k e ty - c la c k .
6. When he got her to h is door.
He threw her sprawling on the f lo o r .
D avis, pp. 5 0 5 ff. C o llec ted by Mr. John Stone;
sung by Mr. C h a rle s V est, Louisa County, September 13, 1917.
According to Stone, "Mr. Vest i s an old Mosby man and
heard t h i s b a lla d while in the army. I heard him sing i t
f i f t e e n years ago and have never f o rg o tte n the song i t s e l f
though I could th in k of n e ith e r the tune nor the words.
Last week I went over to Louisa and got him to sing i t fo r
me. He had f o rg o tte n i t , but r e c a lle d i t . " Same arran g e
ment, same burden in each stanza.
432
7. One l i t t l e d e v i l came dragging a chain.
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked out h is b ra in s .
8. One l i t t l e d e v i l says, "Take h er up h ig h e r."
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked him in the f i r e .
9. One l i t t l e d e v il peeped over the w all:
"Take her back, pap, s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l . "
10. So the d e v il he bundled her up in a sack.
And lik e an old fo o l came lugging her back.
11. Now what w ill become of the women?
Won't have them in h e l l and they c a n 't get to
heaven.
D149
1. Once th e re was a man. he bought him a farm,
( w h i s t l e )
He had no oxen to c a rry i t on.
( w h i s tle )
2. He h itc h ed up h is pig and began to plow.
Old Mr. D evil passed over the brow.
3. "Old Mr. D e v il, I ’l l have you undone,
For you are a f t e r my o ld e s t son."
4. " I t ' s not your o ld e s t son I crave;
I t ' s your damned old scolding wife I ' l l have."
b. He took her up a l l on h is back
b. When he got to the d e v i l 's g re a t door.
He throwed her sprawling in to the flo o r.
7. One l i t t l e d e v il came bringing a chain:
She up with her fo o t and kicked out h is b ra in s .
8. One l i t t l e d e v il say s, "Take her up h ig h e r,"
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked him in the f i r e .
l ^ D a v i s , pp. bQbff. C o lle c te d by P ro fe sso r D. R.
C arp e n ter and Mr. John Stone; sung by Mrs. J . A. M itc h e ll
and o th e rs near Brightwood, Madison County, V irg in ia ,
August 2, 1920.
433
9. One l i t t l e d e v il peeped over the w a ll;
"Carry her back, daddy, s h e 'l l murder us a l l . "
10. He took her up a l l on h is back.
And lik e a damned fo o l came lugging her back.
11. Gentlemen, a woman can do more th a n a man:
In to h e l l and safe back t o land.
£lb0
1. There was an old man liv e d under the h i l l ,
Sing t i r o r a t t l e - i n g day,
If he a i n ' t moved away h e 's liv in g th e re s t i l l ,
Sing t i r o r a t t l e - i n g day.
2. T his old man went out to h is plough
To see the old d e v il f l y over h is mow.
3. The old man c r i e s out: "I am undone.
For the d e v il has come fo r my o ld e st son."
4. " I t ' s not your o ld e s t son I want.
But your damned old scolding wife I ' l l have."
b. He took the old woman upon h is back.
And o ff he went w ith her packed in a sack.
6. He packed her back in one co rn er of h e l l .
Saying: "I hope the old d e v il w i l l use you w e ll."
7. Twelve l i t t l e d e v i ls came walking by.
Then she up with her boot and kicked eleven in the
f i r e .
8. The odd l i t t l e d e v il peeped over the w a ll.
Saying: "Take her back, daddy, or she w ill k i l l
us a l l . "
IbQ
D avis, pp. bObff. C o llected by Mr. C e c il J . Sharp
and Miss K arpeles; sung by Mr. N. B. Chisholm a t
Woodbridge, Albemarle County, V ir g in ia , September 21,
191b.
434
9. She was six months going and e ig h t coming back,
And she c a lle d f o r the mush she l e f t in the p o t.
10. The old man lay sic k in the bed.
With an old pewter pipe she b a tte r e d h is head.
11. The old man c r i e s out: "I am t o be cursed;
She has been t o h e l l and come back w orse."
1. There was an old farm er who in G lo u ceste r did dw ell,
( w h i s t l e )
He had an old wife whom he wished was in h e l l .
Sing T o l - l e - r o l - d o l ,
Sing T o l- le - r o l - d i d d l e - d e e - d e e .
2. The d e v il he made h is appearance one day.
And s a id , t n e of your fam ily I must take away."
3. "Then you may take my o ld e st son.
If he w on't do, take two f o r one."
4. "Your o ld e s t son I do not c ra v e ,
But your old wife I must have."
b. He packed her up in a sack.
And slung the sack a c ro ss h is back.
6. When he a r r iv e d a t h e l l ' s g a te ,
He chucked her in and she f e l l on h er p a te .
7. She spied two l i t t l e d e v ils f e t t e r e d with c h a in s .
She took up t h e i r f e t t e r s and knocked out t h e i r
b r a in s .
8. Three l i t t l e d e v ils s i t t i n g on the w a ll,
C rie d , "F ath er, take her back or s h e 'l l murder us
a l l . "
9. So he rammed h er back in to the sack.
And lik e an old fo o l came tru d g in g h er back.
D avis, pp. bObff. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone;
sung by Mr. T. C. Cummins, of Rumford, King W illiam County,
V ir g in ia , September 13, 1917.
435
10. T his proves t h a t the women are worse than the men*
For when sent to h e l l they come back again.
G152
1. There was an old man in Y orkshire d e l l ,
He had th ree sons and he wished them not w e ll.
Sing T a - l a - l a - l a .
2. The d e v il appeared t o him one day:
"There is one of your fam ily I must take away."
3. 'You can take my o ld e st son;
If he w on't do, take two fo r one."
4. " I t ' s not your o ld e st son I crave;
I t ' s your wife I must have."
5. "You can take her w ith a l l my h e a rt;
I th in k you and her w ill never p a r t."
6. The old d e v il he packed her in a sack,
Soon found him self a t the old home gate;
He dumped the old c r i t t e r off on her f e e t .
7. Three d e v ils they met with a b a ll and ch ain ;
She up with a clu b and beat out t h e i r b ra in s .
8. "Now a ju ry we must c a l l ;
I f we d o n 't re tu rn h e r, s h e 'l l murder us a l l . "
9. The old d e v il then he packed h er up in a sack.
F i r s t on shoulder, then on back,
J u s t lik e an old fo o l come wagging her back.
10. T his shows th a t the women are worse than the men:
Been to the d e v il and brought her back again.
152
D avis, pp. 5Q5ff. C ollected by Mr. John Stone;
sung by Miss Bertha Mayo, of Wilmington, Fluvanna County,
V irg in ia , November 3, 1920. "She learned i t from her
fa th e r" (Mr. Stone).
436
H153
1. Up came the d e v il to the farm er one day.
Oh me, sing tu le la , lu.
S aid, "One of your fam ily 1 mean t o take away,"
Sing tu le la , lu le la , lu .
2. "Well, you may have my o ld e st son,"
"If th a t w on't do, take two to one."
3. " I t i s n ' t your o ld e st son I want,"
" I t ' s your old wife I'm going to take away."
4. So up came the d e v il with h is b a l l and h is c h a in .
She up w ith a shoe and she smacked out h is b ra in .
b, Up popped seven l i t t l e d e v ils w ith t h e i r heads
over the w a ll,
"Take her on back, d o n 't s h e 'l l conquer us a l l . "
6. So he gathered her up in h is old sack.
Away he went, a-wagging her back.
7. Young men, young men, take warning from t h i s ,
Let get you a wife be the l a s t th in g you do.
8. Let get you a wife be the l a s t th in g you do,
For i f you give them to the d e v i l , h e ' l l bring
them back again.
1. There was an old man when he was f i r s t born.
Old Marindy Marowly,
He had no horses to plow up h is corn,
With h is l e f t le g , r ig h t leg , over le g , under
leg,
Old Marindy Marowly.
^ 3D avis, pp. bObff. C o llec ted by Miss J u l i e t F auntle-
roy; sung by Mrs. James Sprouse, of Lawyers, V ir g in ia , who
learned i t from her co u sin , F le tc h e r G i l l (Campbell County,
V irg in ia , September 4, 191b).
^ ^ D a v is , pp. bObff. C o lle c te d bv Mr. John Stone; sung
by Mr. C. F. C arpenter and b ro th e r, B olar, Highland County,
V irg in ia , November 2, 1920.
2. He c a lle d up h is p ig s and he yoked up h is sows
And plowed up h is corn the d e v il knows how.
3. The old woman came home in a powerful f r i g h t ;
Says she, "I saw the d e v il t h i s n ig h t."
4. He packed her up upon h is back
J u s t lik e a brave p ed lar c a rry in g h is pack.
5. He c a r r ie d her up j u s t to the door.
Give her a kick, saying, "Go in a t t h a t door."
6 (She?) He saw l i t t l e Rufus a l l bowing in chains
And (she?) he up w ith h is fo o t and kicked out h is
b r a in s .
7. The c h ild re n ra is e d a powerful sq u a ll;
Said, "Take her away, ( s h e ’l l ? ) h e ' l l k i l l us a l l . "
1. There was an old man liv ed under the h i l l ,
T ra - la - la - le - la - l e ,
And if h e 's not dead, h e 's liv in g th e re s t i l l ,
T ra - la - la - le - la - l e .
2. His wife she would not say her prayers;
So he picked her up and threw her down s t a i r s .
3. The d e v il came in while saying h is p ray ers.
He sa id , "Come along and go with me."
4. He took her up on h is old back.
Ju s t lik e a p ed lar shouldering h is pack.
5. He took her up to h is old g a te ,
And sa id , "Get you in th e re , you old bald p a te ."
6. And when they found what he had th e re .
They sa id , "Take her out, dad, s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l
h e r e .
Ib5
D avis, pp. 5 0 5 ff. T his b a lla d , "The Old Man Under
the H i l l , " was rep o rted by Miss Martha M. Davis; c o n tr ib
uted by Mrs. J . C. Byrd of H arrisonburg, Rockingham County,
V ir g in ia , A p ril 1, 1915. According to Miss Davis, Mrs.
Byrd "learned i t from a young g i r l , she th in k s , in Page
County, about t h i r t y years ago."
438
7. T h is shows t h a t women are worse th an men,
For th ey go t o h e l l and are kicked out ag a in .
kI56
1. There was an old farm er in Y orkshire did d w ell,
Ha, ha, h a, ha.
He had a sweet w ife and he wished h er in h e l l ,
Sing f o l - d e - r o l - f o l - d e - r o l - f o l - d e - r o l - d e - r e .
2. One day the d e v il appeared a t h i s plow;
"You have a sweet wife and you wished h er in h e l l . "
3. "Take my o ld e st son;
If t h a t w on't do take two f o r one."
4. " I t ' s not your o ld e s t son I crave;
I t ' s your sweet wife and she I must have."
b. So the d e v il he put h er in a sack
And flung her a c ro s s h is back.
6. When she saw young d e v ils in c h a in s .
She picked up h e r f e t t e r s and knocked out t h e i r
brains*
7. I t shows th a t women are worse th an the men.
When th e y are sent th e r e , they are sent back ag ain .
Ib6
D av is, pp. bO bff. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone; re
c i t e d by Mrs. C aroline L ittle p a g e Cook Moseley of D rewry's
B lu ff, C h e s te r f ie I d County, V ir g in ia , June 29, 1921. "She
heard h er mother sing i t years ago."
439
1. There was an old farm er in Y orkshire d e l l ,
( w h i s tle )
He had an old wife and he wished h er i n - - w e l l . . .
Sing f o l - d e - r o l - r o l ,
Sing f o l - d e - r o l - r o l .
Sing f o l - d e - r o l - r o l - r o l - r a y .
2. So when he a r r iv e d a t old h e l l ' s g a te ,
He p itc h e d the old woman upon her p a te .
3. She saw two d e v i ls bound in c h a in s .
She took up t h e i r f e t t e r s and beat out t h e i r b ra in s .
4. Two l i t t l e imps climbed upon the w a ll.
C rying, "Take her away or s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l . "
b. So the d e v il he bundled her up in a sack,
And lik e an old fo o l came lugging her back.
0. T his proves th a t women are worse than men.
She was c a r r ie d to h e l l and brought back again.
M*58
1. There was an old farm er and he had a l i t t l e farm,
L i l y - f a - l e - l i l y - f a - l a .
He had no h o rse s t o plow up h is ground,
L i l y - f a - l i l y - f a - l a - r e - d o .
2. He h itc h e d up h is hogs and set them to plow,
And how he did plow the d e v il knows how.
3. The d e v il he took her up on h is back
And away he went a-w hickety-whack.
4. The l i t t l e d e v ils run a l l over the w a ll.
Say, "Carry h er back, daddy, s h e 'l l conquer us
a l l . "
■^^Davis, pp. bObff.
^® D av is, pp. bObff. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone;
sung by Miss Emma C a rp e n te r, Madison County, V ir g in ia ,
November 3, 1920.
APPENDIX W W W
THE FARMER’S CURST WIFE159
A
1. There wet an old man who follow ed the plough.
Sing h a l i f o r band i f I do.
Sing bands and r e b e l s , and r e b e l s and t r o u b le s .
Sing new, new.
2. He drove six oxens and an old cow.
Sing n ic k e l, sing nackel, sing new,
Sing bands and r e b e l s , and r e b e ls and t r o u b le s ,
Sing new, new.
3. His wife she had te n hens in the l o t .
Sing h a l i f o r band i f I do.
Sings bands and r e b e l s , and r e b e ls and tr o u b le s .
Sing new, new.
4. And every day had one in the p o t.
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
b. He prayed fo r the d e v il to come get them a l l ,
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
6. One day the old d e v il he come,
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
7. Says: Now, old man. I'v e come a f t e r your w ife,
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
8. He picked her up a i l on h is back.
And away he went to old tample (or temple) shack,
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
^ 90 . D. Campbell and C. J . Sharp, e d s . , English Folk
Songs from the Southern A ppalachians (New York, 1917), pp.
139-140. Sung by Mrs. Sarah Buckner a t Black Mountain,
North C a ro lin a , September 19, 1916.
440
441
9. He took her down unto h is den.
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
10. Where he had b e l l s , b lu b s, b lin d s and c h a in s.
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
11. She picked up the axe and mauled out h is b r a in s ,
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
12. He picked her up a i l on h is back,
And away he went t o old tample shack.
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
13. Says: Here, old man, you may have your w ife,
S he's almost plagued me out of my l i f e .
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
14. And now you can see what women can do.
They can conquer men and the d e v il to o .
Sing h a l i f o r , e t c .
c 160
1. There was an old man who ixved near h e ll;
He had a l i t t l e farm and up on i t he did dw ell,
Sing t i - r o r a t - t e l - i n g day,
2. The d e v il came to him to h is plough one day.
Saying: One out of your fam ily I ' l l have to have
now.
3. I t ' s n e ith e r your son nor your daughter I crav e .
But your old scolding wife and I have to have her
now.
4. He h arv est her up a l l on h is back,
Like an old p e d la r went packing h is pack.
b. He c a r r ie d her down to the high g a te s of h e l l ,
Saying: Rake back the c o a ls and w e 'l l ro a s t her
we 11.
J . Sharp, comp., English Folk Songs from the
Southern Appalachians (London, 1^3^), pp. 277-'2?b. Sung by
Miss Saorina R itch ie a t Hindman School, Knott County, Ken
tucky, September 20, 1917.
442
6. Two l i t t l e d e v i ls came r a t t l i n g t h e i r chains*
She hauled back her cudgels and hauled out t h e i r
b r a in s .
7. Two more l i t t l e d e v i ls peeped over the wall*
Saying: Take her back* daddy* s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l .
8. So he h arv e st h er up a l l on h i s back*
And went lik e a bold p e d la r went packing her back.
9. Seven y ea rs gone and seven a-coming back*
She c a lle d f o r th e bacca she l e f t in the crack .
10. The women th ey are so much b e t t e r th a n men,
When th e y go t o h e l l th e y 'r e sent back again.
d 161
1. There was an old man who liv e d under the h i l l *
If he a i n ' t moved out h e 's liv in g th e re s t i l l .
Sing dow, dow* d id -d ie a d id - d le ,
Sing dow a d id - d le , a d id -d ie a day.
2. He geared up h is hogs and went out to plough*
And how he got along I h a rd ly know how.
3. One day the old d e v il came down the f i e l d .
Said: One of your fam ily I'm going to s t e a l .
4. He got her up upon h is back.
He looked lik e a p e d la r w ith a pack on h is back.
b. He c a r r ie d her t i l l he came t o the road.
Get down, old la d y , y o u 're a t e r r i b l e load.
6. He c a r r ie d her t i l l he came to the g a te .
Get down, old lady, r i g h t h e r e 's the p la c e .
7. As he was binding her down w ith chains*
She grabbed up a pick and s p l i t out h is b r a in s .
8. Seven l i t t l e d e v i l s came out from the w a ll.
Saying: Take her back, daddy, s h e ' l l murder us a l l .
Sharp* comp., pp. 278-279. Sung by Mr. Sandy
S tu a rt S to rre y a t Mt. Smoky Academy, Sevier County, Ten
n essee, A p ril 19* 1917.
443
9. And now you m o what a woman w i l l do;
Sha can out the d a v i l and har husband, to o .
1. An old man want t o th a f i a l d to plough,
l a ola dum d id -d le dum day.
Along comas an old d a v i l , paaps ovar h i s h o rs a ,
Ta ola dum d id -d la dum day.
2. Tha o ld man droppad h is l i n t s t o run.
H a 's r i g h t now a f t a r my o ld a s t son.
3. I t ' s not your o ld a s t son I want.
But your o ld hump-back-ad w ife I crav e .
4. Taka h a r , O take her w ith a l l your h e a r t .
And leave me w ith hopes t h a t y o u 'l l never d e p a rt.
5. He picked har up a l l on h is back.
Like an old p e d la r went wagging h is pack.
6. He c a r r i e d her on to the fo rk s of the road.
Says: Good lad y , y o u 're a p r e t t y good load.
7. He c a r r ie d her on t o the d e v i l ' s back-door,
**e pu t har down th e re t o c a r r y no more.
8. The old d a v il l a i d f a r back on the bed.
With an old pewter pot she m ellered h i s head.
9. Ten l i t t l e d e v i ls hanging up by a ch ain ;
With h er old pewter pipe she picked out t h e i r
b r a in s .
10. Seven l i t t l e d e v ils hanging over the w a ll.
Says: Take her back, daddy, s h e 'l l murder us a l l .
11. He picked her up a l l on h i s back,
J u s t lik e an old fo o l went wagging her back.
12. He c a r r i e s h er on t o the fo o t of the h i l l .
She says: If the d e v i l w on't have me, d o n 't know
who w i l l .
*62Sharp, com p., pp. 279-280. Sung by Miss Susan
Moberly, a t O neida, Clay County, Kentucky, August 20, 1917.
444
13. Seven y e a rs th e re and th r e e y ea rs back*
She c a lle d f o r the b r e a d -c r u s t she l e f t in the
crac k .
pl63
1. There was an old fe llo w liv e d under the h i l l *
There was an old fe llo w liv e d under th e h i l l *
Zf he h a i n 't moved away h e 's liv i n g th e re s t i l l *
Sing t i r o r a t t e l i n g day.
2. One day the old man went out to plough*
The d e v il flew over h i s old grey mare.
3. He dragged h is plough* i t broke and he ra n .
The d e v i l 's come a f t e r my o ld e s t son.
4. I t ' s not your o ld e s t son I pray*
I t ' s your old scolding wife I ' l l have.
5. He took her down to th e g a te s of h e ll*
He gave h er a kick* saying: Go t h e r e .
6. Nine l i t t l e d e v i ls come r a t t l i n g t h e i r c h a in s.
She up w ith the poker and knocked out t h e i r b r a in s .
7. One l i t t l e d e v il peeped over the wall*
Saying: Take her back* daddy* or s h e ' l l k i l l u s a l l .
8. He humped her up a l l on h i s poor back*
And away the old fo o l went walking her back.
9. Her husband ly in g sick on the bed.
She took her old pewter pot* b a tte r e d h i s head.
10. S h e 's s ix months going and nine coming back;
C a lle d f o r the mush she l e f t in the p o t.
11. What I can do I never can t e l l ;
I a i n ' t f i t fo r heaven and th e y w on't have me in
h e l l .
^ ^ S h a r p , comp.* pp. 280-281. Sung by Mrs. E liz a
Pace a t Hyden, L eslie County* Kentucky* O ctober 1* 1917
APPENDIX X X X
THE FARMER’S CURST WIFE164
1. There wee t n old farm er went out f o r to plow.
With a new sing naggle sing new.
There was an old farm er went out f o r the plow.
He h itc h e d up an ox and an a s s and a cow.
With a new sing naggle sing new, new, new,
A new sing naggle sing new.
2. The d e v il flew by w ith a f l i e k e t y - f l a c k .
He c a r r i e d a p itc h - f o r k wrapped up in a sack.
3. The old farm er dropped h is l i n e s and he run,
"The old d e v i l 's a - lo o k in ' f o r my e l d e s t son."
4. "1 d o n 't want your son nor your daughter f a i r ,
But your old s c o ld in ' wife w h at’s l o s t a l l of h er
h a i r . "
5. So s a y i n ', he h a rv e s t h er up on h i s back.
And he l e f t lik e a p e d la r a - t o t i n ' h is pack.
6. He to te d h er down t o th e g a te s of h e l l .
S aid , "Blow up the f i r e , boys, w e 'l l r o a s t t h i s
one w e ll ."
7. Seven sm all d e v ils came r a t t l i n ' t h e i r c h a in s ,
She handled a poker and m ellered t h e i r b r a in s .
8. The o th e r small d e v il looked over the w a ll.
S aid , "Take her back, daddy, s h e 'l l murder us a l l . "
9. He h a rv e s t h er up on h i s poor old t i r e d back,
And he l e f t lik e a p e d la r a - t o t i n ' h is pack.
164
John Jacob N ile s , e d . . The Anolo-American B allad
Itudv Book (New York, 1945), pp. ^2-33. Y nis v e rs io n is
rom Jackson, B r e a t h i t t County, Kentucky.
445
446
10, Seven years goin' and six coinin' back.
She asked f o r the corn-pone she l e f t in the crac k .
11. "Oh, what I can do now the d e v il w on't t e l l ,
I a i n ' t f i t f o r heaven and I'm to o mean f o r h e l l . "
APPENDIX YYY
THE LITTLE DEVILS165
1. There was an old man and he liv e d near H e ll,
( w h i s t l e )
He had a l i t t l e farm and upon i t d id d w ell,
Sing heigh 0 r a t t l e ding d«y.
2. 0 the d e v il came to him one day a t h is plow.
T h e r e 's one in your fam ily I have to have now,
3. 0 , i t ' s n e ith e r your son nor your dau g h ter I c ra v e .
I t ' s your old scolding wife and i t ' s her I must have.
4. So he hobst her up a l l on h i s back,
And lik e a bold p ed d lar went a-packing h i s pack.
5. As they drew near the high g a te s of H e ll,
Sing, rake back the c o a ls , boys, and w e 'l l r o a s t
h er w e ll.
6. O, two l i t t l e d e v ils come a - r a t t l i n g t h e i r c h a in s .
She hauled back h er cudgel and knocked out t h e i r
b r a in s .
7. Two more l i t t l e d e v ils peeped over the door,
She hauled back h er cu d g el, k i l l e d n in e ty -n in e more.
8. Two more l i t t l e d e v i ls peeped over the w a ll,
Says, Take h er back Daddy, or s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l .
9. So he hobst h er up a l l on h is back,
And lik e a bold p ed d lar went a-packing her back.
10. H e re 's your old scolding wife and i t ' s her I w on't
hav e,
She a i n ' t f i t f o r Heaven, she s h a n 't stay in H e ll.
165
Jean R itc h ie , Singing Family of the Cumberlands
(New York, 1955J, pp. 143-144. Sung by Unie R itc h ie , who
learn ed i t from Uncle Jason R itc h ie while she was v i s i t i n g
w ith h i s g i r l S abrina on B a ll Fork in Knott County, Kentucky.
447
448
11. 0 i t * s seven year going and seven coming back.
She c a lle d f o r the 'b a c c e r she l e f t in the c ra c k .
12. 0 the women th e y are so much b e t t e r th a n men*
When they go to H ell th ey get sent back againJ
APPENDIX ZZZ
H I LUM DAY1 6 6
1. One day the old d e v il he came t o my plow,
(w h istle d r e f r a i n )
Saying, " 'T i s one of your c h ild r e n th a t I must have
now
To my h i-lu m , hi-lum day.
2. "Your o ld e s t daughter I do not c rav e ,
But your old scolding w ife, ' t i s she I must have."
3. "W ell," sa id the old man, " if the r e s t you w i l l
le a v e ,
My old scolding w ife, ' t i s she you may have."
4. So he packed her off t i l l he came t o H e ll,
And he p itc h e d h er in saying, "There you nay d w e ll."
b. Came old Beelzebub, r a t t l i n g h is ch ain s;
She picked up a poker and beat out h i s b r a in s .
b. Came th re e l i t t l e d e v ils to r a is e h er up h ig h e r;
She up w ith h er fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
7. Then the old sh e -d e v il looked over the w a ll.
Saying, "Take h er 'way. M aster D ev il, or s h e 'l l
k i l l us a l l . "
8. So he picked h er up a l l on h is back,
Like an old johnny p e d la r went packing h er back.
9. She was seven y ears going and seven y ea rs coming.
And she c a lle d f o r the mush she had l e f t in the
oven.
Edwin C. K irkland and Mary N. K irkland, "Popular
B allads Recorded in K noxville, T e n n .," Southern F o lk lo re
Q u a r te r ly . 2:77-78, June 1938. Recorded in J u ly , 1937, by
Mrs. Mariana Schaupp, who learn ed i t from her f a t h e r , Mr.
Marion T ay lo r Cummings of B e a tric e , Nebraska.
449
450
10. "W ell," sa id the old man, "What t o do I c a n 't
t e l l .
For you a r e n 't f i t f o r heaven and you w on't stay
in h e l l . "
APPENDIX A A A A
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE167
1. The old d e v il came t o me one day a t my plow.
I t ' s not your old d aughter t h a t now I c ra v e .
But your scolding wife and her I w i l l have.
And t o rand dowdle l i n dowdle in day.
2. The old d e v il picked her up on h is back.
(W histle a l i n e )
And lik e an old fo o l he went wagging h er o f f .
And to rand dowdle l i n dowdle in day.
3. He tu k her down to the fo rk s of the road.
Says, "Old woman, you are a t e r r i b l e lo a d ."
4. He tu k h er down to the d e v i l 's den.
He poked her in lik e an old wet hen.
b. Two l i t t l e d e v i ls went to se t her up h ig h e r.
S h e 's up w ith her fo o t and kicked nine in the
f i r e .
0. Old L u cifer peeped over the w a ll.
"Take her back, daddy, s h e 'l l murder us a l l . "
7. H e's six y ears a-going and seven coming back.
Like an old fo o l he came wagging her back.
8. She c a lle d fo r the hominy she l e f t on the p o t.
Up over the f i r e a - b i l i n g so h o t.
9. The old man's been sick and in the bed.
She picked up the la d le and b u rste d h i s head.
lt>7M. E. Henry, e d . , Folk-Songs from the Southern
H ighlands (New York, 1938), pp. 125- 126. Recorded by Mrs.
Henry from the singing of Samuel Harmon, C ad e's Cove,
Blount County, Tennessee, August, 1930. Mr. Harmon learn ed
the song from h is G ran d fath er H icks. (S tanzas 3 to 9 are
arranged the same as stanza 2, and have the same w h is tle
and b u r d e n .)
4b 1
APPENDIX BBBB
THE OLD LA D Y AND THE DEVIL168
1. Once th e re was an old man who liv e d over the h i l l .
If he a i n ' t moved away, h e 's liv in g th e re s t i l l .
Singing f i d id d le la d i d id d le , le d id d le l i da.
2. He h itc h e d up h is hoss and went out to plow,
How he got around I never knew how.
3. One day the old d e v il came down t h i s way
Saying, "One of your fam ily I'm gonna take away."
4. "Take h er away a t the joy of my h e a r t .
And I hope t o my soul you and h er w i l l never p a r t . "
5. Now the d e v il got the lady upon h is back,
He looked lik e a camel w ith a hump on i t s back.
6. Soon they came to the fo rk s of the road,
He s a id , "Get down, ole woman, y o u 're a h e l l of a
lo a d ."
7. Now when they came to the g a te s of h e l l .
He s a id , " S t i r up the f i r e , boys, w e 'l l scorch
he r we 11."
8. One l i t t l e d e v il dragging up the c h a in s ,
She up w ith a h a tc h e t and s p l i t out h is b r a in s .
9. One l i t t l e d e v il over a g a in s t the w a ll.
S a id , "Take her away, Daddy, s h e 'l l murder us
a l l . "
168
Geneva Anderson, "A dditional E n g lish and S c o tti s h
B a lla d s Found in East T en n essee," Tennessee F o lk lo re S ociety
B u l le t in , 8:7 3 -7 4 , September 1942. Wade Wilson securedT t h i s
b a lla d from Ruben B o lin , who had learn ed i t from B i l l
Green.
452
453
10. Another l i t t l e d e v il peeping out a crac k
S aid , "Take h e r away, and never bring h er back."
11. Now the old man when he peeped out a c ra c k .
Saw the d e v il come a-wagging h e r back.
12. The old man was a - s ic k in bed;
She up w ith th e r o l l i n g p in and knocked him in the
head.
13. The lady went a -s in g in g a c ro s s the h i l l ,
"The d e v il w on't have me, and I d o n 't know who w i l l . "
14. Now t h i s old lady was sound and w e ll,
She a i n ' t f i t f o r heaven, th ey w on't have h e r in
h e l l .
15. Now t h i s goes t o show what a woman can do,
S h e 'l l outdo the d e v il and h e r old man to o .
APPENDIX COCC
THE FARMER'S WIFE169
1. There was an old woman who liv e d under the h i l l *
To whack t o whiddle de day.
And i f s h e 's not moved off she l i v e s th e re s t i l l .
To whack t o whiddle de day,
2. Her old man come w h is tlin g from the plow,
Says, "Old Woman, you got d in n e r ready now?"
3. "T h e re 's a piece of cold bread lay in g on the s h e lf .
If you want any mutton go f r y i t y o u r s e lf ."
4. He went down t o h i s sheep pen.
And w ith h i s knife he took off wool and skin,
5. He s tr e tc h e d t h a t skin over Honey's back,
And w ith a c lu b he made i t c ra c k ,
6. Harder luck to the d e v il never b e f e l l .
For he shouldered and packed h e r off to h e l l ,
7. One l i t t l e d e v il come limping around.
She up w ith a c le a v e r and knocked him down,
8. Another l i t t l e d e v il peeped over the w a ll,
Says, "Take h er back, Pap, before she k i l l s us a l l . "
9. He took h er up a c ro s s h is back.
And lik e an old fo o l went packing her back,
10. The old woman went w h is tlin g a c ro s s the h i l l ,
Says, "The d e v il w on't have me, I wonder who w ill.'"
Robert L. Mason, "Ten Old E n g lish B a lla d s in Middle
T en n essee." Southern F o lk lo re Q u a r te r ly . 11:134-135, June
1947. Sung by Mrs. Dema Bowen of tne community of Geed-
v i l l e , Cannon County, Tennessee.
454
APPENDIX DDDD
THE FARMER'S WIFE170
1. There was an old man liv e d under the h i l l .
Sing to o ra la la lo o ra , sing to o ra la day
If h e 's not moved away h e 's liv i n g th e re s t i l l .
Sing to o ra la la lo o ra , sing to o ra la day.
2. T h is old man went out t o h i s plow
And saw the old d e v i l f l y over h i s mow.
3. He had the old woman a l l up in a sack
And c a r r i e d h er off t o old tam plo shack.
4. Twelve l i t t l e d e v i ls came walking by.
She upped w ith h er fo o t and kicked them in the
f i r e .
5. She picked up a c lu b , h i t the d e v il on the back;
And he c a r r ie d h er away from the old tamplo shack.
6. He handed h er to the old man over the w all
And sa id , "Take her back, or s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l . "
7. The old man s a id , "I know I'm cu rse d .
S h e's been down to h e l l and come back w orse."
170
Frank C. Brown* The Frank C. Brown C o l le c tio n of
North C a ro lin a F o lk lo re (burham, 19b^1, l i , l8B. Secured
by Mrs. S u tto n a t a " la s s y b i l i n ' " from a "m aster banjo
pick er" who liv e d on Upper H inson's Creek in Avery County.
455
APPENDIX EEEE
JACK'S WIFE171
1. Jack went out t o plow h is corn,
( whiiUim) ,
He saw the old d e v il come marching along.
Saying: h i f o l d id d le d a l day.
2. "W ell," said Jack , "what s h a ll I do now?
The old d e v i l 's come a f t e r my horse and my plow?"
3. "No, I'v e not come a f t e r your horse and plow.
But your old scolding wife and I s h a ll have her
now."
4. He took her a l l upon h is back.
J u s t lik e a peddler would h is sack,
5. He took h er to the H ell house door.
Saying, "Go in th e r e , old woman; d o n 't scold no
more."
6. One mean l i t t l e d e v il run up the w a ll,
Saying, "Shake her out, Daddy; s h e 'l l murder us
a l l . "
7. He took her a l l upon h is back.
And c a r r ie d her r ig h t back home to Jack.
8. "Jack ie , 0 J a c k ie , I 'v e brought your wife back."
"No," says Jack , "I d o n 't thank you f o r t h a t ; "
9. Now the people can a l l laugh and t e l l .
J a c k 's got a wife they w on't have in H ell.
171
* A A lton C. M orris, c o l l . , and e d .. Folksongs of
F lo rid a (G a in e s v ille , 1950), pp. 323-324. Recorded from
the singing of Mrs. J . H. Smith and Mrs. M. M. Keene of
Newberry.
456
457
JACK172
B
1. One morning w hile Jack was follow ing h i s plow.
The d e v i l stepped up and s a id , "How do you do,
now?"
(W h istle )
Fa l a l la la la d a l day.
2. "Oh L o rd '" says Ja ck , "What s h a ll I do now!
The d e v i l 's come a f t e r my Oxen and plow."
3. "No, I'v e not come fo r your oxen and plow.
But your old wife I need h er j u s t now."
4. "G, y e s ," sa id Jack w ith a l l of h i s h e a r t ,
"Wish you and h er s h a ll never more p a r t . "
5. He picked h e r up a l l on h is back
And went t o H ell do-whiggledy-whack.
6. The f i r s t place he came to was C r is ta c o F at;
She picked up a board and banged him w ith t h a t .
7. The next place th e y came to was Beelzebub;
She banged h i s head w ith a g re a t big clu b .
8. Two l i t t l e d e v i ls kept sc a lin g the w a ll.
S aying, "O c a rr y h er back, Daddy, or s h e 'l l devour
us a l l . "
9. He picked h er up as he d id b efo re .
And c a r r ie d h er back to h er own door.
10. Seven years from home and had j u s t landed back;
She c a lle d f o r the mush she had l e f t in the c ra c k .
11. "0 Jack , 0 Ja c k , I 'v e brought your wife back."
"Oh y e s ," says Jack , "I'm so rry f o r t h a t . "
12. When Jack was sick upon the bed,
She had a pewter pipe and kept pecking h is head.
172
M orris, pp. 324-25. Obtained from the singing of
Mrs. N e llie M ills of Foley by Miss D oris Phelps of
C arbur.
"Oh L ord'" s a id Jack , "what w i l l you do next?
Y ou're not f i t f o r Heaven: th e y w on't have you
H e ll."
APPENDIX FFFF
THE DEVIL CA M E TO THE FARMER'S ONE DAY173
1. The d e v il came to the fa rm e r's one day,
Um-um, Um-hum-hum-hum.
S aid, "One of your fam ily I ’l l c a rry away."
Sing tyo raddle ding day.
2. "If you w on't take my o ld e st s o n ,”
" I su re ly w i l l tra d e you two f o r the o n e .”
3. " I t ' s not your o ld e st son I c ra v e ,"
" I t ' s your danged old wife I mean f o r to have."
4. He h o iste d her on h is old back,
And lik e an old peddler went packing h is sack,
5. He c a r r ie d her down to the Gates of H e ll,
Said, "Kindle the f i r e , boys, and w e 'l l burn her
w e ll."
6. There sat a l i t t l e d e v il with h is red cap.
She up with her fo o t and she gave him a slap .
7. Two l i t t l e d e v ils sat parching beans;
She picked up a pine-knot and s p l i t out t h e i r
b ra in s .
8. Six l i t t l e d e v ils ran up the w a ll.
C rie d , 'Take her back, daddy, or s h e 'l l k i l l us
a l l ' "
9. He h o iste d h er up on h is old back,
And lik e an old fo o l went packing her back.
173
Paul G. Brew ster, e d .. B allad s and Songs of Indiana
(Bloomington, 1940), pp. 155-157. to n tr ib u te d by Mrs.
Mayme C. W aller of Winslow, Pike County, Indiana, who se
cured i t from her mother, Mrs. A. W . Corn, of Winslow, June
17, 1935. One copy only of t h i s b a lla d has been found in
Indiana. It resem bles most c lo s e ly v ersio n A of C h ild .
459
APPENDIX Q G G G
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE174
1. There was an old farm er who had a farm.
Jack a f ie gent t o rosim Marie;
He had no horse to plow h is farm,
As the dfew blows over the green v a l le e .
2. The old farm er h itc h e d up h is old sow to plow:
She went here and t h e r e , and the d e v i l knows
whe r e .
3. The d e v il came t o the farm er one day;
Says, "One of your fam ily I'm going to take away."
4. "W ell," said the farm er, "I'm a l l undone.
For the d e v il h e 's a f t e r my only son."
b. " I t ' s not your only son th a t I want,
But your darned old scolding wife I ' l l have."
6. " I t ' s take h e r old d e v i l , with a l l my h e a rt.
And I hope t o God you never w i l l p a r t . "
7. So he picked h er up w ith h is old broken back,
And over the f i e l d s he went k lic k e ty -k la c k .
8. He c a r r ie d h er over two f i e l d s of ry e,
She up with h e r fo o t and kicked out h i s eye.
9. He c a r r ie d h e r over two f i e l d s or more
Before he came to h e l l ' s back door.
10. One l i t t l e d e v il a l l bound in w ire.
She up with h er fo o t and kicked him in the f i r e .
11. Another l i t t l e d e v il a l l bound in c h a in s ,
She up with h er fo o t and kicked out h is b r a in s .
174
Emelyn E liz a b e th Gardner and G eraldine Jencks
C hick erin g , e d s . . B allad s and Sonos of Southern Michigan
(Ann A rbor, 1939), pp. 373-374.
460
461
12. Another l i t t l e d e v il from behind the w all
Says, 'Take her away or s h e 'l l murder us a l l . "
13. So he picked h er up w ith h is old broken beck.
And away he went, went a - t o t i n ' h er back.
14. "0 h e r e 's your old wife a l l sound and w ell
If we'd kept h er much longer, sh e 'd la th e re d a l l
h e l l . "
15. So you see the women are worse th an the men;
If they go to h e l l , t h e y 'l l come back again.
APPENDIX H H H H
THE CURST WIFE175
1. The old D evil he came t o a woodsman one day.
S aid he, "One of your fam ily I would take away."
T i-ru m -ti-d id d le -d u m -d id o .
2. "Oh," sa id the woodsman. I'm a l l undone.
For 1 hate t o lose my o ld e s t son."
3. " I t ' s not your o ld e s t son I crav e ,
But your scolding wife I'm bound to have."
4. "Oh, take her and welcome w ith a l l my h e a r t .
I hope you two never more w i l l p a r t . "
5 . The D ev il he took h er upon h is back
And off to H ell went c l i e k t y - c l a c k .
6. One l i t t l e d e v il c r ie d out in h is p ain s;
She picked up a c lu b and knocked out h i s b r a in s .
7. Another l i t t l e d e v il clim bed up on the w a ll,
Saying, Ir.ake h er back, Daddy; s h e 'l l murder us
a l l . "
8. Another l i t t l e d e v il jumped in to the w e ll.
Saying, "Take her away. Dad; s h e 'l l ru in a l l H e ll ."
9. So the D evil he roped her up in a sack
And off t o the woodsman he c a r r ie d h er back.
10. The woodsman he laughed, f o r i t t i c k l e d him w ell
For to th in k t h a t h is wife was the b u lly of H ell.
17b
E a rl C. Beck, Lore of the Lumber Camps (Ann Arbor,
1948), pp. 157-lb8. Sung by thomas E. W ebster, a " s p r ig h tly
l i t t l e B r i t i s h e r " of Au G res, Michigan.
APPENDIX I I I I
THE DIVIL AND THE FARMER176
1. A farm er was plowing h is f i e l d one day,
R i t e f u l , r i t e f u l , t i t t y f i e day;
A farm er was plowing h is f i e l d one day.
When the d i v i l came up and to him he did say,
Chorus
With a r i t e fa l a , t i t t y f i e day.
R i te f u l, r i t e f u l , t i t t y f i e day.
2. See h ere, me good man, I have come f o r your w ife,
She’s the bane and torment of your l i f e . ”
3. When they got th e re the g a te s were sh u t.
With a sweep of her hand she lay open h is nut.
4. Two l i t t l e d i v i l s were playing h an d b all.
They c rie d : "Take her out, daddy, s h e 'l l k i l l us
a l l . "
5. So the d i v i l he h e is te d her up on h is hump.
And back to e a r th with her he did jump.
6. "See h ere, me good man, I have come w ith your w ife.
S h e's the bane and torm ent of me l i f e . "
7. Oh they say th a t the women are worse than the men.
They went down to h e l l and got chucked out again.
Burl Ives, The Burl Ives Song Book (New York, 1953),
pp. 194-196. Ives s t a t e s , " O f I r i s h and English o r ig in ,
t h i s v e rsio n is from our midwest, where I r is h immigrants
worked on the r a i l r o a d s ."
463
APPENDIX J J J J
TEN LITTLE DEVILS177
A
I . There was an old man liv e d under a h i l l ,
I f he h a s n 't moved away, h e 's liv in g th e re s t i l l .
Sing t r a la la la and t r a la la la la
Tra la la la d id d le de dum do.
Mr. D evil went v i s i t i n g one day.
"There i s one in your fam ily I must take away."
3. "S urely, Mr. D ev il, you are in fun;
You cannot take our only s o n ."
4. " I t i s not your son t h a t I do c rav e ;
I t i s your w ife , and h er I must have."
t . He g ath ered h er up upon h is back
And lik e an old p ed d le r went c a rry in g h is pack.
6. He c a r r i e d h e r down t o the lower door,
He gave h er a kick and s a id , " I ' l l pack you no
more."
7. Ten l i t t l e d e v i ls came r a t t l i n g t h e i r ch a in s;
She picked up a chunk and knocked out nine of t h e i r
b r a in s .
8. Four l i t t l e d e v ils peeped through a w a ll,
Saying, "Take her away; s h e 's going to get us a l l . "
9. He g ath ered h er up upon h is back.
And lik e an old fo o l went c a rry in g her back.
177
A. P. Hudson, e d . . Folksongs of M is s is s ip p i and
T h e ir Background (Chapel H i l l , l ^ o j , pp. 1^4-l ! o . Text
o b tain ed by Mr. Ralph J . C r i s s of C o f f e e v ille from Mrs.
Tobe Young of B ryant.
464
465
10. They were e ig h t years going and seven coming back;
She c a lle d f o r her pipe sh e 'd l e f t in a crac k .
11. "Mr. D evil, you've done mighty w ell;
If sh e'd stayed th e re she'd whipped you a l l out of
h e l l . "
THE SCOLDING WIFE178
B
1. "Lord have mercy.' What have I done?"
Fol dol to mi diddle 11 day.
The d e v il came a f t e r my o ld e st son.
Sing wacka f i lo to mi diddle l i day.
2. "My old scolding wife you can take r ig h t along.
If you c a n 't c a rry h e r, I ' l l lend you my c a r t . "
3. He c a r r ie d h er down to the g a te s of h e l l ;
He opened the g ate, and in she f e l l .
4. Three l i t t l e d e v ils came fly in g along;
She picked up a stic k and k ill e d them every one.
5. Four l i t t l e d e v ils came fly in g along;
Says, "Dad, take her back or s h e 'l l k i l l us every
one."
6. He picked her up a l l on h is back,
Like a darned old fo o l came wagging her back.
7. Says, "H ere's your w ife, both sound and w ell;
If I 'd kept her th e re long, she'd a to rn up a l l
h e l l . "
8. That good old man went w h istlin g 'c ro s s the f i e l d ;
"If the d e v il w on't have you, I d o n 't know who
w i l l . "
178
Hudson, Folksongs of M is s is s i p p i, p. 125. Communi
cated by Miss Ethe1 Lewe1le n , Ce n t r a 1 Ac a de my.
APPENDIX K K K K
A W O M A N AND THE DEVIL179
A
2. " I t ' s n e ith e r you nor your o ld e s t son.
Sing f a l l de r a i l de a
I t ’s n e ith e r you nor your o ld e st son
But your scolding w ife , she is the one."
Sing f a l l de r a i l , sing f a l l de r a i l .
Sing f a l l de r a i l de a.
3. "C take her in welcome w ith a l l your h e a rt;
I hope y o u 'l l be happy and never p a r t . "
4. He took her up a l l on h is back
And off he went lik e a horse in a rack.
5. He set her down a l l f o r to r e s t ;
She up with a s tic k and she h i t him her b e s t.
6. He went on t i l l he came to the g a te .
He gave h er a kick and sa id , "T h ere's your p la c e ."
7. Ten l i t t l e d e v ils come a l l on a w ire;
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
8. Four l i t t l e d e v ils come r o llin g a b a l l :
"F ath e r, take us back or sh e '11 k i l l us a l l . "
9. The old man in the k itch en peeping out a t the
crac ks:
"Yonder comes the old d e v il a-wagging her back."
179H. M. Belden, e d . , "B allads and Songs," The Univer-
s it v of M issouri S tu d ie s , 15:9b-96, January 1, 1\M0. CT6n-
i rio u te d in 1Q06 by C. U . W illiams of B o llin g e r County, who
could not r e c a l l the opening stan za.
466
10. And now you see what a woman can do;
She can out the old d e v il and her husband, to o .
THE OLD W O M A N AND THE DEVIL180
B
1. The old old man went out to plow
Sing to r y a loo, walked out to plow.
Up stepped the old d e v i l, "How are you now?"
Sing to ry a loo, how are you now?
2. " I t ' s one of your fam ily I have come f o r.
3, " I t ' s n e ith e r you nor your e l d e s t son.
I t ' s your old scolding w ife, she i s the one."
4. "Take h er and welcome, w ith a l l your h e a rt.
I hope to my soul you w i l l never p a r t ."
6. He picked her up upon h is back.
Like an old bald eagle went off in a rack .
6. He had not g o tte n more than h a lf h is road
Before he sa id , "Old woman, you are a h e l l of a
l o a d ."
7. He set her down a i l f o r to r e s t ;
She up w ith a s tic k and h i t him her b e s t.
8. He picked her up upon h i s back.
Like an old bald eagle went off in a rack.
9. He tra v e le d on u n t i l he came to h is g ate;
He gave h er a kick, said "There is your p la c e ."
10. Ten l i t t l e d e v ils strung on a w ire;
She up with h er fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
11. One l i t t l e d e v il peeping over the w all
Sang "Daddy, take h er back, s h e 'l l murder us a l l .
180
Belden, pp. 96-97. Sent in by Mrs. Edward Schaaf
. M ary's, S te. Genevieve County, M issouri, in 1914.
468
12. The good old man was peeping out of a crack;
Here came the d e v il wagging h er back.
13. "Now, old man, see what a woman can do;
She can ro u t her husband and k i l l d e v i l s , to o ."
14. "Now, old woman, on e a r th you must dw ell;
You are not f i t f o r heaven, and th e y w on't have
you in h e l l . "
APPENDIX LLLL
THE OLD M AN UNDER THE HILL181
A
1. There was an old man liv e d under the h ill*
Hi d i diddle d i day.
There was an old man liv e d under the h i l l ,
If he h a s n 't went craz y h e 's l i v i n ' th e re s t i l l .
Sing tw ice f i dum f i d id d le ,
F i dum f i dum f i day.
2. The old man he went out to plow.
But to save h is l i f e he d i d n 't know how.
3. The d i v i l come a - c r e e p in ' a c ro s s the f i e l d .
Says one of your fam ily I'm a-goin* to s t e a l .
4. You c a in t have my o ld e s t son.
For the work has only j u s t now begun.
b. You can have my s c o ld in ' old w ife ,
But you c a in t keep her to save your l i f e .
6. An' th en one day the d e v il appeared,
T h is old woman was badly scared.
7. He lugged her a l l upon h is back.
An1 lik e a t h i e f went a-w aggin' her back.
8. When he got down to h e l l ' s f a i r g a te s ,
There he bid her to walk mighty s t r a i g h t .
9. Three l i t t l e d e v ils come a - r a t t l i n ' t h e i r c h a in s.
She up w ith her fo o t an' kicked out t h e i r b r a in s .
10. Four l i t t l e d e v ils peeped over the w a ll,
S ay in ' take her back, daddy, s h e 'l l murder us a l l .
181
Vance Randolph, e d ., Ozark Folksongs (Columbia,
1946). pp. 189-191.
469
470
11. When he got th e re th e y wee e l l in bed.
She up w ith e p le te a n ' b e tte r e d t h e i r heeds.
12. The old men went a - b r a g g in ' in rem orse.
My wife rode the d e v i l e l l round f o r e h o rse.
b182
1. There wes an old men liv e d on a farm ,
Hi ho den do.
There wes an old men liv e d on a farm.
But he h a d n 't no c a t t l e t o c a rry i t on,
'Twas f i do, f i d id d le f i dum f i day.
2. He hooked up two p ig s and he ordered the plow,
And he broke up h is ground, the d e v il knows how.
3. Old d e v il come to him in the f i e l d one day,
Says one of your fam ily I ' l l c a rry away.
4. You c a n 't have my o ld e s t son.
For my hard work has j u s t now begun.
b. But you can have my old scolding w ife.
For we never could agree in our l i f e .
6. He picked her up a l l on h i t back,
I never seen a p ed d ler so 'shamed of h i s pack.
7. The f i r s t he met was a belchy bug.
She knocked him down w ith a d e v il of a clu b .
8. He c a r r ie d her on to the d e v i l ' s g a te .
And he bid the old lady to walk mighty s t r a i g h t .
9* He c a r r ie d h er on to the d e v i l 's door.
And he bid the old lady to scold no more.
10. Two l i t t l e d e v ils come w ith the c h a in s ,
With the d e v il of a c lu b she knocked out t h e i r
b r a in s .
11. Two l i t t l e d e v i ls says hold h er up h ig h e r.
She up w ith her fo o t and kicked nine in the f i r e .
^®%landolph. Ozark F o lk so n g s, pp. 191-193. C o n trib
uted by Miss M yrtle L ain, Linn C reek, M is so u ri, February 14,
1930.
471
12. Two l i t t l e d e v ils peeped over the w e ll.
Says tak e her o f f , daddy, s h e 's a-going to k i l l us
a l l .
13. He picked her up a l l on h is back,
And lik e an old fo o l went a-packing her back.
14. When she got near home she give a big v e i l .
She swore she had whipped a l l the d e v ils in h e l l .
lb . I t was seven year ago when she come back.
She c a lle d f o r the jaw-bone she l e f t in a crack.
16. When she got th e re she found her man laying on the
bed.
She picked up a p la te and m ellered h is head.
17. The old man went a -w h is tlin g over the h i l l ,
If the d e v il w on't have you I d o n 't know who w i l l .
c l 83
1. Thar was a o l ' man liv e d under t h ' h i l l .
Hi d i d iddle d i day,
Thar was a o l ' man liv e d under t h 1 h i l l ,
If he h a s n 't went crazy h e 's l i v i n ' th a r s t i l l ,
Sing twice f i dum f i d id d le , f i dum f i dum f i day.'
2. Th' o l ' man he went out t ' plow.
But t ' save h is l i f e he d i d n 't know how,
3. T h ' d e v il come a - c r e e p in ' a c ro s t t h e ' f i e l d ,
Says one o' your fam ily I'm g o in ’ t ' s t e a l ,
4. Wal, you c a i n 't have my o ld e st son.
For t h ' work has only j e s t now begun,
b. But you kin have my s c o ld in ' o l 1 w ife,
But you never kin keep her t ' save your l i f e ,
6. He lugged her off upon h is back,
A -sw earin' he would never fe tc h her back,
Vance Randolph, Qzark Mountain Folks (New York,
1932), pp. 227-231. Sung by J e th ro T o l l i v e r , "who liv e d
'way back up on Turkey C reek."
472
7. When he got down t ' h e l l ' s big g a te ,
Thar he bid h er t 1 walk mighty s t r a i g h t ,
8. Three l e e t l e d e v ils come f e t c h i n ' t h e ' c h a in s.
She up w ith her fo o t a n ' kicked out t h e i r b r a in s ,
9. Four l e e t l e d e v ils peeped over t h ' w all,
Sayin' take her back, daddy, s h e 'l l murder us a l l !
10. So he picked her up a l l on h i s back.
An' lik e a o l ' fo o l went a - lu g g in ' her back,
11. When she got near home she l e t out a y e l l .
She swore she had whupped a l l t h ' d e v ils in h e l l ,
12. She found her o l ' man a - l a y i n ' in bed.
She picked up a p la te an* m eliered h is head,
13. Th' o l ' man he says as he run down t h ' h i l l .
I f t h ' d e v il w on't have you I d o n 't know who w ill!
APPENDIX M M M M
THE OLD M A N UNDER THE HILL184
1. There was an old man liv e d under a h ill *
He had no horse to send to m ill.
Ting a d d le , tin g a d d le , tin g addle de-dav,
So he yoked up h is hogs and s ta r t e d t o plow;
He plowed such a furrow the d e v il knows how.
Ting a d d le , tin g a d d le , tin g addle de-day.
2. So he yoked up h is hogs and s ta r t e d to plough;
He ploughed such a furrow the d e v il knew how.
3. He saw the d e v il come in to the f i e l d .
4. Now says the old man, "I'm su rely undone;
The d e v i l 's come a f t e r my o ld e st son."
5. Now says the old d e v i l, " I t ' s a sure m istake.
For I 'v e come a f t e r old scolding K ate."
6. He c a r r ie d h er down t o old h e l l ' s g a te .
And bid her go in as scolding Kate.
7. Four or fiv e l i t t l e d e v ils lay ta n g le d in ch a in s;
She up with her fo o t, kicked out t h e i r b ra in s .
8. Four or fiv e l i t t l e d e v ils came up a l i t t l e nigher;
She up w ith her f o o t, kicked them a l l in the f i r e .
9. Four or fiv e l i t t l e d e v ils came peeping th ru the
w a ll,
"Oh, take her back. Daddy, s h e 'l l k i l l us a l l . "
1S4
J . Frank Dobie, e d ., Tone the B ell Easy (A ustin,
Texas, 1932), pp. 164-165. Dobie r e p o r ts : T h is i s the
only C hild humorous b a lla d th a t I have found in Texas. . . .
The tune i s quite j o l l y . " C o n trib u ted by a Mrs. M arshall.
473
474
10. So he loaded h er up a l l on h i s back.
And lik e an old fo o l went packing her back.
11. Seven y ears going and longer coming back.
She c a lle d fo r the mush she l e f t in the p o t.
12. Now says the old man, "I hope y o u 'l l be good.
If the d e v il w on't have you, I d o n 't know who
w ould."
APPENDIX N N N N
THE DEVIL'S SONG185
1. There was an old man who owned a farm.
Hi Hi d id d le urn day,
There was an old man who owned a farm.
And he had not c a t t l e t o c a rry i t on,
Singing tw ice f i dum f i d id d le f i dum f i day.
2. He yoked two p ig s in o rd er to plow.
And if he did i t the d e v il knows how,
3. The d e v il came to him in the f i e l d one day.
Saying, "One of your fam ily I w i l l c a rry away,"
4. 'You c a n 't have my o ld e s t son,"
For the work of the farm must s t i l l go on,"
b. "You can have my scolding w ife ,"
But you c a n 't keep h er t o save your l i f e , "
6. He packed h er up a l l in a sack,
And he looked lik e a p e d d ler a-packing h is pack,
7. Six l i t t l e d e v i ls a-clim bing the w a lls .
S aying, "Take h e r back, pappy, 'f o r e she k i l l s
us a l l , "
8. Six l i t t l e d e v ils a-dragging t h e i r c h a in s ,
Saying, "Take h er back, pappy, 'fo r e she b e a ts out
our b ra in s .
9. He packed her up a l l in a sack.
And lik e a damn fo o l went c a rry in g h er back,
W illiam A. Owens, Texas Folk Songs (D a lla s, 19b0),
pp. b4-b6. From the singing of b e ssie B aird , a voung lady
from Navarro County, who v i s i t e d one summer the farm of
U lysses S. Swindle of Lamar County, where Mr. Owens worked
as a farmhand when he was f i f t e e n y ears old.
47b
476
10. The old man was ly in g sic k in bed,
She took off her shoe and beat him on th e head,
11. The old man went w h is tlin g a c ro s s the h i l l .
Saying, "If the d e v il w on't have h er I ' l l be damned
i f I w i l l . "
APPENDIX 0000
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE186
1. Got up one morning* went out t o plow*
Tee roo* te e roo* went out t o plow*
With s ix te e n oxens and a darned old cow*
Tee roo* te e roo* and a darned old cow.
2. Up stepped the old d e v il s a y i n ', "How do you do?
T h e re 's one in your fam ily t h a t I must have."
3. "Oh* please d o n 't take my o ld e s t son*
T h e re 's work on the place t h a t ' s got to be done."
4. " I t ' s a l l I w a n t's t h a t w ife of y o u rs."
"Well, you can have her w ith a l l of my h e a r t ,
And promise me y o u 'l l never d e p a r t ."
5. He picked h er up upon h is back.
He looked lik e an eagle skeered off of the rack.
6. He c a r r i e d h er on about h a lf of the road.
He sa y s, "Old woman, y o u 're a d e v il of a lo a d ."
7. He c a r r i e d h er on t o the old d e v i l 's door*
There stood a l i t t l e d e v i l w ith a b a l l and a c h a in .
And up w ith h er fo o t and she kicked out h is b r a in s .
8. Nine l i t t l e d e v i ls went clim bing the w a ll.
Saying, "Take h er back, daddy, s h e 'l l murder us
a l l . "
9. Got up the next morning, peeped through the c ra c k ,
I sp ied the old d e v il come wagging h e r back.
10. And now you know what a woman can do.
She can whip out the d e v il and h er husband to o .
John Lomax and Alan Lomax, Our Singing Country (New
York, 1941), pp. Ib 3 -lb 4 . Sung by Foy and Ado 6ant of
Austin* Texas.
477
APPENDIX PPPP
OLD M AN UNDER THE HILL187
1. There was an old man liv e d under the h i l l ,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , liv e d under the h i l l .
And i f he a i n ' t dead h e 's liv in g th e re s t i l l ,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , liv in g th e re s t i l l .
2. One day the old man went out t o plow,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , went out t o plow,
'T is good-bye the old fe llo w , and how are you now.
Sing c h ir-u -ra -w e e , and how are you now.
3. And th e n a n o th e r came t o h is house,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , came t o h i s house,
"T h ere's one of your fam ily I 'v e got to have now,"
Sing c h ir-u -ra -w e e , got t o have now.
4. " I t ' s n e ith e r you nor your o ld e s t son,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , nor your o ld e s t son,"
"Then take my old woman and tak e h e r f o r fun.
Sing c h ir- u -r a -w e e , take h er f o r fu n ."
5. He takened h er a l l upon h is back,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , upon h i s back,
And lik e an old r a s c a l went r ic k e ty - r a c k ,
Sing c h ir- u - r a - w e e , went r ic k e ty rack .
6. But when he got h a lf way up the ro ad ,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , upon h is back.
Says he, "You old lady, y o u 're sure a lo a d ,"
Sing c h ir-u -ra -w e e , y o u 're sure a lo ad .
7. He se t her down on a stump t o r e s t ,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , stump t o r e s t .
She up w ith a s ti c k and h i t him her b e s t,
Sing c h ir-u -ra -w e e , h i t him h er b e s t.
18*7
John A. Lomax, e d . , Cowbov Songs (New York, 1911),
pp. 11 0 -1 1 1 .
478
479
8. He ta k en her on t o h e l l ' s old g a te ,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , h e l l ' s old g a te .
But when he got th e re he got th e re too l a t e ,
Sing c h ir-u -ra -w e e , got th e re to o l a t e ,
9, And so he had to keep h is w ife,
C h ir-u -ra -w e e , had t o keep h i s w ife.
And keep h er he did f o r the r e s t of h is l i f e ,
Sing c h ir-u -ra -w e e , f o r the r e s t of h is l i f e .
APPENDIX QQ Q Q
THE BROW N GIRL188
A
1. " I am a s brown a s brown can be,
My eyes as black as a slo e;
I am as b r is k as a n ig h tin g a le .
And as w ilde as any doe*
2. "My love has sent me a l o v e - l e t t e r .
Not f a r from yonder town,
That he could not fancy me,
Because I was so brown.
3. "1 sen t him h i s l e t t e r back a g a in .
For h is love 1 v a lu 'd n o t.
Whether t h a t he could fancy me
Or w hether he could not.
4. "He sent me h is l e t t e r back a g a in ,
That he lay dangerous sic k ,
That I might th e n go sp e ed ily
To give him up h is f a i t h . "
b. Now you s h a ll hear what love she had
Then f o r t h i s lo v e -s ic k man;
She was a whole long summer's day
In a mile a going on.
6. When she came to h er l o v e 's b e d -sid e .
Where he lay dangerous s ic k ,
She could not f o r laughing stand
U pright upon h er f e e t .
i88C h ild , V, P art I , 167. C a lle d "The Bonny Brown
G i r l , " "The Brown G i r l , " in The Brown G i r l 's G arlan d . B r i t
ish Museum 11621. c . 3 (10), n.dT, b e ^ r e IVbS.
7. She had a white wand a l l in h er hand.
And smoothd i t a l l on h is b re a s t;
M In f a i t h and t r o t h come pardon me,
I hope your s o u l 's a t r e s t .
8. " I ' l l do a s much f o r my tru e -lo v e
As o th e r maidens may;
I ' l l dance and sing on my lo v e 's grave
A whole twelvemonth and a day."
b 189
1. "I am as brown as brown can be.
And my eyes as black as sloe;
I am as b ris k a s b risk can be.
And w ild as f o r e s t doe.
2. "My love he was so high and proud,
His fo rtu n e to o so high.
He f o r another f a i r p r e tty maid
M e l e f t and passed me by.
3. "Me did he send a l o v e - l e t t e r ,
He sent i t from the town,
Saying no more he loved me.
For th a t I was so brown.
4. "I sent h i s l e t t e r back again.
Saying h is love I valued n o t.
Whether th a t he would fancy me.
Whether th a t he would not.
6. "When th a t six months were overpassd,
Were overpassd and gone.
Then did my lo v e r, once so bold,
Lie on h is bed and groan.
6. "When th a t six months were overpassd,
Were gone and overpassd,
0 then my lo v e r, once so bold.
With love was sick a t l a s t .
7. " F ir s t sent he f o r the doctor-man:
"You, d o c to r, me must cure;
The pains th a t now do to r tu r e m e
^®^Child, V, P art I, 167-168. Taken down by the Rev
erend S. Baring-Gould about 1894 from a blacksm ith in the
p a rish of T h ru sh leto n , Devon.
482
I can not long endure.
8. "Next d id he send from out the town.
0 next d id send f o r me;
He sent f o r ms, th e brown, brown g i r l
Who once h i s w ife should be.
9. "0 neer a b i t the doc tor-m an
H is s u f fe r in g s could r e lie v e ;
0 never an one but the brown, brown g i r l
Who could h is l i f e r e p r iv e ."
10. Now you s h a ll h ea r what love she had
For t h i s poor lo v e -s ic k man.
How a l l one day, a summer's day.
She walked and never ran .
11. When t h a t she came t o h is b ed sid e,
Where he lay sic k and weak,
O th en f o r laughing she could not stand
U pright upon h er f e e t .
12. "You f lo u te d me, you scouted me.
And many a n o th e r one;
Now the reward i s come a t l a s t ,
For a l l t h a t you have done."
13. The r in g s she took from off h er hands.
The r in g s by two and th r e e :
"O ta k e , O take th e s e golden r i n g s .
By them remember me."
14. She had a white wand in h er hand.
She stra k e him on the b r e a s t:
"My f a i t h and t r o t h I give back t o thee
So may th y soule have r e s t . "
15. " P r ith e e ," said he, " f o r g e t, f o r g e t.
P rith e e f o r g e t , fo rg iv e ;
O g ra n t me yet a l i t t l e space.
That 1 may be w ell and l i v e . "
16. "0 never w i l l I f o r g e t, fo rg iv e ,
So long as I have b re a th ;
I ' l l dance above your g reen , green grave
Where you do l i e b en e ath ."
APPENDIX RRRR
AN IRISH YOUNG LADY190
A
1. An I r i s h young lady t o old England came,
A most b e a u tif u l damsel, f a i r S a lly , by name;
T his lady was so lo f t y and h er p o rtio n so high
That upon a young s a i l o r sh e'd sc a rc e ly c a s t an
eye.
2. She s a id , "I do not hate you nor any o th er man.
But a s f o r t o love you I'm sure I never can.
So leave off your a t t e n t i o n s and hold your d i s
course ,
For I never w i l l marry you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
3. T h is lady was sic k and she went to her bed;
The thought of t h i s young man came in to h er head;
She was taken sick in love she knew not j u s t why,
So she sent f o r t h i s young man sh e'd s lig h te d so
high.
4. "0 am I the young man you've sent fo r? " sa id he,
"0 am I the do cto r who can cure thee?"
"0 y es, you're the d octor can e i t h e r k i l l or c u re ,
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in ed , I'm s u re ."
5. "0 S a lly , O S a lly , O S a lly !" sa id he,
"0 d o n 't you remember when I came to c o u rt th e e ,
You most s c o rn fu lly denied me and bade me be gone?
And so now I ' l l reward you f o r what you have done."
6. "0 tim es p ast and gone, love, fo rg e t and fo rg iv e .
And g ran t me a l i t t l e more time f o r to l i v e . "
"0 tim es p ast and gone I ' l l n e ith e r fo rg e t nor
f o rg iv e ,
Barry, B r iti s h B allads from Maine, pp. 418-420.
C o n trib u ted in 19*4 Dy Dr. Robert G rindle of Mount D e s e rt,
Maine, aged 82.
483
484
But I ' l l dance on your grave a l l th e days I may
l i v e . "
7. "Adieu t o my f a t h e r , adieu t o my mother.
Adieu t o my f i t t e r and lik ew ise my b ro th e r .
Adieu t o t h i s young man who c a n 't p i t y me,
O th e n te n thousand tim es over my f o l l y I se e ."
8. "Cheer up, lo v e , ch e er up, lo v e ," said he,
"Cheer up, lo v e , ch e er up, love, and m arried w e 'l l
b e . "
And m arried th e y were and th e y liv e d in u n ity .
And were as happy a couple as ev e r you d id see.
FAIR SALLY191
B
1. There was a r ic h lady, from England she came,
F a ir S a lly she was c a lle d and F a ir S a lly was h er
name;
Her r ic h e s were more th an the world e ' e r p ossessed.
And h er w it and her beauty were more th an the r e s t .
2. There was a r ic h squire worth te n thousand pounds
a year,
And f o r t o c o u rt t h i s lady away he did s te e r .
She being a lady so l o f t y and so high
That upon t h i s young gentleman she scarce c a s t h er
eye.
3. "0 S a lly , F a ir S a lly , O S a lly ," says he,
" I s n 't i t a p ity th a t you and I c a n 't agree?
For though I do love you, I know you d o n 't me.
Ten thousand tim es te n thousand my f o l l i e s I s e e ."
4. When s ix weeks were over, a l l over, gone and p a s t,
At le n g th t h i s f a i r damsel grew lo v e sick a t l a s t ;
She being sic k and was lik e f o r to d ie .
She sent f o r t h i s young gentleman whom she did
deny.
Barry, B r iti s h B allads from Maine, pp. 420-422.
From the MS. book of Mrs. Susie C a rr, one of the songs
sung by Grandmother C a rr, who died in 1869.
N 0 S a l l y , F a ir S a lly , 0 S a l l y ," says he,
"0 am 1 a d o c to r t h a t you sent f o r me?"
"Yes, you are the one t h a t can k i l l or can c u re ,
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I am ru in ed everm ore."
"O S a lly , F a ir S a lly , 0 S a lly ," sa id he,
"D on't you remember when you s lig h te d me?
'Twas when 1 d id ask you, you answered me w ith
scorn,
And now I ' l l reward you f o r w h a t's p ast and gone."
"For w h a t's p a s t and gone, lo v e , fo rg e t and f o r g iv e .
And g ra n t me a l i t t l e lo n g er t h a t in t h i s world I
may l i v e . "
"No, I never w i l l fo rg iv e you while during of my
b re a th .
But I ' l l dance o 'e r your grave when y o u 're cold in
the e a r t h . "
Then off from h er f in g e r £shej p u lle d diamond
r in g s t h r e e ,
Saying: "Keep th e se in remembrance while dancing
o 'e r me;
For I can fo rg iv e you, although you w o n 't me.
Ten thousand tim es te n thousand my f o l l i e s I s e e ."
And now she i s dead, as we do suppose.
And l e f t some o th e r lady d re sse d in h er fin e
c l o th e s .
Come a l l you p r e t t y f a i r m aids, your sw ee th ea rts
d o n 't s l i g h t .
But be always condescending; so I wish you good
n ig h t.
486
SALLY AND HER TRUE LOVE BILLY192
1. 'T is of a young s a i l o r , from Dover he came.
He courted p r e t t y S a lly , p r e t t y S ally was h er name.
But she was so l o f t y , and h e r p o rtio n so high.
That she on a s a i l o r would scarce c a s t an eye,
2. "0 S a lly ! 0 S a lly ! 0 S a lly !" says he,
" I f e a r t h a t your f a l s e h e a rt my ru in w i l l be
U nless th a t your h a tre d should tu rn in to love,
I'm a f r a id th a t your f a ls e h e a rt my ru in w i l l
prove,"
3. "My h a t r e d 's not to you or any o ther man,
But t o say th a t I love you i s more than I can;
So keep your in te n tio n , and hold your d isc o u rs e ,
For I never w i l l Q.ovej you u n le ss I am f o r c 'd . "
4. When seven long weeks were gone and p a s t.
T h is p r e tty maid f e l l sick a t l a s t ,
Entangled in love, and she knew not f o r why,
So sent f o r the s a i l o r whom she deny'd.
5. "0 1 am the D octor, and you sent f o r me,
O I am the young man th a t you w ish 'd to see;"
"0 yes, you're the Doctor th a t can k i l l or cu re.
The pain t h a t I f e e l , love, i s hard to endure."
6. "0 S a lly ! 0 S a lly ! 0 S a lly !" says he,
"Pray d o n 't you remember how you s lig h te d me.
How you s lig h te d my love and tr e a te d me w ith scorn,
So now I ' l l reward you f o r what you have done."
7. "For what i s gone and p a s t, love, fo rg e t and f o r
giv e.
And g ran t me a l i t t l e while longer to l i v e ; "
"0 no my d e a re s t S a lly as long as I have b re a th .
I ' l l dance upon the grave when you lay und ern eath ."
102
B arry, B r iti s h B allads from Maine, pp. 422-423. A
broadside in the Claude Lovat F ra se r C o lle c tio n , 2:5,
re s id in g in the Yale U n iv e rsity L ibrary.
487
8. She took r in g s from h er f i n g e r s , by one, two, and
t h r e e .
S aying, "Here my d e a re s t B i l l y , in remembrance of
me,
In remembrance of me my love when I am dead and
gone.
Perhaps you may be so rry f o r what you have done."
9. "So adieu t o my daddy, my mammy, and f r i e n d s ,
And adieu t o th e young s a i l o r t o r he w i l l make no
amends;
Likewise t h i s young s a i l o r he w i l l not p ity me,
Ten thousand tim es now my f o l l y I s e e . ”
FAIR SALLY193
E
1. An E nglish f a i r lady to Old England came,
A b e a u tif u l c r e a t u r e , sweet S a lly by name;
Her r ic h e s were more th a n a king could p o sse ss.
Her w it and h er beauty exceeded the r e s t .
2. A noble young squire th a t liv e d in the p la c e .
Would have c o u rte d t h i s young g i r l of beauty and
g ra c e ,
But she, being so gay, so l o f t y and high.
That on t h i s young sq u ire she would scarce c a s t an
e y e .
3. "0 S a l l y , 0 S a lly , 0 S a lly ," sa id he,
"I'm so rry t h a t your love and mine c a n 't agree;
U nless th a t your h a tre d is tu rn ed in to love,
I'm sure th a t your beauty my r u in w i l l prove.
4. "I have no h a tre d f o r you nor f o r any o th e r man,
But as fo r to love you is more th an 1 can;
T herefore I would have no now end your d is c o u rs e .
For I never w i l l have you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
■ * - 9 3B arry, B r i t i s h B allad s from Maine. pp. 424-425. A
broadside in th e brown U niv e r s I ty L ib r a r y , P rovidence,
Stanza twelve i s shown as an a l t e r n a t i v e "happy ending" to
the Barry B v a r ia n t which i s included in Smith and R u fty 's
American Antholoov of Old World B allads (1937).
488
5. When s ix weeks were gone and a l i t t l e more was
p a s t.
T h is b e a u tif u l damsel was ta k en sic k a t l a s t .
She was c ro sse d f o r love and she knew not f o r why.
So she sent f o r the squire whom she had d en ied .
6. "O S a l l y , 0 S a lly , 0 S a l l y , " sa id he,
"Am 1 a d o c to r t h a t you sent f o r me;*
"Yes, you are the d o c to r t h a t can e i t h e r k i l l or
c u re .
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I'm ruined I'm s u re ."
7. "0 where i s your p ain , i s i t in your head;
0 where is your p a in , is i t in your side?"
"0 no," answered S a lly , "the r i g h t you h a v e n 't
guessed.
For the p ain i t is love, i t l i e s in my h e a r t ."
8. "C S a lly , O S a lly , O S a lly ," sa id he,
"O d o n 't you remember how you t r e a t e d me?
When I came to c o u rt you, you t r e a t e d me w ith
sc orn,
'T is now I ' l l reward you f o r th in g s p a st and gone."
9. "For th in g s p a st and gone, lo v e , fo rg e t and f o r g iv e ,
0 spare me a l i t t l e time longer to l i v e : "
"0 no, I w o n 't, S a lly , so long as I'v e b re a th ,
But I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in
the e a r t h . "
10. She took from her f i n g e r s , i t was diamond r in g s
th r e e .
Saying, "Take them and view them when dancing on
me;
I ' l l f r e e l y fo rg iv e you, I know you w on't me.
So fa re w e ll to t h i s e a r th f o r ' t i s a l l v a n ity .
11. "Farew ell t o my f r i e n d s , fa r e w e ll t o my fo e s .
F arew ell to t h i s young man w ith sorrow and woes.
I ' l l f r e e l y fo rg iv e him, I know he w on't me.
So f a r e w e ll to t h i s world f o r ' t i s a l l v a n i ty ."
12. He took from h is f i n g e r s , 'tw as diamond rin g s
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Take them and keep them and be wedded to
me;
Come ch eer up your s p i r i t s and m arried we w i l l be.
And none s h a ll liv e h ap p ier th a n S a lly and me."
t
APPENDIX SSSS
THE FAIR DAM SEL FRO M LONDON194
1. There wet e f a i r dam sel, from London she came.
Her name i t was S a lly , 0 S a lly by name,
Her r ic h e s were more than the king could p o sse ss,
And her beauty was more than her r ic h e s would
f e tc h .
2. There was a young lo rd , one n ight he did s te e r
To c o u rt t h i s f a i r damsel w ith thousands a year;
She being so l o f t y , her p o rtio n so high.
That upon t h i s young man she would scarce c a s t an
eye.
3. "O S a lly , 0 S a lly , 0 S a l l y . " said he,
M l'm so rry th a t your love and mine c a n 't agree;
Forever more my ru in y o u 'l l prove,
Unless th a t your h atred be tu rn ed in to lo v e ."
4. "No h atred to you nor to no other man.
But to say th a t I love you I'm sure I never can;
So drop your in te n tio n and end the d is c o u rs e .
For I never w i l l marry you u n le ss I am f o r c 'd . "
b. Five or six weeks being over and p a s t.
W e heard of t h i s f a i r m aid's m isfortune a t l a s t ,
She sent fo r t h i s young man sh e'd s lig h te d w ith
scorn.
She was p ie rc e d through the h e a rt and did nothing
but mourn.
^ 4Helen H. F lan d e rs and George Brown, e d s ., Vermont
Folk-Sonas and B allads (B ra ttle b o ro , 1932), pp. 244-246.
i n i s v e rsio n was compiled by an old R evolutionary s o ld ie r
of Sandgate, Vermont, in h is Green Mountain Sonoster (1823),
a book now in p o sse ssio n of Harold Rugg, a l i b r a r i a n at the
Dartmouth C ollege L ib rary . Q uotation marks have been added.
489
490
6. "Well, good morning, p r e t t y S a l l y , and how do you
f e e l ?
la your p a in in your head or i t i t in your h e e l? "
"O no. kind a i r . th a t r u t h you hava not g u e e a 'd .
For tha p a in t h a t 1 f a a l p ia rc a a me through tha
b r e a s t . "
7. "W all, am I a d o c to r, you aant f o r me ao?
Tha t r u t h of tha ato ry 1 mean f o r t o know."
*Oh.' yes kind a i r . you can k i l l or can c u re .
For w ithout your a e eia ta n c e I'm ru in e d I'm a u ra ."
8. "0 S a l l y . 0 S a l l y , O S a lly ," e a id ha,
Xih. d o n 't you remember how you a lig h te d me?
I aaked you a qua a tio n , you answered w ith acorn.
And now I ' l l reward you f o r th in g s p aa t and gone."
9. "For th in g a p a s t and gone a i r , I pray you'd f o rg iv e ,
May Heaven perm it me one day more t o li v e .
I n e 'e r w i l l fo rg iv e you not while I have b r e a th .
And I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in
the e a r t h .
10. "Farew ell to my p a r e n ta , fa re w e ll to my f r ie n d a .
F arew ell to t h i s young man. God make him amende.
For I can fo rg iv e him although he c a n 't me.
For te n thoueand time a over my f o l l y I a e e ."
11. "F arew ell t o my f r ie n d a . f a r e w e ll to my foe a,
F arew ell to t h i a troubleaome w orld a la o ."
Then o ff of h er f in g e r a took diamond rin g a t h r e e .
Saying wear theae f o r my aake when y o u 're dancing
on me.
12. *Q S a lly , 0 S a lly , O S a lly ," said he.
Put your rin g a on your f in g e r a and m arried w e 'l l b e;"
Thia couple were m arried, they m arried s p e e d ily .
And as happy a couple aa ever you see.
APPENDIX TTTT
THE BROW N GIRL195
A
1. There was a r i c h lady, from London she came.
She c a lle d h e r s e lf S a lly , p r e t t y S a lly , by name.
Her r ic h e s was more th an tne king doth p o sse ss,
Yet her beauty was more th a n h er w ealth a t the b e s t.
2. There was a young gentlem an, a r i c h m e rc h an t's son.
And the l e a s t of h i s income was fiv e hundred pound;
He was ta n g le d in love and he knew not f o r why,
'T was on t h i s the f a i r damsel could scarce c a s t an
eye.
3. "I d o n 't scorn fo r to hate you or any o th er man.
But as f o r t o love you, i t ' s more th a n I can.
So drop your in te n tio n s and end your d is c o u rs e .
For I never w i l l marry you, a t l e a s t ways I'm f o r c e d . ”
4. Six months had r o lle d around, f u l l six months had
passed .
T i l l t h i s f a i r young damsel proved sick a t th e l a s t .
She was ta n g le d in love and she knew not fo r why,
She sends fo r t h i s young man she once did deny.
5. "Am I the d o cto r you sent f o r so sly
Or am 1 the young man you once did deny?"
"0 you are the d o c to r can k i l l or can c u re .
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e , I'm ru in e d . I'm s u r e . ”
6. ”0 S a lly , 0 S a lly , p r e t t y S a l l y , ” says he,
”0 d o n 't you remember when you s lig h te d me?
You laughed a t my c o u r ts h ip , you have s lig h te d me
w ith scorn.
And now I ' l l reward you f o r th in g s p a s t and g o n e ,”
^9^D avis, T r a d i t i o n a l B alla d s of V i r g i n i a , p. 538.
C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone, as sung by Mr. George H art of
Konnarock, Washington County, V ir g in ia , On November 8, 1921.
491
492
7. "For th in g s p a s t and gone, love, fo rg e t and fo rg iv e .
And g ran t roe some longer in t h i s world to l i v e . 1 '
M I never w i l l forgive you, enduring of my b re a th ,
But I ' l l dance on your grave when you are la id in the
e a r t h . "
8. So off h er fin g e r she p u lle d a gold r in g .
Saying, "Take t h i s and wear i t while dancing on me."
"Your rin g I ' l l deny, and your body I ' l l d is d a in .
So now 1 w i l l leave you in sorrow and p a in ."
b196
1. There was a r ic h I r i s h lady, from Irelan d she came,
There was a r ic h I r i s h lady, and Sarah by name.
2. Her r ic h e s were more than the king could p o sse ss.
But her behavior and beauty were more th an a l l th u s.
3. That lengthy* young squire a -c o u rtin g her came.
That lengthy young squire came her fo r to see.
4. She s p i t e f u l l y used him and denied him w ith scorn,
And the le s s h e ' l l rv o ir (?)** her fo r what she has
done.
5. Six months had not ended nor sc a rc e ly had passed.
T i l l t h i s r ic h I r i s h damsel f e l l sick a t the l a s t .
6. Being ta n g led in love, she knew not fo r why.
She sent fo r th a t young man whom she once did deny.
7. "Am I the doctor th a t you sent fo r me?
Or am I the young man whom you wanted fo r to see?"
8. "You are the doctor th a t can k i l l or can c u re .
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e , I'm dying. I'm su re ."
9. "O Sarah, O S arah, 0 Sarah," said he,
"Don't you remember how you once did s lig h t me?"
10. "Forget and fo rg iv e fo r w h a t's p a s t and gone.
And 'low your d a rlin g Sarah some longer to l i v e . "
^ D avis, p. 539. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone, as
sung on November 3, 1920, by Mrs. J . C. Edkle, near Bolar,
Bath County, V irg in ia .
493
11. " I ' l l never f o r g e t you, I ' l l never fo rg iv e you* nor
t h a t a i n ' t h a lf a l l ;
For I ' l l dance on your grave* g ir l* a f t e r y o u 're la i d
in the d u s t.
12. Off of h er f in g e r s she p u lle d diamond r in g s three*
Saying* "Take and wear those while y o u 're dancing
o 'e r me.
13. "Let no more of your fly in g c o lo r s be seen
While y o u 're dancing over Sarah* o 'e r Sarah* the
q u e e n ."
14. Sarah i s dead now* t h a t you a l l my suppose.
And she has l e f t some of those l a d i e s a l l of her fin e
c lo th e s.
lb . And she has took up her lodging in the banks of co ld
c la y ,
And the l a s t of her red rosy cheeks l i e s moldering
away.
♦For a t le n o th . a . probably.
♦♦For r e v i l e , probably.
C197
1. A r i c h I r i s h lady from London she came*
They c a lle d her P r e tty Sally* P re tty S a lly , by name.
Her r ic h e s so noble* her beauty so f a i r ,
And on a young squire she s c a rc e ly c a s t an eye.
2. About six months afterw ards* i t was a sad su rp rise*
T h is young g i r l was seen w ith t e a r s in her eyes.
She was wounded and wounded she knew not f o r why,
She sent fo r the squire to come see her d ie .
3. "0 S a lly , O S a lly , 0 S a lly ," sa id he,
"Don't you remember when you s lig h te d me?
You laughed a t my c o u rts h ip and t r e a t e d me w ith
scorn.
^ D a v i s , p. 540. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone as
r e c i t e d on November 8, 1921, by Mrs. Jen n ie A llis o n of
S a ltv i lle * Smyth County, V irg in ia . She learned i t from her
mother who heard i t sung by s o ld i e r s in the C i v i l War.
494
And now I ' l l reward you fo r time p a st and gone."
4. "For time p ast and gone, 0 fo rg e t and fo rg iv e ,
And spare me some longer in t h i s vain world to l i v e . "
"No, t h a t I w on't do, S a lly , as long as I have
b re a th .
But I ' l l dance on your grave when you are la id in
cold d e a th ."
b. Off of her f in g e r s she p u lle d diamond rin g s th r e e ,
Saying, "Take th ese and wear them while dancing o 'e r
me."
"No, th a t I w on't do, S a lly , but as long as I have
b reath
I ' l l dance on your grave when you are la id in cold
e a r t h . "
d198
1. "Oh Sarah, Oh S arah ," said he,
"Don't you remember when you f i r s t courted me?
2. "Oh, I asked you in kindness, you answered me in
scorn,
And now y o u 'l l remember the days passed and gone."
3. He lay wounded in love, and they knew not fo r why;
She sent fo r t h i s young maid she once did deny.
4. "Am I your d o c to r, am I your cure?
Am I your doctor you sent fo r me here?
b. "Yes, you are my d o c to r, you are my c u re .
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d , I'm sure.
0. "And the time passed and gone, d e a r, I hope y o u 'l l
f o r g iv e ,
And g ran t some longer time fo r to l i v e ."
7. "I never w ill fo rg iv e you, as long as I l i v e ,
I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in the
g ro u n d ."
D avis, pp. b4Q-b41. C o llec te d by Miss A lfreda M.
Peel as sung by Miss Iso b e l Nicewander of Bland, Bland
County, V irg in ia , on September 3, 1923.
495
8. And off of h er f in g e r s h er r i n g s , h e r r in g s she
p u iie d t h r e e ,
"Take them and wear them while I'm dancing on t h e e ."
9. " I 'd f r e e l y fo rg iv e him, but he w on't fo rg iv e me;
My f a l l i s te n thousand tim es under the s e a ."
e 199
1. There was a young lady from Old England came.
Sweet S a lly of S alsw o rth , th ey c a l l e d h e r by name.
S ev eral sta n za s are m issing h e r e .
2. "Am I the d o c to r t h a t you send f o r me h e re .
Or am I the young man t h a t you love so dear?"
3. "You are the d o c to r th a t can k i l l or can c u re ,
And w ithout your r e l i e f , lo v e , I am ru in e d . I'm
s u r e ."
4. "When I f i r s t c o u rte d you, you der\ied me w ith scorn.
And now I ' l l repay you f o r a l l ' s p ast and gone."
5. "For a l l ' s p a s t and gone, lo v e, f o r g e t and f o rg iv e .
And g ra n t me, I pray you, some longer t o l i v e .
6. "No, I w o n 't, S a lly , sweet S a lly ," said he,
"But I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're co ld in
the c l a y ."
7. Then off of h er f in g e r s she p u lle d diamond r in g s
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Wear them f o r my sake when dancing o 'e r
m a ■■
199
77D avis, p. 541. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone, as sung
by Miss I . C. Young, of South N orfolk, N orfolk County,
V ir g in ia , on November 10, 1919.
496
F200
1. H 0 Marthy, 0 Marthy, 0 M arthy," says he,
"I'm fe a re d th a t your beauty might ru in me*
Without your h atran ce tu r n s t o love and love no
o th e r one.
I'm sure th a t your beauty might ru in me.
2. "You laughed a t my c o u rts h ip ,
You t r e a t e d me w ith scorn.
But now I ' l l reward you
For the time t h a t ' s p a st and gone.
3. "The time t h a t ' s p a st and gone, love,
The time you tu rn ed me away."
"Dear lo rd , remember me
When y o u 're dancing on my g ra v e ."
g 201
1. "Are you the d octor they sent f o r me h e re,
Or are you the young g i r l th a t I loved so d e a r,
Or are you the d o cto r can k i l l or can cure?
Without your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d , I'm s u re ."
2. "And stand by your bed t i l l you breathe the l a s t
b re a th ,
And I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're cold in
the e a r t h ."
3. She p u lle d from her f in g e r s gold diamond rin g s
t h r e e ,
Saying: "Take them and wear them when you're dancing
on me.
I ' l l f r e e ly fo rg iv e you, although you w on't me.
F arew ell to t h i s vain world, i t ' s a l l v a n ity ."
D avis, pp. 541-542. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone,
a s sung on June 29, 1921, by Mr. C harles Lowry, near South
Boston, H alifax County, V irg in ia .
201
D avis, p. 542. C o llected by Mr. C e c il Sharp and
Miss Maud K arpeles, as sung by Mr. N. B. Chisholm a t Wood
r id g e , Albemarle County, V irg in ia , on September 23, 1916.
497
h 202
1. A r i c h I r i s h lady from London she came,
A b e a u tif u l f a i r damsel c a lle d S a lly by name.
2. "Am I the d o c to r you sent f o r me h ere.
Or am I the d o c to r t h a t can k i l l or can cure?"
3. "You are the d o c to r th a t can k i l l or can cu re;
Without your a s s is ta n c e I am ru in e d . I'm s u r e ."
j203
1. A f a i r I r i s h lady from Ire lan d came.
F a ir S a lly , f a i r S a l l y , f a i r S a lly by name.
2. T h is lady took sick and lik en ed t o d ie .
And sent f o r t h i s young man who had scarce c a s t
an eye.
j2 0 4
1. There was a lady from Ire lan d she came
She c a lle d h e r s e lf S a lly , p r e tty S a lly , by name.
2. Her r ic h e s were more th a n her king could p o sse ss.
And h er beauty was more th an her w ealth a t the b e s t.
202
D avis, p. 542. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone, as sung
by Miss Emma C arp en ter of Brightwood, Madison County, V ir
g i n i a , on November 3, 1920.
203
D avis, p. 543. C o lle c te d by Mr. John Stone, as sung
by Mrs. Rosson of A lex an d ria, Rockingham County, V ir g in ia ,
on November 10, 1919.
204D av is, p. 543. C o lle c te d by Mr. John S tone, as sung
by Mrs. W . K. Rogers near B o lar, Bath County, V ir g in ia , on
November 3, 1920.
APPEMJIX UUUU
RICH LADY FROM LONDON205
1. T h e re '* a f a i r E n g lish Lady, from London she came
A b e a u t i f u l dam sel, c a lle d S a lly by name.
2. Her r ic h e s were so g r e a t , and h er honor so high
If I must reward you, she would c r o s s and deny.
3. " I t ' s now you may t a r r y , and go on vour course
For I know I ' l l never marry you, u n le ss I am fo rced
4. "No f o r c 'n i n g , no f o r c 'n i n g , no f o r c 'n i n g , " sa id
she,
"For t h e r e 's p le n ty o th e r boys, are w aitin g f o r me.
5. For tw en ty -fo u r days has r o l l e d and passed by
T h is b e a u tif u l damsel took sick a t l a s t .
6. She was sic k And low. She knew not f o r a while
She sent f o r t h i s young man, she once had denied.
7. I t ' s , "Am I the d o c to r, can k i l l or can c u re ? ”
Or i t ' s , "Am I t h i s young man, you once had denied?
8. "Yes, you are th a d o c to r, can k i l l or can c u re .
And w ithout your a s s i s t a n c e , I'm ru in ed I'm s u r e . ”
9. She p u lle d from her f i n g e r s , gold diamond r in g s
th r e e
Saying, "Take them and wear them, while y o u 're danc
ing over me."
10. "No keep your r i n g s , S a l l y , and l i e them on your
b r e a s t .
For I ' l l dance on your g rav e. Love, while y o u 're
ly in g a t r e s t . "
205
MacEdward Leach and Horace P. Beck, "Songs from
Rappahannock County, V ir g in ia ," J o u rn a l of American Folk
lo re . 63:257-284. 1950. Sung by J . Mahoney of C h e s te r ' s
Gap, Rappahannock County, V ir g in ia , in the spring of 1948.
Well i t ' s S a lly i t da a d , and you a l l may be expoaed
To soma of h ar r e l a t i o n s , aha h a t w ille d h er fin e
c l o t ha a.
She haa tak en h ar lo d g in g a , in tha banka of c o ld
c la y
Har body, cheek*, l i e a-m old*ring away.
APPENDIX W W
THE RICH IRISH LADY206
1. A r ic h I r i s h lady from Dublin she came,
P ossessing g re a t r ic h e s , and Sarah by name,
She was so r ic h t h a t i t scarce can be to ld
A poor young man came c o u rtin g t h i s young damsel
bold.
2. But she was so high and l o f t y .
Upon t h i s poor young man she would scarce c a s t
an eye.
3. And he s a id , "Sarah, p r e tty S arah, I am a f r a id
That my love and your love d o n 't ag ree ,
No fo rc in g , f o r I r e a l l y d o n 't want you
If you have to be fo rc e d ."
4. So a t f u l l six months t h i s f a i r damsel f e l l sic k .
And a t l a s t she sent f o r t h i s young man.
Who she once did deny.
b. "O Sarah, lo v ej" said he, "am I the d o cto r, the
franco ( ? ) ,
That you have sent f o r me?"
6. "You are the d o c to r, the danco.
You can k i l l or c u re , th a t I have sent fo r you."
7. "I w ill n e ith e r k i l l you nor cure you.
But I w ill dance over you when you are buried in the
ground."
205
Anna D. Richardson, "Old Songs from C larksburg,
W . V a., 1918." Jo u rn a l of American F o lk lo r e . 32:502, 1919.
Submitted by Mrs. Rachel Fogg of C lark sb u rg , West V ir g in ia ,
in 1918.
500
She peeled from h er f in g e r s gold "diam ents" th re e
"Here, take these in remembrance of m e l
And when y o u 're done dancing, c a l l Sarah your
queen,
And f le e from your c o u n try , no more t o be seen."
APPENDIX W W W W
PRETTY SALLY207
1. There was a ro y a l dam sel, from London she came,
A ro y a l f a i r dam sel, c a lle d S a lly by name;
Her beauty was so g r e a t , and h e r r ic h e s so high
That upon t h i s poor man she would not c a s t an eye.
2. "O S a lly , p r e t t y S a lly , 0 S a l l y , my lo v e ," said he,
" I f e a r t h a t your love and mine w on't agree;
I f e a r t h a t your beauty t o mine rue u n tru e .
U nless your h a tre d i s tu rn ed in to lo v e ."
3. "No h a tre d t o you, s i r , nor no o th e r man.
But t o say t h a t 1 love you i s more th a n I can;
So you may drop your i n t e n t i o n s , w e 'l l end our
d is c o u r s e ;
I ' l l never wed w ith you, s i r , u n le s s I am f o rc e d ."
4. "No f o rc in g , p r e t t y S a l l y , no f o r c in g , lo v e ," said
he,
"No f o r c in g , p r e t t y S a l l y , f o r you to marry me;
But the time i t w i l l come when you w i l l r e l e n t .
And f o r your p a s t a c tio n s I hope w i l l r e p e n t."
5. So the f o u rte e n weeks were over, were over and p a s t,
T h is ro y a l f a i r damsel f e l l s ic k a t the l a s t ;
. . . a n d she knew not f o r why.
She sent f o r t h i s young man she once did deny.
6. "0 S a l l y , p r e t t y S a l l y , 0 S a lly , lo v e ," said he,
"Am I the d o c to r, t h a t you have sent f o r me?"
"Yes, you are the d o c to r, both k i l l and can c u re ,
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I am l o s t , I am s u r e ."
207
Cox, Folk-Songs of the S outh, pp. 366-367. C o n trib
u ted in Jan u ary , l^IV , by Mrs. E. A. Hunt of B elington,
Barbour County, West V ir g in ia .
602
503
7. "O where does th e p ain l i e ? Does i t l i e in your
side?
0 where does the p a in l i e ? Does i t l i e in your
head?"
" N eith er of them; th e r ig h t you have not guessed:
The p ain t h a t torm ents me l i e s sore in my b r e a s t ."
8. "0 S a l l y , p r e t t y S a lly , my lo v e ," says he,
"O d o n 't you remember when I f i r s t co u rte d th e e ,
. . . vou denied me w ith scorn?
And I ' l l reward you f o r w h a t's p ast and gone."
9. "0 f o r w h a t's p ast and gone, lo v e , f o rg e t and
f o r g i v e ,
And do g ra n t me some longer on t h i s e a r th t o l i v e . "
"I never w i l l fo rg iv e you as long as you have
b re a th .
And I ' l l dance on your grave when you are buried in
the d u s t."
10. Off of h er f in g e r s she p u lle d diamonds t h r e e .
Saying, "Take these and wear them while dancing on
me;
And when y o u 're done dancing, c a l l S a lly your queen,
And f l y from your c o u n try , never more t o be seen ."
11. Now S a lly she is dead and in h er low grave doth l i e ,
And W illiam h e 's dead and b u ried clo se by.
504
A RICH IRISH LADY208
B
1. From London came a b e a u tif u l lady, c a lle d S a lly by
name;
A r ic h w ealthy merchant, worth thousands a year.
He came to co u rt h e r, as you s h a ll h e a r.
2. She being so handsome, her p o rtio n so high.
That upon t h i s young man she could scarce c a s t her
eye;
She was tan g led in love, but knew not the reason
why;
But she sends f o r t h i s young man th a t she once did
deny.
3. "Am I the d o c to r, th a t you send fo r me h e re .
Or am I the young man th a t you once loved so dear?"
"0 yes, you are the d o c to r, th a t can k i l l or can
c u r e ,
And w ithout a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in ed , I'm su re ."
4. "O where doth your pain l i e , doth i t lie in your
side?
0 where doth the pain l i e , doth i t lie in your
head?"
"0 no, loving sw eeth eart, the r ig h t you've not gue
gue ssed;
For the pain th a t doth p ierce me, doth l i e in my
b r e a s t . "
b. "You've laughed a t my c o u rts h ip , denied me with
scorn;
And now I reward you f o r w h a t's past and gone."
"For w h at's p ast and gone, fo rg e t and fo rg iv e ;
And g ran t me, 0 d a rlin g , some longer to l i v e . "
2q8
Cox, Folk-Songs, pp. 367-368. Communicated by Miss
L ily Hagans of Morgantown, Monongalia County, West V irg in ia ,
in 1916. She obtained i t from Miss C a llie Nuzum of H arrison
County, who got i t from an old gentleman in her neighbor
hood.
505
6. "O no, X w o n 't, S a lly , w h ils t e ' e r I draw b re a th ;
But I ' l l dance o 'e r your grave when y o u 're la id in
the e a r t h ."
Off her fin g e r diamond rin g s she p u lle d th re e
S aying, "Take care of th e s e , lo v e, while dancing
o 'e r m e."
PRETTY SALLY209
C
1. There was a f a i r damsel, from London she came,
A b e a u tif u l damsel, c a lle d S a lli e by name.
There was a young sq u ire , h ire d a t six hundred a
year.
And he came to co u rt S a l l i e , fo r he loved her very
dear.
But S a lli e being r ic h , her fo rtu n e very high,
Upon t h i s young man she scarce c a s t an eye.
" S a l l i e , O S a llie .'" said he,
"I am sorry your love and mine c a n 't agree;
3. "W e'll make no g re a t o u t, but your love w i l l
improve,
Unless t h a t your h a tre d w i l l tu r n in to lo v e."
"No h a tre d f o r you, s i r , nor f o r another man.'
But to say th a t I love you, I am sure I never can.
4. "So drop your in te n tio n , and end your d isc o u rs e ,
For I never w i l l have you un less I am fo rc e d ."
When six weeks had come on, when six weeks had
passed.
P re tty S a lli e she had a m isfortune a t l a s t .
5. She was p ierced to the h e a rt, and she knew not what
f or;
So she sent f o r t h i s young man whom she s lig h te d
bef o r e .
"Good morning, p r e tty S a l l i e , good morning," said
he;
" I t ' s where does your pain l i e ? In your head or
your knee?"
200
Cox, Folk-Songs, pp. 368-369. Communicated in 1916
by Mr. J . H arrison M ille r of W ard en sv ille, Hardy County, West
V irg in ia . He obtained i t from Mrs. S o fia Funk, who secured
i t from Zachariah Wilson, who learned i t in the C i v i l War.
506
6. "The pain t h a t I f e e l , s i r , l i e s deep in my h e a rt;
The p ain t h a t I f e e l s i r , l i e s deep in your h e a r t .
I t ' s you are my d o c to r, you can k i l l or can cu re;
Without your a s s is ta n c e I must d ie , I am s u re ."
7. "O S a l l i e , 0 S a l l i e , 0 S a llie .'" sa id he,
" I t ' s d o n 't you remember when I came to c o u rt thee?
You laughed a t my c o u rts h ip and bade me begone;
But now I reward you f o r what i s p ast and gone."
8. "For th in g s p a s t and gone, lo v e , fo rg e t and fo rg iv e ;
And g ra n t me some lo n g e r, in t h i s world t o l i v e . "
" I would f r e e l y fo rg iv e you, although you w ouldn't
me;
And I ' l l dance on your grave while you lay in the
e a r t h . "
9. She p u lle d from h er f in g e r s diamond r in g s , she said
t h r e e ,
And gave them t o W illiam , t o William f o r h is fe e :
"I'm going t o leave you; in my co ld bed of c la y
My rosy red cheeks s h a ll moulder away."
A RICH IRISH LADY210
D
1. There was a r i c h lad y , from London she came;
A beauty she was, and S a lly by name;
Her r ic h e s so g re a t th a t no tongue could ex p ress
them;
And her beauty was more th an h er ric h e s a t b e s t.
There was a young man came t o see her;
The s q u i r e 's young son she th en did deny;
She th e n did deny him and shun him with scorn;
I b eliev e h e ' l l reward her f o r w h a t's p ast and gone.
3. There was six months came p a s t, ere a l i t t l e on a
r i s e .
Miss S a lly was ta k en w ith t e a r s in h er ey es.
Miss S a lly was ta k e n , th ey did not know why.
For the sake of t h i s young man she once did deny.
210
Cox, Folk-Songs. pp. 369-370. Communicated by Miss
Lalah Lovett of Bulltown, Braxton County, West V ir g in ia , in
May, 1917, as obtained from Mr. John Wine of N apier, who
learn ed i t from h is f a t h e r .
They sent f o r t h i s young man, the s q u ir e 's young
man
He says, "Am I the young man you sent f o r here?
Or am I the d o c to r, can k i l l or can cure?"
"I th in k y o u 're the d o c to r, can k i l l or can cure;
Without your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d . I'm s u re ."
"O S a lly , 0 S a lly . 0 S a lly ," said he,
"Don't you remember when 1 co u rte d thee?
"You th e n did deny me and shun me with scorn;
And now I ' l l reward you f o r w h at's p ast and gone.
"For w h a t's p a st and gone you must fo rg e t and
f o r g iv e ,
And g ran t me some longer l i f e here to l i v e . "
" I ' l l never fo rg e t you, and th a t a i n ' t the w orst:
I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're co ld in the
du s t .
She p u lle d rin g s from h er f in g e r s , diamond rin g s
t h r e e :
"Here, take these and wear them while dancing on
me."
0 S a l l y 's now dead, as we a l l might suppose;
She has l e f t to some lady a l l of her fin e c lo th e s
S he's taken up h er lodging in the banks of cold
c la y .
While her rosy red cheeks lay mouldering away.
APPENDIX X X X X
PRETTY SALLY211
1. There wee e f a i r damsel, from London she came;
A b e a u tif u l damsel, and S a lly was her name.
Her beauty was so b rig h t and her r ic h e s was so h ig h .
That upon t h i s poor young man she'd sc arc e ly c a s t an
e y e .
2. "Oh, S a lly , p r e t t y S a lly , oh, S a lly , love," says he;
" I t ' s 1 am a f r a id t h a t our love i t w on't agree.
I'm a f r a i d th a t your beauty w ill my r u in s prove.
U nless th a t your h atre d i s turned in to lo v e."
3. "No h a tre d to you, s i r , nor no o th er man,
But to t e l l you th a t I love you i s more than I can;
You may drop your in te n tio n , w e 'l l end our d is c o u rs e ,
For I never w i l l wed you, u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
4. "No fo rc in g , no fo rc in g , fo r you to marry me;
No f o rc in g , p r e t t y S a lly , fo r you to marry me;
But the time i t w ill come when you w i l l r e l e n t .
And of your p a s t a c tio n s , I hope you w i l l r e p e n t."
5. A fter fo u rte e n weeks was over, was over and p a s t,
T his b e a u tif u l damsel f e l t sick a t the l a s t ;
She f e l l sick a t the l a s t and she knew not fo r why.
But she sent fo r t h i s young man she once did deny.
6. "Oh, S a lly , p r e t t y S a lly , oh, S a lly , lo v e ," says he,
" I t ' s am I the doctor th a t you have sent fo r me?"
"Yes, the d octor you a re , th a t can k i l l or can cure;
But w ithout your a s s is ta n c e . I'm ruined I am su re ."
211
Ruth A Musick, "B allads and Songs from West Vir
g in ia ," Jo u rn a l of American F o lk lo re . 70:342-343, 1957.
C o n trib u ted by Mrs. Emma G lasscock of C olfax, who grew up
in Wetzel County, West V irg in ia . She learned i t from her
grandmother.
508
509
7. "Oh, where i s the p ain ? Does i t l i e in your head?
O r, where i s the p ain ? Does i t l i e in your sid e?
" I t i s n e ith e r of them, the r i g h t you've not guessed,
For the p ain t h a t to rm en ts me l i e s sore in my b r e a s t . "
8. "Oh, S a lly , p r e t t y S a lly , oh, S a l l y , lo v e ," says he;
"Oh, w ell I remember when I f i r s t c o u rted th e e ;
When 1 f i r s t c o u rte d you, you t r e a t e d me w ith sco rn .
And now. I ' l l reward you f o r w h a t's p a s t and gone."
9. "Oh, f o r what has passed and gone, fo rg e t and f o rg iv e .
And g ra n t me on t h i s , s i r , some longer t o l i v e . "
"For what has passed and gone, I w i l l never f o r g e t,
But I ' l dance on your grave when y o u 're b u ried in the
e a r t h . "
10. " I t ' s fa re w e ll to my f a t h e r and a l l of my f r ie n d s ;
And to you, my loving sw ee th e a rt, may the Lord make
amends.
I t r u l y would fo rg iv e him, although he w on't me.
And te n thousand time o v er, my f o l l y I s e e ."
11. Then off of her f i n g e r s , she p u lle d diamond r in g s
th r e e ,
Saying, "Take them and keep them in remembrance of me;
And, when y o u 're through dancing, c a l l S a lly your
queen.
And f l y from your co u n try , no more to be seen."
12. A fte r S a lly was dead and was b u ried in the e a r t h .
The cu p id s from above shot an arrow of lo v e.
Which wounded t h i s poor young man, and caused him to
complain
And in rav in g d i s t r a c t i o n , he c a lle d on S a l l y 's name.
13. "Oh, S a lly , oh, S a lly , oh S a l l y 's dead and gone;
And fo r me th e re i s no com fort, now she i s in the tomb;
'Twas f o r me t h a t she d ie d , and f o r her I ' l l do the
same,
For I never can liv e happy, oh w retch th a t I am."
510
A R O LADY212
B
1. A r i c h I r i s h la d y , from London she came.
T h is b e a u tif u l c r e a t u r e , c a lle d S a lly by name;
Her r ic h e s was so g r e a t t h a t th e y sc a rc e ly could be
t o l d .
But h er beauty and wisdom was w orth a l l the r e s t .
2. A young, w ealthy sq u ire th e re chanced fo r t o be,
And t h i s young, w ealthy sq u ire came t h i s lady f o r
to see;
She d e s p is e f u lly used him; denied him w ith scorn,
But a l a s , he w i l l reward her f o r a l l she has done.
3. "My S a l l y , my S a lly , mv S a l l y ," sa id he.
I t ' s your love and my lo v e , i t cannot agree;
U nless t h a t your h a tre d be tu rn ed in to lo v e ,
I am a f r a i d t h a t your beauty w i l l my r u in p ro v e ."
4. "0 no, I d o n 't hate you, no o th e r man.
But to say t h a t I loved you, i t ' s more th an I can;
So q u it your in te n tio n and in te r d i s c o u r s e .
For I r e a l l y w on't marry you, u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
b. "No f o r c e r , no f o r c e r , no f o r c e r , " c rie d he;
" I t ' s your love and my lo v e, i t cannot agree;
I q u it my in te n tio n and e n t e r d is c o u rs e .
For I r e a l l y w on't marry, i f you have to be f o rc e d ."
6. About six months a f t e r , or scarce so long p a s t ,
T h is b e a u tif u l lady was taken sick a t l a s t ;
She was ta n g le d up in lo v e, but she did not know
why;
She sent fo r the young man she once d id deny.
7. "Am I a d o c to r, you sent f o r me here?
Or am I th a t young man you once loved so dear?"
"Oh, yes, y o u 're a d o cto r can k i l l or can c u re;
Without your a s s is ta n c e I am ru in ed I am s u r e ."
8. "Why, S a l l y , why, S a lly , why, S a lly ," sa id h e,
"Oh. d o n 't you remember since I l a s t co u rted you?
You laughed a t my c o u r ts h ip , my love you did scorn.
But, a l a s . I ' l l reward you f o r a l l you have done."
21^Musick, pp. 343-344. From the W. A. Ammons "Copy
book" c o l l e c t i o n .
511
9. "For w h a t's p a s t and gone. Love, f o r g e t and f o r a iv e .
And g ra n t your sweet S a lly some longer to l i v e .
T i l never do i t , S a lly , and t h a t ' s not the w orst;
I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're c o ld under
e a r t h . "
10. She p u lle d o ff of her f i n g e r s gold diamond r i n g s
t h r e e .
Saying, T a k e th e se and wear them w h ils t over me;
And when y o u 're done dancing on S a lly , th e queen.
Drop your c o l o r s , t h a t f ly in g no more t o be seen ."
11. Oh, now she i s dead as we a l l might suppose;
She has l e f t some o th e r lady t o wear her fin e
c lo th e s ;
She has took up her lodging in banks of co ld c la y ,
And h er r e d , ro sy cheeks are mouldering away.
APPENDIX YYYY
THE BROW N GIRL213
A
1. There mas a r i c h la d y , from England she came,
Fine S a lly , f in e S a lly , f in e S a lly by name.
And she had more money th an the king could p o sse ss,
And h er w it and h er beauty was worth a l l the r e s t .
2. There was a poor d o c to r who liv e d hard by.
And on t h i s f a i r damsel he c a s t h i s eye.
"Fine S a lly , fin e S a lly , fin e S a l l y , " says he,
"Can you t e l l me the reaso n our love c a n 't agree?"
"I d o n 't h ate you, B i lly , nor no o th e r man.
But t o t e l l you I love you I never c a n ."
3. Fine S a lly took sick and she knew not f o r why.
And she sent f o r t h i s young man t h a t she was to
de ny.
He says: "Am I the d o c to r th a t you have sent f o r ,
Or am I the young man t h a t you once d id deny?"
"Yes, you are the d o c to r can k i l l or can cure
And w ith o u t your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d , I'm s u re ."
4. "Fine S a lly , fin e S a l l y ,^ f i n e S a l l y ," says he,
"D on't you remember when you s lig h te d me?
You s lig h te d me h ig h ly , you used me w ith scorn,
And now I reward you f o r w h a t's passed and gone."
b . "What's passed and gone, lo v e, f o rg e t and f o rg iv e .
And spare me a while lo n g er in t h i s wide world to
1i v e ,"
"I d o n 't want you, S a lly , in the durance of my
b r e a th .
But I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in
the e a r t h . "
213
C e c il Sharp, comp., and Maud K arp ele s, e d . , English
Folk Songs from the Southern A ppalachians (London, l^i32),
pp. '^95-296. Sung by Mrs. Mary Sands on J u ly 31, 1916, a t
A lla n s ta n d , North C a ro lin a .
b l 2
513
6. Off from h e r f in g e r s p u lle d diamond r in g s t h r e e .
"Here, take th e se r in g s and wear them when y o u 're
dancing on me.
Then f l y from your c o lo u r and be no more seen
When you have done dancing on S a lly your queen."
B214
1. "Fine S a lly , f in e S a lly , fin e S a l l y ," sa id he,
" I t ' s d o n 't you remember when I co u rte d thee?
I c o u rte d you f ° r lo v e, you denied me w ith scorn,
And now I ' l l reward you f o r th in g s p ast and gone."
2. "For th in g s p a s t and gone, lo v e, fo rg e t and
f org i v e ,
And g ra n t me a l i t t l e longer on t h i s e a r th t o li v e .
"I never w i l l fo rg iv e you in the durance of my
b re a th ,
And I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're ly in g in
the e a r t h ."
3. Then off h er f i n g e r s p u lle d diamond r in g s t h r e e ,
Says: "O wear th e se f o r my sake when y o u 're dancing
on me.
And f l y from your c o lo u rs and be no more seen
When y o u 're done dancing on S a lly your queen."
4. "F arew ell t o old f a t h e r and old f a t h e r 's f r i e n d s ,
F arew ell to t h i s young man. God make him amends
F arew ell to t h i s whole world and a l l . . .
214
Sharp and K a rp e le s , p. 296. Sung by Mrs. Tom
Rice a t Big L a u re l, N orth C a r o lin a , on August 17, 1916.
5X4
c 215
1. There was a r i c h lady from London she came.
And S a l l y , sweet S a lly , f a i r S a lly by name.
She were wounded in lo v e , she knew not f o r why,
She sent out t o the young man she used t o deny.
d 216
I t ' s where does your pain l i e ?
Does i t l i e in your side?
0 where does your p ain l ie ?
Does i t l i e in your head?
The p ain t h a t torm ents me, lo v e ,
1 s u r e ly c o n fe s s .
The p a in t h a t torm ents me, lo v e.
L ie s in my b r e a s t.
e217
Are you the d o c to r th ey sent f o r me here?
Or are you the young man th a t I loved so dear?
Or are you the d o c to r can k i l l or can cure?
Without your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d , I'm su re.
^ ^ S h a r p and K a rp e le s, pp. 296-297. Sung by Mr.
M itc h e ll W allin a t A lla n sta n d , North C a ro lin a , on August 4,
1916.
^ ^ S h a r p and K arp ele s, p. 2 9 7 . Sung by Mr. W illiam
S h e lto n a t A lleghany, North C a ro lin a , on August 29, 1916.
^ ^ S h a r p and K a rp e le s , p. 2 9 7 . Sung by Mr. N. B.
C hisholm a t W oodridge, V ir g in ia , on Septem ber 23, 1916.
51S
p218
1. There was a young doctor* from London he came*
He c o u rte d a damsel c a lle d Sarah by name.
Her w ealth i t was more th a n th e kina could p o sse ss;
Her beauty i t was more th an h er w ealth a t th e b e s t.
2. "0 Sarah, O Sarah, 0 S a ra h ," s a id he,
"1 am t r u l y s o rry t h a t we c a n 't a g re e .
But i f your h e a r t d o n 't tu r n in to lo v e,
I f e a r t h a t your beauty my r u in w i l l prove."
3. "0 no, I d o n 't hate you, and no o th e r man.
But t o say t h a t 1 lik e you i s more th an 1 can.
So now you mav stop w ith a l l your d is c o u rs e ,
For I never 'low t o have you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
4. A fte r tw e n ty -e ig h t weeks had done gone and p assed.
The b e a u tif u l damsel she f e l l sic k a t l a s t .
She sent f o r the young man she once d id deny.
For t o come and see h er before she did d ie .
5. "Am I the young man t h a t you sent f o r here?
Or am 1 the young man t h a t you loved so dear?"
"You're the only young d o cto r can k i l l or can c u re .
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d . I'm s u re ."
6. "O S arah, 0 Sarah, O S arah," sa id he,
"D on't you remember you once s lig h te d me?
You s li g h te d , d e v ile d me, you s lig h te d me w ith
scorn.
And now I ' l l reward you f o r th in g s p a s t and gone."
7. "Forget and f o rg iv e , O lo v e," s a id she,
"And g ra n t me some longer a time f o r t o l i v e . "
"0 no, I w o n 't, Sarah, enduring your b re a th ,
But I ' l l dance on your grave when you lay in cold
d eath .
8. Gold r in g s off h er f in g e r ends she p u lle d t h r e e ,
Saying; "Take th e se and wear them when you dance on
me.
Ten thousand tim es over my f o l l y I s e e ."
218
Sharp and K a rp e le s , p . 298. Sung by Mrs. Moore of
Babun C ounty, G e o rg ia , on May 2, 1909.
516
9. Now p r e t t y Sarah I s dead, a s we a l l may suppose.
To some o th e r r i c h lady w ille d a l l h e r fin e c l o t h e s .
At l a s t she made h er bed in th e wet and c o ld c la y ;
Her re d , ro sy cheeks i s m oulderin' away.
g 219
1. There was a r i c h lad y from Scotland she came,
G reat w ealth and g re a t honour and Molly by name.
Her r ic h e s were more th a n w ealth t h a t i s b e s t,
And h e r beauty was more th a n th e king could
p o sse ss.
2. There was a poor boy who came to c o u rt h e r,
His wages was only one thousand a y ea r.
T h is lady being w ealthy, so noble and high.
And on t h i s poor boy she scarce c a s t an eye.
3. nO M olly, 0 M olly, 0 M o lly ,1 1 says he,
"I'm so rry t h a t your love and mine d o n 't ag re e .
U nless a l l your h a tre d should tu r n in to lo v e.
Your beauty i s my r u i n . I'm sure i t w i l l p ro v e."
4 .................................................................................................................
"But as f o r to love you i s more th an I can,
So you may r e t i r e in your d is c o u rs e .
For I never w i l l have you u n t i l I am f o rc e d ."
5. "No forcem ent, dear madam, and t h i s you may know.
T h e r e 's p le n ty of o th e rs a l l liv in g alo n e.
I ' l l go c o u rt some o th e r and hope you may ru e.
So fa re you w e ll, M olly, I bid you a d ie u ."
6. S ix weeks had scarce come, six weeks had scarce
p assed.
T h is b e a u tif u l damsel lay sic k a t the l a s t .
In an g er, in love, she knew not why,
She sent f o r the young man she once did deny.
7. "O am I the d o c to r you sent f o r me here?
Or am I the boy once c o u rte d you, dear?"
"You are the d o c to r can k i l l or can c u re ,
Without your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d . I'm s u re ."
Sharp and K arp ele s, pp. 299-300. Sung on May 27,
1917, by Mr. H. D. Kinnard a t Berea, Madison County, Kentucky.
517
8. "0 M olly, 0 M olly, 0 Molly," says he,
"It's d o n 't you remember when I once co u rte d th ee?
I c o u rte d you lo v e ly , was s lig h te d and scorned;
And i t ' s I ' l l reward you f o r w h a t's passed and
g o n e ,"
9. "For w h a t's passed and gone, lo v e, fo rg e t and
fo rg iv e .
And g ra n t me a s s is ta n c e some longer t o l i v e . "
"No, t h a t I w o n 't, Molly, while you do draw b re a th .
And I ' l l dance on your tomb when y o u 're la i d in
the e a r t h . "
10. Then off of h er f i n g e r s gold r in g s she p u lle d
t h r e e ,
Saying: "Take th e se and wear them while y o u 're
dancing on me."
11. T h is b e a u tif u l damsel was la id in the tomb.
Sweet W illiam was tak en on hearin g h er doom.
H is h e a r t broke w ith sorrow, h is soul i t d id weep,
He c a lle d f o r h i s Molly, but she was a s le e p .
12. "0 M olly, O M olly, 0 M olly," says he,
"You're dead, but in death I am c ry in g fo r th e e .
1, to o , s h a ll d ie and be la id a t your sid e .
I ' l l wed you in death and w i l l make you my b r id e ."
H
220
1. There was a young lady from London she came.
And S a lly and S a lly , and S a lly was h er name.
Her p o rtio n was more th an the king he p o ssessed ,
Her beauty was more than the worth i t could f e tc h .
2. Every night in the c i t y (?) f o r more th a n one year
I c o u rte d t h i s damsel and stra ig h tw a y did s t e e r .
But S a lly being s c o rn fu l, h er p o r tio n being h ig h .
A ll on t h i s young knight sh e 'd scarce c a s t an eye.
2 2 0
wSharp and K arp ele s, pp. 300-302. Sung on August
28, 1918, by Mr. Joe B la c k e tt a t Meadows of Dan, V ir g in ia
518
3. "0 S a lly , 0 S a lly , 0 S a lly ," sa id he,
"I'm so rry t h a t your love and mine c a n 't ag ree.
For I'm sure t h a t you w i l l my ru in prove,
U nless your g re a t h a tre d a l l tu r n s in to lo v e ."
4. " I 'v e no h a tre d f o r you, nor no o th e r man.
But as f o r t o fancy you, I never can.
So drop your a t t i r e and end your d is c o u rs e .
For I never w i l l marry you u n le ss 1 am f o rc e d ."
5. Before two y ears had come, or two y e a rs had passed
He heard of t h i s young l a d y 's m isfortune a t l a s t ,
She sent f o r t h i s young man she had s lig h te d and
scorned.
She was p ie rc ed through the h e a r t and she knew not
wherefrom.
6 . Then t o her he came t o the side of h er bed:
"A pain in your s id e , or a p ain in your head?"
"0 no, kind s i r , the r i g h t s you've not guessed.
The p ain t h a t 1 f e e l p re s s e s (o£ p ie r c e s ) me
through the b r e a s t . ^
7. "Am I th en the d o cto r you sent f o r me here?"
"Yes, you are the d o c to r," she c r i e d , "my d ea r.
You are the man t h a t f i r s t caused my woe.
Then w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d , I know."
8. "0 S a l l y , 0 S a lly , 0 S a l l y ," sa id he,
"Don’t you remember how you s lig h te d me?
The words you have spoken you s lig h te d w ith scorn.
And now I ' l l reward you f o r th in g s p a st and gone."
9. "For th in g s p a s t and gone, I hope y o u 'l l fo rg iv e .
God g ra n t me t h a t b le s s in g each day th a t I l i v e . "
"No, I never w i l l forgave you w hile I have b re a th .
I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in the
e a r t h . "
10. Then off of her f in g e r s p u lle d diamond r in g s t h r e e ,
"Keep th ese f o r my sake when y o u 're dancing on me.
I ' l l f r e e l y fo rg iv e you although you w on't me,
Ten thousand tim es over my f o l l y I see.
11. "Then fa re you w e ll, f r i e n d s , and fa re you w e ll,
t oe s.
Likewise to my sw eetheart wherever he goes.
For ever I must l i e in t h i s co ld bed of c la y .
My red rosy l i p s must mould away."
519
j 221
1. A young I r i s h lady from London she came.
A b e a u t i f u l c r e a t u r e , f a i r S a lly by name;
Her r ic h e s was more th a n the kina d id p o sse ss.
Her beauty was more th a n h er w ealth a t the l a s t .
2. There was a young squire who liv e d r i g h t near.
A -c o u rtin g t h i s lady t o make h er h i s d e a r.
But she was so w ealthy, so l o f t y and h ig h .
That on t h i s young man she would scarce c a s t an eye.
3. "0 S a l l y , O S a l l y , 0 S a lly ," sa id he,
1 f e a r t h a t your beauty my r u in w i l l be
U nless t h a t your h a tre d i s tu rn ed in to love,
I f e a r t h a t your beauty my ru in w i l l prove."
4. "No h a tre d f o r you, s i r , nor any o th e r man.
But t o say t h a t I love you i s more th an I can.
So q u it your in te n tio n s and mend your d is c o u rs e .
For I never w i l l wed you u n le ss I am f o rc e d ."
5. He said no more t o h e r, but qu ick ly tu rn ed home.
Saying: "You s h a l l be so rry f o r what you have done.
For w h a t's p a st and gone I ' l l never f o rg iv e .
But when you've been b u ried I w i l l dance on your
g ra v e ."
6. Before s ix weeks had scarce come and passed.
T h is b e a u tif u l c r e a tu r e lay sic k a t the l a s t .
She sent f o r t h i s young man she once did deny.
She was p ie rc e d to the h e a rt and she knew not fo r
why.
7. He came to h er s o f t l y , walked t o h e r bed sid e.
"Have you a p a in in your head or a p ain in your
side?"
"0 no, s i r , d ear young man, the r i g h t s you've not
guessed.
The p a in i s a - p ie r c in g a l l in my l e f t b r e a s t ."
^ ^ S h a r p and K arp eles, pp. 302-303. Sung by Mrs.
V irg in ia Bennett a t B u r n s v ille , North C a ro lin a , on September
13. 1918.
8. n0 S a lly , 0 S a lly , 0 S a lly ," said he,
"0 d o n 't you remember t h a t you once s lig h te d me?
1 c o u rte d f o r lo v e, you s lig h te d w ith scorn.
Now I ' l l reward you f o r what you have done."
9. "For w h a t's passed and done, s i r , I hope y o u 'l l
f o r g i v e ,
And g ra n t me some longer in t h i s wide world t o
l i v e . "
T h a t I ' l l n 'e r do, S a lly , w hile I do draw b re a th
But I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la i d in
th e e a r t h . "
10. "F arew ell f a t h e r and mother, a l l fo e s and a l l
f r i e n d s .
F arew ell dear young man, God make you amends.
I 'd f r e e l y fo rg iv e you although you w on't me.
Ten thousand tim es over my f o l l y I s e e ."
1. Poor S a lly was tak en
A f f lic te d to h er bed;
T h e re 's no one knows what a i l s h er,
Or could r e lie v e h er from p ain .
2. King Henry was sent f o r
On horseback and speed,
In the need of poor S a lly ,
In the time of h er need.
3. "Am I the d o cto r
Was sent, f o r to-day?"
"0 y es, y o u 're the d o cto r
Can k i l l or can c u re .
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e
I am ru in e d , y es. I'm s u re ."
4. "I co u rte d you w ith honour.
You s lig h te d me w ith scorn.
I ' l l remind you of th in g s , g i r l ,
Of the tim e p a s t and gone."
222
Sharp and K arp ele s, pp. 303-304. Sung a t S t.
P e t e r 's School in C allaw ay, V ir g in ia , on August 16, 1918
Mrs. Frances R ichards.
5. "Of the time p ast and gone,
Forget and fo rg iv e .
And 'low me two minutes
And l e t me s t i l l liv e* "
6 . " I ' l l allow you no minutes
Nor y ea rs t o l i v e ,
But dance on your grave
W hilst you l i e in c o ld c la y ,"
7. I t ' s off of h er f in g e r s
Pulled diamond rin g s tw ice th r e e .
"Here take those and wear them
While you're dancing on me,"
8. 0 black was the mourning,
And yellow was the band.
And white was poor S a lly ,
Poor S ally of tim e.
k223
1. "O am I the do cto r you sent f o r so shy?
Or am I the young man th a t you once did deny?"
"0 you are the d o cto r can k i l l or can c u re .
And w ithout your r e l i e f I am ruined I'm s u re ."
^ ^ S h a r p and K arpeles, p. 304. S* ng by Mrs. P olly
P a tric k a t M anchester, Clay County, Kentucky, August 14,
1917.
APPENDIX ZZZZ
SALLY DOVER224
1. There was a young s a i l o r , from Dover he came;
He c o u rte d p r e t t y S a lly , p r e t t y S a lly by name.
And she was so l o f t y , h e r p o r tio n was so high
T hat on a poor young s a i l o r she scarce would c a s t
an eye.
2. "0 S a lly lo v e , O S a lly lo v e , 0 S a lly lo v e ," s a id he,
"I f e a r , my d e a re s t S a lly , t h a t you are a -h a tin g of
me.
U nless t h a t your h a tre d should tu r n t o love.
And th e n your f a l s e h e a r t , i t would my ru in prove.'*
3. "0 W illiam , d e a re s t W illiam, my h a tre d i s not to
you.
Nor to any o th e r man,
But to say t h a t 1 love you i t i s more than I can;
To say t h a t I love you, i t is a th in g u n ju s t,
For I never s h a ll g e t m arried u n t i l 1 am f o rc e d ."
4. So s e v e ra l long weeks was over and passed
When t h i s p r e t t y maid f e l l sick a t l a s t ;
Now ta n g le d in w ith love and she could not t e l l f o r
why.
She sent off f o r t h i s s a i l o r whom once she did
deny.
5. "O S a lly love, O S a lly lo v e, 0 S a lly lo v e ," says he,
" I guess I am the d o cto r can cure give to t h e e ."
"0 yes, you are the d o c to r, you can k i l l or you can
c u r e ,
For the pain th a t I f e e l f o r you, love, is hard to
e ndure."
00 A
Louis W. C h a p p ell. Folk-Sonas of Roanoke and the
Albemarle (Morgantown, 1939}, pp. 74-7&. C o n trib u te d by
C h a rle s T i l l e t t of Wanchese, North C a ro lin a , in 1924.
522
"0 S a lly , where does your p ain lie ? Does i t l i e in
your heel?
0 S a lly , where does your pain l i e ? Does i t l i e in
your head?"
"0 no, my d e a re s t W illiam, I cannot take my r e s t
For the pain t h a t I f e e l f o r you, love, l i e s in to my
b r e a s t . "
M 0 S a lly l o w , 0 S a lly love, 0 S a lly lo v e ," said he,
"Have you fo rg o t the time when you f i r s t s lig h te d
me?
When f i r s t you s lig h te d me, my love, you t r e a t e d me
w ith scorn,
And now, my d e a re st S a lly , the same I w ill r e t u r n ."
"O W illiam, my d e a re s t W illiam, fo rg e t and forgive
And g ra n t me a l i t t l e longer time f o r t o liv e .
"O no, my d e a re s t S a lly , while I have b reath to
draw
1 w ill dance on your tomb, my love while you l i e
down below."
She p u lle d off her rin g s by one, by two, by th re e :
"Take th e s e , d e a re s t William, in remembrance of me.
In remembrance of me, my love, when 1 am dead and
gone,
And perhaps y o u 'l l f e e l sorry f o r what you have
done."
"F arew ell, my f a t h e r , and f a re w e ll, my mother.
F arew ell, my s i s t e r , and f a r e w e ll, my b ro th er;
F arew ell, f a ls e - h e a r te d W illiam, fo re v e r and ad ieu .
Five thousand tim es over my f o l l y I ru e ."
APPENDIX AAAAA
225
A BRAVE IRISH LADY
1. An I r i s h lady from London I came
A b e a u tif u l c re a tu re sweet S a lly by name
h er ric h e s were more than the king could possess
And Beauty was her we 1th a t her best
2. to c o u rt
t e r w elthy young merchant
income i s more than 30 thousand a yere
f o rt ion
her beauty so la u f ty her p o rtio n so high
on t h i s young man she f i x
3. "0 s a l l y 0 s a l l v & S a lly said he
Im a f r a id your love & my love w i l l never agre
Without your h a tre d I should
I'm a f r a id t h a t your beauty w i l l be my Ruin
4. I have no h a tre d nor no o th e r man
But as f o r to love you, i t is more then I can
So you may i n t e r e l y end your disco u rse
I never w ill wed the w ithout I am f o r s t
5. Twenty fo u r weeks is s c a r s t come & p ast
T h is b e a u t i f u l l c re a tu re has took sick a t l a s t
She laughed in love & she new not fore why
And sent f o r t h i s young man she once did deny
22b
F. C. Brown C o lle c tio n , I I , 299-301. P rin ted as i t
stands in the Adams m anuscript book, so f a r as i t can be
deciphered, made in 1824-1825 by Moses Adams of DeHart,
Wilkes County, North C a ro lin a , and coming down through four
g en e ra tio n s of the Adams fam ily before reaching the hands
of P ro fe ss o r W. Amos Abrams.
524
52S
6. Am I the d o c to r you sent f o r me h i e r
Or am I th e young man you love now so dear
Yes you are the d o c to r can k i l l or can dure
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I am r u i n 'd I am
shure
7. 0 s a l l y 0 s a l l y & s a l l y sd he
Oont you remember when I c o rte d the
When 1 c o u rte d you you d en y 'd me in scorn
And now 1 w ill reward the f o r what p a st & gone
8. For what p a s t and gone f o r g i t and fo rg iv e
And g ran t me some more longer time f o r t o liv e
no t h a t I want S a lly w h i l i s t I do draw b ra a th
For I w ill dance on your grave w h i l i s t you l i e
in e a r t h
9. Then of h er f in g e r s p u l l 'd dimonds r in g s th re e
Here take th e se love and ware them while dancing
on me
For I f r e e l y a l l fo rg iv e you a l l th o you wont me
Ten thousand time over my f o l l y I se
10. So fa re you w ell papy and a l l papys f rie n d s
So f a r you w ell loving sw eetheart god [_?lin you a
I f r e e l y a l l fo rg iv e a l l th o you wont me
So fa r e w e ll to t h i s world i t is a l l v a n ity
FAIR SALLY226
B
1. There was a f a i r lady, from London she came,
She being F a ir S a lly , F a ir S a lly by name;
2. She being so r ic h and d e s p e r a te ly high.
Upon a poor boy she would scarce c a s t an eye.
3. "Oh S a lly , oh S a lly , I'm s o r ry ," said he,
"I'm so rry th a t my love and yours w on't ag ree .
4. "For i f you w on't have me vour own i t w i l l prove;
Perhaps your our h a tre d w i l l tu rn in to lo v e ."
b . In fiv e or six weeks come f a s t and gone
She sent f o r the young man she s lig h te d w ith scorn
b. And when he came in to her bedside
He sa id , "Oh, dear S a lly , your head or your side?"
7. "0, my dear lo v e r, the r ig h t you have not guessed;
The pain t h a t torm ents me now l i e s in my b r e a s t ."
8. "The time has now come 1 '11 f r e e l y fo rg iv e
And g ra n t you a while longer in t h i s world t o liv e
6F. C. Brown C o lle c tio n , I I , 301. Secured in 191b
by Thomas Smith from the r e c i t a t i o n of Mrs. Peggy P erry
of Z io n v ille , Watauga County, North C a ro lin a , who heard
i t when she was a young woman n ea rly s ix ty years ago.
527
SW EET SALLY227
C
1. A noble young squire from London he came
To c o u rt t h i s f a i r dam sel, and S a lly by name.
Her being so lo f ty and a fo rtu n e so high
That 'tw as on t h i s young squire she would scarce
c a s t an eye.
2. "Oh, S a lly , sweet S a lly , p r e t t y S a l l y , " said he
"I'm f e a rin g your beauty my ru in w i l l be.
U nless your h a tre d w i l l tu rn in to lo v e ."
3. " I ’ve no h a tre d f o r you, s i r ; I 'v e no o th e r man;
But to say th a t I love you i s more than I c a n ."
4. About six months a f t e r , the seventh not p a s t,
I heard of t h i s young la d y 's m isfortune a t l a s t .
She was p ie rc e d through the b re a s t and she knew not
in what form.
So she sent fo r t h i s young lawyer whom she had
s lig h te d and scorned.
5. As he approached the bedside he sa id ,
"Is the pain in your head, love, or i s i t your side?"
"No, s i r , you've not the r ig h t guess;
The pain t h a t ' s so p ie rc in g i s r ig h t here in my
b r e a s t . "
6. "Oh, S a l l y , sweet S a l l y , p r e tty S a lly ," said he,
"Do you remember when you s lig h te d me?
You s lig h te d me most sham efully, likew ise and you
scorned;
Now 1 w ill reward you fo r w h a t's p ast and gone."
7. "I hope y o u 'l l fo rg iv e me fo r w h a t's p ast and gone
And spare me some longer a time f o r to l i v e ."
" I ' l l never fo rg iv e you w h ils t I have a b reath
But w i l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in
the e a rth .
227
F. C. Brown C o lle c tio n , I I , 301-302, Secured by
W . Amos Abrams from Mrs. A, L. Bostic of Mooresboro,
C leveland County, North C a ro lin a , and sent to Dr. Brown in
1938.
'T was off h e r f i n g e r s p u lle d diamond r in g s th re e
"Take th e se r in g s and wear them while dancing on
ID S.
They t e l l me th e b u ried s h a l l r e s t in th e ground.
Peace and goodw ill t o every n a tio n around.
"F arew ell t o my k in d red , f a r e w e ll t o my f r i e n d s .
F arew ell t o p r e t t y Johnny; God make him a man.
I ' l l f r e e l y fo rg iv e him although he w o n 't me.
Ten thousand tim es over my f o l l y I s e e ."
APPENDIX BBBBB
THE IRISH LADY228
1. A r i c h I r i s h lady from Ire la n d came,
A b e a u tif u l damsel c a lle d Saro by name,
Her r ic h e s was more th a n a king could p o sse ss.
Her beauty was more than h e r w ealth a t i t s b e s t.
2. A lo f t y young gentleman a - c o u r t i n ’ h er came,
A -c o u rtin ' t h i s damsel c a lle d Saro by name,
"0 S aro, O S aro , 0 S a ro ," sa id he,
"I f e a r t h a t my ru in fo re v e r y o u 'l l be.
3. "I f e a r t h a t my ru in fo re v e r y o u 'l l prove
U nless you tu r n a l l your h a tre d to lo v e ."
"No h a tre d to you nor t o no o th e r man.
But t h i s , f o r to love you i s more than I can.
4. "So end a l l your sorrow and drop your d isc o u rs e ,
I never w i l l have you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
Six months had appeared and fiv e y ears had passed,
I heard of t h i s d am sel's m isfortune a t l a s t .
5. She lay wounded by love and she knew not f o r why
And sent f o r t h i s young man who she once did deny.
By h er bedside those words th ey was sa id ,
"T h ere's a p ain in your sid e , love, t h e r e 's a pain
in your head."
6. "Oh, no, kind s i r e , the r ig h t you've not guessed.
The p ain t h a t 1 f e e l here s i t s a l l through my
brea s t . "
"Am I your d o cto r and am I your cure?
Am I your p e r te c to r you sent f o r me here?"
228
John Lomax and Alan Lomax, Our Singing Country (New
York, 1941), pp. 160-161. F i r s t stanza by C apt. P7 R. Nye,
Akron, Ohio; o th e r sta n za s by Mrs. Minnie Floyd, M u r re ll's
I n l e t , South C a ro lin a , 1937.
529
530
7. "You are my d o cto r and you are my cure;
Without your p e r te c tio n I ' l l d ie , I am s u re ."
"0 Saro, 0 Saro, 0 S a ro ," said he,
"Don't you remember when I f i r s t co u rted thee?
8. "I asked you in kindness, you answered in scorn.
And now I ' l l reward you f o r the time p ast and gone."
"Time p ast and gone I hope y o u 'l l fo rg iv e
And g ra n t me some longer in comfort to l i v e ."
9. " I ' l l never fo rg iv e you a s long as I liv e ;
I ' l l dance on your grave, love, when y o u 're la id in
the ground.
Off of her f in g e r s gold rin g s she p u lled th r e e .
Said, "Take them and wear them while you're dancing
on me."
10. "Adieu to my f r ie n d s , adieu, a l l around,
Adieu to my tru e love, God make him a crown;
I ' l l f r e e l y fo rg iv e him although he w on't me.
My f o l l i e s te n thousand tim es over I s e e ."
APPENDIX CCCCC
PRETTY SALLY229
1. There was a r ic h s q u ire , from Ire la n d he came;
Away t o c o u rt S a lly , away he did steer*
Her f o r t u n e 's so g re a t and h e r p o r t i o n 's so high.
That on t h i s young squire she would scarce c a s t an
eye.
2. "O S a lly . O S a lly . 0 Sally.*1 sa id he.
"I'm so rry t h a t your love and mine c a n ’t agree.
I make no o th e r doubt, love, but your ru in you w i l l
prove.
And a l l of your h a tre d w i l l soon tu r n to lo v e ."
3. " I'v e no h a tre d f o r you. S ir , nor no o th er man,
But f o r me t o love you, i t ’s more than I can;
So drop your in te n tio n s and in ju re d d isc o u rs e .
For I never w i l l have you u n le ss 1 am fo rc e d ."
4. When six weeks and b e t t e r had come and had passed,
I heard of Miss S a l l y 's m isfortune a t l a s t .
She was taken love sick; she knew not in what form.
And sent f o r t h i s young squire she had s lig h te d to
scorn.
5. He came and he passed once by h er bedside.
Saying, "Is i t a pain in your head, love, or a pain
in your side?"
The answer she gave him i s , "The r ig h t you've not
guessed;
The pain th a t p ie rc ed through me l i e s deep in my
b r e a s t.
220
^Alton M orris, c o l l . and e d . . Folksongs of F lo rid a
(G a in e s v ille , 1950), pp. 330-331. From tne sIn g i ng of Mr.
J . L. A llis o n of Live Oak, F lo rid a , who learned i t about
seventy years ago when he was a boy liv in g in the Suwannee
River t e r r i t o r y .
532
6. "C an't you f o r g e t, love, yes, c a n 't you fo rg iv e ?
C a n 't you g ran t me no longer in t h i s world to
liv e ? "
"I never w i l l fo rg iv e you enduring my b re a th .
And I ' l l dance on your grave, love, when y o u 're in
co ld e a r t h ."
7, Then off of h e r f in g e r s she p u lle d diamond rin g s
t h r e e .
Saying, "Take them and wear them when y o u 're
dancing on me."
Saying, T a k e them and wear them when you're
dancing on me.
When I am dead, love, and in e t e r n i t y . "
APPENDIX EDDDD
D O C T O R 230
1. There was a sh ip c a p ta in
T hat s a ile d on th e sea;
He c a lle d on Miss Betsy;
P r e t t y P o lly did say:
"You go t o t h a t sea c a p ta in
And g ra n t me love or ru in ed I ' l l b e."
2. As Miss Betsy s t a r t e d
P r e tty P o lly did beery:
"Make h a s te , p r e t t y B etsy,
Or I w i l l d ie ."
3. She came t o the sea c a p ta in
And said unto him:
"Are you the youna man
You love so w ell?"
4. He said unto her:
"Am 1 the d o cto r
That can k i l l or cure?"
5. "You go to th a t young man.
T e l l he come unto me.
And g ra n t me h i s love
Or ru in ed I w i l l b e."
6. "Am I the do cto r
You sent f o r her
Or am I the young man
Who you love so dear?"
M e llin g e r E. Henry, c o l l . and e d . , Folk-Songs from
the S outhern H ighlands (New York, 1938), pp. 154-135.
Recorded by Mrs. Henry from the singing of Mrs. Samuel
Harmon of C a d e 's Cove, Blount County, T ennessee, in August,
1930.
533
"You are the d o cto r
That can k i l l or c u re;
Without your a s s is ta n c e
I am ru in ed I am s u re ."
APPENDIX EEEEE
SALLIE231
1. There was a young lady from London she came
And S a l l i e , Sal l i e th e y c a l l e d h e r by name.
Her r ic h e s were more th a n a king can p o sse ss.
Her w it and h er beauty exceeded a l l the r e s t .
2. There was a young gentlem an worth thousands of
w orlds.
And t o c o u rt t h i s young lady away he d id h u r l;
Her r ic h e s being so g re a t and h er beauty so h ig h ,
Upon t h i s young gentleman she scarce c a s t h er eye.
3. • ‘ Oh, S a l l i e , Oh S a l l i e , " sa id he.
I'm so rry t h a t our love cannot agree;
But now I w i l l warn you, your r u in t h i s w i l l prove,
U nless a l l your h a tre d tu rn in to lo v e ."
4. "Oh, no I d o n 't hate you nor no o th e r man.
But t o say th a t I love you i s more th a n I can;
So you may r e t i r e and end t h i s d isc o u rse
For I w i l l never have you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
5. About six weeks had gone and passed,
When we heard of t h i s la d y 's m isfortune a t l a s t ;
She sends f o r the gentleman she s lig h te d with
scorn;
She was stru c k t o the h e a r t , she knew not in what
f orm.
6. "Oh, S a l l i e , Oh, S a l l i e , " sa id he,
"Do you remember the time when you s lig h te d me?
The f i r s t word t h a t I asked you, you denied w ith
sc orn;
And now I ' l l reward you f o r th in g s p a s t and gone."
23*Ce l e s t in P ie rre C am biaire, East Tennessee and
W e s te r n V irg in ia Mountain B a lla d s (London, 1934), pp. 119-
1 2 0 . Supplied by I. E. N ichols of H arro g ate, T ennessee,
a s r e c i t e d or sung by h i s mother.
53b
"Oh, th in g s p a s t and gone fo rg e t and fo rg iv e
And g ra n t me once more in t h i s world to liv e I"
" I ' l l never fo rg iv e you as long a s I have b re a th .
And I ' l l dance on your grave, love,when you are
co ld in d e a t h ."
Then off of h er f in g e r s she drew diamond rin g s
th r e e .
Saying, T ak e these f o r lo v e 's sake while dancing
over me."
H eard-hearted young l a d ie s , your tru e love d o n 't
s l i g h t .
H ard-hearted young gentlem en, I wish you goodnight
APPENDIX FFFFF
SALLY232
I . tt0 S a lly , O S a l l y , O S a lly J " s a id he,
"I'm a f r a i d t h a t your fond love and mine w on't
a g r e e .
U nless t h a t your h a tre d should tu rn to be lo v e ."
2. "I have no h a tre d of you nor of no o th e r man.
But t o have you, dear s i r , i s more th a n I c a n ."
Six weeks had r o l l e d on, had passed and gone by,
When she sent f o r t h i s young man she once d id deny.
3. "Am I the d o cto r t h a t you sent f o r me h ere .
Or am I the young man you do love so dear?"
"You are the young man I do love so d e a r.
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d , I'm s u re ."
4. "C S a lly , O S a l l y , 0 S ally.'" sa id he,
"And d o n 't you remember when you s lig h te d of me?
You laughed a t my c o u rts h ip ; you denied me with
sc orn.
And now I ' l l reward you f o r w h a t's p a s t and gone,"
5. "For w h a t's p a s t and gone by, fo rg e t and f o rg iv e .
And g ra n t me some longer on e a r t h f o r to l i v e , "
"For w h a t's p a s t and gone by I n e 'e r can f o rg iv e ,
But I ' l l dance on your grave, love, when y o u 're
cold in the e a r t h . "
232
Paul B rew ster, c o l l , and e d . . B allad s and Songs of
Indiana (Bloomington, 1940), pp. 164-16b. W ritten in 1892
by Miss Lina Cox, of S c a l e s v i l l e , W arrick County, Indiana,
and included in a MS. c o l l e c t i o n owned by Mrs. T. M.
Bryant of E v a n s v ille , In d ian a , who subm itted t h i s t e x t on
August 4 , 1936.
637
She p u lle d o ff h e r gold and diamond r in g s t h r e e .
Saying, "Take th e s e and wear them when y o u 're
dancing on me.M
Now S a lly i s dead, a s you a l l may suppose,
Some o th e r f a i r lady f o r t o wear h er gay t>lothes.
APPENDIX GGGGG
FAIR LADY OF LONDON233
1. In London's f a i r c i t y a lady did dw ell;
For w ealth and f o r beauty t h e r e 's none could e x c e l.
F a ir S a lly , f a i r S a lly , f a i r S a lly , by name,
And many r i c h s u i t o r s unto S a lly came.
2. A f a i r I r i s h la d d ie from f a i r Ire la n d came
A -courting f a i r S a lly fo r t o be h i s dame.
Her r ic h e s so g r e a t , and her p o r tio n so high
That on t h i s young man she could not c a s t an eye.
3. "0 S a lly , O S a l l y , O S a l l y ," said he,
"I'm so rry t h a t your love and mine c a n 't ag ree;
I make no g re a t doubt but my r u in y o u 'l l prove,
And a l l your g r e a t h a tre d w i l l tu r n in to lo v e ."
4. "No h a tre d f o r you, s i r , or no o th e r man;
But as f o r t o love you, i t ' s more th a n I can.
So drop your in te n tio n and end your d is c o u rs e .
For I never w i l l have you u ile s s I am f o rc e d ."
5 . ”0 S a lly , 0 S a lly , 0 S a l l y ," sa id h e,
"Before six months r o l l round i t ' s you w i l l love
me."
"I never w i l l love you as long as I 'v e b re a th .
And I ' l l dance on your grave w h ils t you moulder in
e a r t h . "
233
Emelyn E. Gardner and G eraldine J . C h ic k e rin g ,
e d s . . B a lla d s and Songs of S outhern Michigan (Ann A rbor,
1939), p. 1 5 1 . Supplied by Mrs. W illiam Warner of O rle a n s ,
Michigan, from the Gernsey MS., a le a th e r-c o v e re d notebook
in which h er g ra n d fa th e r, Mr. George Gernsey, who was born
in S aratoga County, New York, in 1809, and died in Ionia
County, M ichigan, in 1877, wrote the words of many songs
between 1841 and the 1860's .
639
540
6. Then a f t e r six months was over and p a s t.
W e h ear of t h i s l a d y 's m isfortune a t l a s t .
She sent f o r t h i s young man she had t r e a t e d w ith
scorn;
She was p ierced in h er h e a rt w ith a very sad moan.
7. "0 am I your d o cto r? You sent f o r me, so
The reason of t h i s I long f o r t o know."
"Yes, you are my d o c to r, can k i l l or can cu re;
Without your a s s i s t a n c e . I'm ru in ed I'm s u re ."
8. "0 S a l l y , 0 S a lly , O S a lly ," s a id he,
"0 d o n 't you remember how you s lig h te d me?
You would speak so d is d a in f u l and t r e a t me w ith
sc orn,
And now I ' l l reward you fo r time p a s t and gone."
9. For time p ast and gone, love, fo rg e t and fo rg iv e .
And g ra n t me awhile longer in t h i s world to l i v e . "
" I ' l l never fo rg iv e you as long as I 'v e b re a th .
And I ' l l dance on your grave w h ils t you moulder in
e a r t h . "
10. "0 Jemmie, 0 Jemmie, 0 Jemmie," sa id she,
" I ' l l f r e e l y fo rg iv e you, although you w on't me."
Then off from h er f in g e r s p u lle d diamond rin g s
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Take them and wear them while dancing on
my g ra v e ."
11. "0 S a lly , O S a lly , 0 S a l l y ," said he,
" I ' l l f r e e l y fo rg iv e you i f y o u 'l l fo rg iv e me.
Come, cheer up, my je w e l, and we w i l l agree,
And we w i l l be m arried and msrry w e 'l l be,"
APPENDIX H H H H H
THE RICH LADY FROM LONDON234
A
1. There was a r ic h la d v , from London she came,
A very r ic h lady c a lle d S a lly by name.
Her r ic h e s were more th a n t h i s world could p o ssess;
Her beauty was more th an any tongue can e x p re s s .
2. There was a young squire worth a thousand a year;
To c o u rt t h i s f a i r dam sel, away he did s t e e r .
Her being so l o f t y and h er p o rtio n so high,
On t h i s young man she would scarce c a s t an eye.
3. " O 'S a lly , 0 S a l l y , and S a l l y , ” said he,
"I'm a f r a id th a t your beauty my ru in s h a ll be;
I'm a f r a i d t h a t your beauty my ru in s h a ll prove.
U nless a l l your h a tre d w i l l tu rn in to love."'
4. "I do not hate you nor any o th e r man,
But t o say t h a t I love you i s more th a n I can,
I never w ill have you u n le s s I am fo rc e d ,
I beg you to r e t i r e and end your d is c o u rs e ."
5. Before six months had come, gone, and passed,
I h i s b e a u tif u l damsel in love she was c a s t .
In love she was c a s t , and she knew not f o r why.
She sent fo r t h i s young man she had s lig h te d so high.
0. Oh, t h i s young man he came in g re a t speed.
"Oh, where does the pain p ie rc e you, in the side or
the head?"
"Oh, my d e a re s t one, the place you've not guessed J
The place t h a t doth p ie rc e me l i e s deep in my
brea s t .'"
A rth u r P. Hudson, Folksongs of M is s is s ip p i and
T h e ir Background (Chapel HiTl-, 193o), pp. 128-129. Com-
municated by Mr. G. E. Bynum, who obtained i t from Mrs.
Theodosia Bonnett Long, of S a l t i l l o , M is s is s ip p i.
541
542
7. Am I the doctor* t h a t made you send f o r me?
Or am 1 the cause of your misery?"
"Yes* you are the doctor* t h a t you can accure*
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e * I'm ruined* I am s u re ."
8. "0 S a lly , 0 S ally.' and Sally.'" said he,
"Don't you remember when you s lig h te d me?
And d o n 't you remember you s lig h te d me w ith scorn?
And now I reward you fo r th in g s p ast and gone."
9. "For th in g s p a s t and gone, I hope y o u 'l l fo rg iv e
And g ra n t me some longer a time f o r to l i v e . "
" I ' l l never fo rg iv e you w h ils t I have b re a th .
And I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in
the ea rth .'"
10. She p u lle d the r in g s from her f i n g e r s , one, two by
t h r e e ,
Saying* "Wear these f o r my sake while y o u 're dancing
on me,
For I have f o rg iv e n , although you w on't me.
Ten thousand tim es over my f o l l y I see.'"
ROSE OF ARDEEN235
B
1. When f i r s t to t h i s co u n try a s tra n g e r I came,
I c o u rte d a damsel c a lle d Mary by name.
She was neat* t a l l and sle n d e r; her age was s ix te e n ;
She was the flow er of t h i s co u n try and the rose of
Ardeen.
2. Along came a young squire worth thousands a y ea r.
He co u rte d t h i s damsel and c a lle d her h is dear;
But her f a t h e r was so w ealth y , h er beauty so h ig h ,
That upon t h i s young squire sh e'd sc a rc e ly c a s t her
e y e .
Hudson, Folksongs of M i s s i s s i p p i , pp. 129-130.
Communicated by Miss fem m a Corban of F a y e tte , M is s is s ip p i,
who obtained i t from Mrs. C. A. D ickinson, of Hamburg,
F ra n k lin County, M is s is s ip p i.
"Mary, Mary," sa id he,
" I f e a r t h a t your beauty my ru in w i l l be,
I f e a r t h a t your beauty my r u in w i l l prove;
I wish t h a t your h a tre d t o me would tu rn t o l o v e . ”
" I have no h a tre d f o r you nor f o r any man.
But f o r me t o love you i s more th an 1 can;
So you had as w ell r e t i r e and change your d is c o u rs e ,
For I ' l l never marry you u n le ss I am f o rc e d ."
S ix weeks not gone, six weeks not p assed.
U n til t h i s young damsel took sick in h er b r e a s t .
Took s ic k in h er b r e a s t , and f o r what she knew not.
She sent f o r t h i s young squire t o come t o see her
d i e .
"0 Mary, 0 Mary, 0 Mary," said h e,
"Do you w ell remember which you s t i l t e d t a j f ) me?
And when you s li g h te d , you s lig h te d w ith scorn;
And now I ' l l remind you of th in g s p ast and gone.
Yes, p ast and gone, f o rg o tte n and forgave;
I ' l l go to your b u r i a l . I ' l l dance on your g ra v e ."
She p u lle d from h er f in g e r s some diamond r in g s
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Here, take them and wear them while
dancing on me;
But remember, remember, remember, I pray.
That the g i r l loves you d e a re s t l i e s in the co ld
s i l e n t c l a y ."
APPENDIX I I I I 1
AN IRISH LADY, FROM DUBLIN SHE CAME236
1. An I r i s h young lady from Dublin she came,
A b e a u tif u l damsel c a lle d P o lly by name.
Her r ic h e s was more th an a king could p o sse ss.
And h er beauty was more than h er r ic h e s a t b e s t.
2. There was a young d o c to r, a r ic h m erchant's son
The l i s t of h is income was fiv e hundred pounds
(pronounced "pon").
3 (? ), "O, P o lly , p r e tty P o lly , would you th in k me
unkind
If I should s i t by you and t e l l you my mind?
My mind i s t o marry and never t o p a r t .
For the f i r s t time I saw you you wounded my
h e a r t . "
"I never said th a t I hated you or any o th e r
man;
But t o say th a t I love you I know I n e 'e r can.
So you may j u s t hush and w e 'l l end t h i s
d is c o u rs e ,
For I never w i l l marry you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
["The young man was dying of a broken h e a rt . . . and on h is
deathbed she came to see him."J
7 ( ? ) . (Four ijn e g m issin g )
Then off of h is f in g e r s diamond r in g s he p u lled
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Take th ese and wear them when you're
dancing o 'e r me. "
236
Asher E. T r e a t, "Kentucky Folksong in Northern
W isconsin." Jo u rn a l of American F o lk lo r e . 52:12-13, 1939.
Sung by P earl Borusky on Ju ly 13, 1938.
544
APPENDIX J J J J J
FAIR SALLY237
1. There was a f a i r maiden, from S cotland she came.
G reat r ic h e s and honor, and S a lly by name;
Her r ic h e s were more th a n the king could p o sse ss.
And h er beauty was more th an her r ic h e s a t b e s t.
2. There was a poor boy who came to c o u rt h e r,
Whose wages were only one thousand a y e a r, —
She being so w ealthy, so l o f t y , so h ig h ,
That upon t h i s poor (boy) she would scarce c a s t an
e y e .
3. "O S a lly .’ O S a l l y ' 0 S a l l y '" said he,
" I f e a r th a t your love and mine cannot a g re e ,
U nless a l l your h a tre d should tu r n in to love.
For your b e a u ty 's my r u in . I'm sure i t w i l l prove."
4. "No h a tre d f o r you,. s i r , nor no o th e r man.
But as f o r to love you, I know I never can:
So you may r e t i r e , and end your d is c o u rs e .
For I never w i l l have you, u n le ss I am f o r c e d . ”
5. "No f o rc in g , dear Madam, and t h i s you may own.
There are p le n ty of la d ie s who are liv in g alo n e;
I ' l l go and I ' l l c o u rt one, in hopes you may rue:
So f a r e you w e ll, S a l l y , I bid you a d ie u ."
6. Three weeks had scarce come, th re e weeks had scarce
passed.
When S a lly was taken w ith love a t the l a s t .
237P h i l l i p s B arry, "The T ransm ission of Folk-Song,"
J o u rn a l of American F o lk lo r e . 27:73-74, 1914. The source
of t h i s b a lla d i s Folk-Sonos of the North A tla n tic S t a t e s ,
with the t e x t from the MS. of M. A. S. of Sidney, Kansas,
and the melody from H. L. W . of Cambridge, M assachusetts.
Another te x t from C. A. G. of Des Moines, Iowa, a s i s t e r of
M. A. S . , la ck s the f i f t h and ele v e n th sta n za s and th u s
re p r e s e n ts W illie as being proud and u n fo rg iv in g .
545
«
546
E ntangled in lo v e, and she knew not f o r why;
But she sent f o r the young man she once d id deny.
7. "OhI am I the d o c to r, you send f o r me here?
Or am I the young man who once loved you so dear?"
"Yes, you are the d o c to r, can k i l l o r can c u re ,
And w ith o u t your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d . I'm s u re ."
8 . "O S a l l y 2 0 S ally.' O S a lly ! " sa id he,
"D on't you remember when you s lig h te d me?
I c o u rte d w ith p le a s u re , you s lig h te d w ith scorn.
And so now I ' l l reward you f o r w h a t's p a s t and
gone."
9. "O W illie ! 0 W illie ! f o rg e t and fo rg iv e .
And g ra n t me some longer in t h i s world f o r to
live.'"
"No, S a l l y , I w ill n o t, not w hile I have b re a th ;
But I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la i d in
the e a r t h . "
10. Then off from h er f in g e r s p u lle d diamond r in g s
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Take th e s e , and wear them while dancing
o 'e r me,
While dancing o 'e r S a l l y , o 'e r S ally your queen.
And h er c o lo r are t h e r e , now no more to be seen!"
11. Soon W illie was tak en a t h earin g h er doom.
And over h i s mind th e re grew a g re a t gloom,—
Said he, " I ' l l r e t i r e , and lav by h er s id e ,
I ' l l wed h er in d e a th , and I ' l l make h er my bride.'"
APPENDIX K K K K K
SALLY238
1. "Oh S a l l y , Oh S a l l y , Oh S a l l y , " says he,
"I wish th a t your love and mine could agree;
Or e ls e your h a tre d would tu r n in to lo v e.
If not I am ru in ed and I'm sure i t w i l l p ro v e."
2. "Oh I have no h a tre d f o r you, nor no o th e r man.
But to say t h a t I love you i s more th an I can.
Oh go away from me and go your own c o u rse ,
For I never w i l l have you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
3. Oh he went away from h er and six long months were
p a s t,
When he heard of S a l l y 's m isfortune a t l a s t .
She was ta n g led in love and she did not know why.
But she sent f o r the young man she once did deny.
4. Oh he rode lik e a d o c to r ' t i l l he came to h er
b e d s id e ,
" Is i t - a - p a i n in your head, love, or is i t in your
s id e ? "
" I t ' s not a p ain in my head but I ' l l t e l l t o you
the r e s t ;
The pain t h a t ' s a - k i l l i n ' me l i e s deep in my
b r e a s t . "
5. "Oh am I the d o cto r t h a t you did sent f o r .
Or am I the young man you once did deny?"
"Oh you are the d o c to r, can k i l l or can c u re .
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I'm ruined fo re v e r
more."
^®Loman D. C a n s le r, "Boyhood Songs of My G ran d fath er
t
outhern F o lk lo re Q u a r te r ly , 18:178-179, September 1954.
ung by James Reuben B ro y les, Laclede County, M isso u ri,
between 1865-1895.
548
6. "Oh S a l l y , Oh S a l l y , Oh S a l l y , " says he,
"Oh d o n 't you remember when you once s lig h te d me?
You laughed a t my c o u r ts h i p , you scorned me
begone,
And I ' l l now remind you of th in g s p a st and gone."
7. "Oh c a n 't you f o r g e t , lo v e . Oh c a n 't you fo rg iv e ?
Oh th in k what a happy l i f e we could h e r e a f t e r
liv e.'*
"Oh I never w i l l f o r g e t a s long a s I have b re a th .
But I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in
th e dust.'"
8. Off of h e r f in g e r s gold r in g s she p u lle d t h r e e .
S ay in g , "Take— 'em and wear— 'em while yore
d a n c in ' on me.
And when yore done dancing on S a lly your Queen,
F ly away t o the West, lo v e , no more t o be seen ."
APPENDIX LULL
A BRAVE IRISH LADY239
A
1. A brave I r i s h lady t o London she came,
A b e a u tif u l damsel c a lle d S a l l i e by name.
A young squire earning fiv e hundred a year
He co u rted p r e tty S a lli e and loved h er so d ear.
2. Her beauty was g r e a t , her fo rtu n e so high
That upon t h i s young squire she scarce c a s t an eye.
H 0 S a l l i e i 0 S a llie .1 0 S a lli e .'" c r ie d he,
"I'm sorry t h a t your love and mine c a n 't a g re e ."
3. "No h atre d to you nor no o th e r man.
But to say th a t 1 love you i s more than I can;
I wish you would r e t i r e and end your d isc o u rs e .
For I never w i l l love you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
4. When e ig h t weeks was over, when e ig h t weeks went by.
Young S a l l i e f e l l sick and she knew not why.
She sent f o r young Jimmy t o come back indeed.
She sent fo r her tru e love to come w ith f u l l speed.
5. Young Jimmy came in, he came to her bedside.
"Am I the doctor?" young Jimmie r e p lie d .
"Oh yes, you're the one th a t can k i l l or can cu re,
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in e d , I'm su re ."
9H. M . Belden, e d . , "B allads and Songs." The U niver
s i t y of M issouri S tu d ie s . 15:112-113, January 1, 1$40.
Mabel Hyder learned t n i s b a lla d from her grandmother, a
native M issourian, and gave i t to her te a c h e r. Miss Welty,
a t the E x c e lsio r S prings High School in Clay County, Mis
s o u ri, in 1910.
549
550
6. "Oh, where does the p ain l i e ? Does i t l i e in your
head?
Oh, where does the p ain l i e ? Does i t l i e in your
side?"
"Oh no, loving Jimmie, t h a t ' s q u ite the wrong
gue ss.
But th e p ain doth p ie rc e me r i g h t through my
b r e a s t.
7. "0 S a l l i e ! 0 S a l l i e ! 0 S a l l i e ! " sa id he.
"Don't you remember when 1 c o u rte d thee?
You laughed a t my c o u r ts h ip , you denied me to
scorn.
And now I ' l l reward thee f o r w h a t's p ast and gone."
8. "For w h a t's p a s t and gone, d ear, f o rg e t and fo rg iv e ,
And g ra n t me a l i t t l e longer to l i v e . "
"Oh, no, I w o n 't, S a l l i e , while I draw b re a th .
But I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in
the e a r t h ."
9. She r e tc h out h er hands and gave him diamond r in g s
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Take th ese and wear them while you're
dancing o 'e r me.
Oh, fa re w e ll f a th e r ! and fa re w e ll f r ie n d s !
F arew ell loving Jimmie, God maketh amends!
10. "Oh, now 1 must be la id in a cold bed of c la y .
Where my red , ro sy cheeks w i l l moulder away.
I 'd f r e e l y fo rg iv e you, although you w on't me.
Ten thousand tim es over my f o l l y I se e ."
551
B240
1. There was a gay I r i s h young lad y , from London who
came,
Fine S a lly , f in e S a lly indeed was h er name.
2. There was a noble young s q u ir e , worth a thousand a
y e a r.
Who c o u rte d Miss S a lly , who soon did appear.
3. "No h a tre d to you, s i r , nor t o no o th e r man,
But t o say t h a t I love you is more th an I can.
4. "So you can q u it your i n t e n t i o n s , and end your
d is c o u rs e ,
For I never w i l l have you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
5. Before tw e n ty -fo u r hours had passed and gone.
T h is young lady began t o take on.
0. She was ta n g le d in love, but she knew not the
reason why;
So she sent f o r t h i s young man whom once she did
deny.
7. "Oh S a lly , oh S a lly , oh S a l l y ," said he,
"Do you remember when I f i r s t c o u rte d thee?
8. "1 asked you so k in d ly , and you denied me w ith
scorn;
Now I ' l l reward you f o r th in g s t h a t have passed and
gone. r'
9. Then p u llin g from her f in g e r s f u l l diamond r in g s
t h r e e :
"Go wear th ese w hile dancing on me."
10. Now she i s dead beneath the c o ld , cold c la y .
And her red rosy cheeks are mouldering away.
11 and as we suppose,
To some o th e r gay young lady she w ille d a l l of her
fin e c l o th e s .
240
Belden, p. 113. C o n trib u te d by M yrtle Wright in
1914, who learn ed i t from her mother, who was born and
rea re d in Ray County, M isso u ri.
552
SALLY SAILSWORTH241
C
1. When f i r s t t o t h i s c o u n try a poor boy I came
I co u rte d a lady who was S ally by name.
She being so l o f t y , h er bearing so high,
T h tt on t h i s poor young man sh e 'd scarce c a s t an
eye.
2. "Oh S a l l y , oh S a l l y , S a lly S a ils w o rth ," says he,
"I'm a f r a i d t h a t our c o u rts h ip w i l l never a g re e .
U nless your h a tre d s h a ll tu r n t o tr u e love,
W e never can be m arried by the powers above."
3. "Oh no, 1 d o n 't h ate you, nor no o th e r man,
But t o say t h a t I love you i s more th an 1 c a n ."
"So now I w i l l leave you t o dw ell a l l alone;
Perhaps you w i l l marry some o th e r young man."
4. He had not been gone but weeks two or th r e e ,
T i l l S a lly f e l l sic k and she knew not f o r why,
And she sent f o r t h i s young man she once did deny.
5. "Oh, i t ' s am I th e d o c to r, can k i l l or can c u re ,
Or am I the young man you once did deny?"
"Oh yes, y o u 're the d o c to r, can cure or can k i l l ;
But g ra n t me some longer in t h i s world to l i v e . "
6. "Oh S a lly , oh S a lly , S a lly S a ils w o rth ," says he,
"Oh, d o n 't you remember when I f i r s t co u rte d thee?
You laughed a t my c o u r ts h ip , denied me w ith scorn;
And now I ' l l reward you f o r w h a t's p a s t and gone."
7. "For w h a t's p ast and gone, love, l e t ' s f o rg e t and
f org iv e ,
But g ra n t me some longer in t h i s world to l i v e . "
"For w h a t's p a st and gone I s h a n 't forgive and
f o r g e t ,
But I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're cold in
the c l a y ."
241
Belden, pp. 114-115. C o n trib u ted in 1916 by a
Mrs. Case as known to h er in childhood in H arriso n County,
M isso u ri.
553
8. She p u lle d diamonds off h er f i n g e r s three*
Saying, "Wear th e se on your r i g h t hand when y o u 're
dancing on me.
And when y o u 're done dancing on S a lly your queen*
F ly away t o th e West* love* no more t o be se en ."
9. Now S a lly i s dead, you a l l my suppose
Some o th e r young lady i s a-w earing h er c l o t h e s .
Now S a lly i s dead, l i e s co ld in th e clay*
Her ro s y -re d cheeks are a l l m olderlng away.
THE RICH IRISH LADY242
D
1. A r i c h I r i s h lady from London th e re came.
A b e a u tif u l damsel c a lle d S a lly by name.
Her r ic h e s were more th a n the Queen could possess*
And h e r beauty was more th an the gold a t i t s b e s t.
2. A r i c h m e rch an t's c l e r k comes a - c o u r tin g t o h e r.
Whose income was more th a n te n thousand p er y e a r.
She thought of h er r ic h e s and p riz e d them so high
That on t h i s poor young man she scarce c a s t an eye.
3. "0 S ally* 0 S a lly , 0 S a lly * H sa id he,
"I'm a f r a i d t h a t your c o u rts h ip and mine w on't
a g r e e ;
U nless t h a t your h a tre d should tu r n in to lo v e,
I'm a f r a i d t h a t your beauty my ru in w i l l p ro v e ."
4. "I owe you no h a tre d , nor no o th e r man.
But to say t h a t I love you i s more th an I can;
So th e re fo r e I beg you leave off your d is c o u rs e .
For I never s h a ll have you u n le ss I am f o rc e d ."
5. Now se v e ra l long y e a rs have come and are p a s t.
And the b e a u tif u l damsel f e l l sic k a t the l a s t ;
She was ta n g le d in love and she could not t e l l why,
So she sent f o r the young man whom she once did
de ny.
Belden, pp. 115-117. Communicated by a Miss Lowry
as given to her in 1920 by E arl C ruickshank of Columbus*
Kansas, who heard i t sung by h is mother.
554
6. "Oh, am I the d o c to r you sent t o come h e re.
Or am 1 the young man you love most sin c ere?"
"Yes, you are the d o c to r, can k i l l or can cure;
And th e pain 1 l i e under i s hard t o en d u re."
7. nO S a l l y , 0 S a lly , 0 S a l l y , ” said he,
"Oh, d o n 't you remember when 1 c o u rte d thee
You laughed a t my c o u rts h ip and denied me w ith
sc orn?
And now I ' l l reward you f o r w h a t's p ast and gone.
8. "For w h a t's p a s t and gone, love, fo rg e t and fo rg iv e .
And g ra n t me some long y ea rs yet f o r to l i v e . "
"No, t h a t I w o n 't, S a lly , not while I have b re a th .
But I ' l l dance o 'e r your grave a f t e r your d e a th ."
9. Then from off h er f in g e r s she p u lle d diamond rin g s
th r e e .
Saying, "Wear th e s e , loving W illiam, while y o u 're
dancing o 'e r me.
I f r e e l y fo rg iv e you although you d o n 't me.
Ten thousand time over my f o l l y I s e e ."
10. Now S a lly i s dead, as we may suppose.
S h e's l e f t a l l her lo v e rs fo r o th er g i r l s ' beaux;
S h e's tak en up h er lodgings in the banks of cold
c la y ,
And her red rosy cheeks are a l l mouldering away.
THE IRISH LADY243
E
1. There was an I r i s h lady, from London she came,
A b e a u tif u l lady, and Molly by name;
Her r ic h e s was so g re a t and h er honors so high
That upon t h i s young man she could scarce c a s t an
eye.
2. "Oh Molly! oh Molly.' oh Molly.'" said he,
"I wish th a t my love and yours could ag ree.
I 'd marry you, Molly, by the powers above.
If I knew th a t your h a tre d would tu r n in to lo v e ."
Belden, pp. 117-118. C o n trib u ted in 1924 by Beulah
P en d erg rass, a student a t the U n iv e rsity of M isso u ri, who
knew i t in her childhood in n o rth e a s te rn Arkansas.
"Oh no, I d o n 't hate you nor no o th e r man,
But t o say t h a t I love you i s more th an I can;
So drop your a t t e n t i o n s and cease your d is c o u rs e ,
For I s h a l l not marry you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
On F rid a y t h i s lady was ta k en down sick ;
She sent f o r t h i s young man to come and come quick
He came t o h er bed, sa t down by h er sid e:
"Is th e re a p ain in your head, lo v e , or a p ain in
your side?"
"Oh no.' oh no, love.' You did not guess r i g h t ;
The p a in t h a t to rm e ts me w i l l soon take my l i f e .
And you are the d o c to r, can k i l l or can cu re;
And w ithout your a s s is ta n c e I ' l l d ie , I am s u re ."
"Oh Molly.' oh Molly.' oh Molly.'" sa id he,
"Don't you remember when you f i r s t s lig h te d me?
I co u rte d you w ith p le a su re ; you denied me w ith
scorn;
And now I ' l l reward you w ith w h a t's p ast and gone.
"Of w h a t's p ast and gone, love, fo rg e t and fo rg iv e
And g ra n t me s t i l l longer while on e a r th to l i v e . "
"Oh no, I c a n 't , Molly, whatever I must,
But I ' l l dance on your grave, love, when y o u 're
la id in the d u s t."
She drew from h er f in g e r s a diamond rin g f r e e ,
Saying, "Take t h i s , and remember, while dancing
o 'e r me,
Ten thousand tim es over t o your f o l l y I 'd f l e e ,
And I would fo rg iv e you, but you w on't fo rg iv e me.
"F arew ell to my f a th e r,' and a l l of my frie n d s ;
F arew ell to young Johnny; God w i l l make vou repent
I'm going. I'm going to my cold bed of c la y .
Where these red ro sy cheeks w i l l moulder away."
a p p e n d ix h t mm
PRETTY SALLY OF LONDON244
A
1. There was a young lady
From London she came.
She c a lle d h e r s e l f , she said
P re tty S a lly by name.
2. Her r ic h e s was more
Than the king could p o sse ss,
An' h er beauty alone
Was her w ealth a t the b e s t.
3. There was a young gentleman,
A s i l k m erchant's son,
The l e a s t of h is w ealth
Was a t fiv e hundred pounds.
4. He was ta n g led in love.
But he knew not fo r why,
For o n h im p r e tty S a lly
Would sc arcely c a s t her eye.
5. "Oh S a lly , p r e t t y S a lly ,
Sweet S a lly ," says he,
"I'm sorry my tru e love
An' yours c a in t agree.
6. "If your h atre d f o r m e
Don't soon tu rn in to love,
I'm lo s t an ' I'm ruined
For the lo v in ' of th e e ."
Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, pp. 205-207. Sung on
A p ril 30, 1934, in S t. Louis, M issouri, by Mrs. Anna Baker,
who learned the song near West P la in s , M issouri, in about
1903.
556
557
7. "You know I d esp ise you
Worse th an any human man,
To t e l l you I love you
Is more th a n I can.
8. "1*11 drop your acquaintance
An' q u it your d is c o u rs e ,
For I never w i l l marry you
Without I am fo rc e d ."
9. So six months had come,
An' th e y almost had passed.
An' th e n p r e t t y S a lly
F e l l in love a t l a s t .
10. She sent f o r t h i s young man
She once did deny,
She knew in h er sufferance
She was going t o d ie .
11. He says, "Am I the man
That you sent f o r here?"
She says, "You're the very man
That I sent f o r h e re .
12. "Oh y es, y o u 're the only one
That can k i l l me or c u re,
An' w ithout your r e l i e f
I w i l l die I am s u re ."
13. "Oh once I did love you.
But you laughed me to scorn,
14. " I ' l l never fo rg iv e you
While l i f e i s in my b r e a s t,
An' I ' l l dance on your grave
When you lay sweet a t r e s t . "
15. So off from h er f in g e r s
She p u lle d th re e gold r in g s ,
"Oh wear th e s e , my tru e love,
When you dance over me.
16. "For I love you, I love you,
I love you, i t i s t r u e ,
Remember fo re v e r
I love no one but you.
558
17. "So f a r e w e ll, my f a t h e r ,
An' f a r e w e ll, my f r i e n d s .
So f a r e w e ll, my tr u e love,
May God make amends.
18. "My sould s h a ll be d r a f te d
Away t o the sky.
Ten thousands, te n thousands
Are my f o l l y , I s e e ."
FAIR SALLY245
B
1. "Oh S a lly oh S a lly , oh S a l l y ," sa id he,
"Oh d o n 't you remember when I c o u rte d thee?
You laughed a t my c o u r ts h ip , denied me w ith scorn,
And now I ' l l reward you fo r w h a t's p ast and gone."
2. "Oh Jimmie, oh Jimmie, oh Jim m ie," said she,
"How can you be so c r u e l to one who loves th e e?"
"For w h a t's p ast and gone I s h a n 't fo rg iv e and
f o r g e t ,
And the shame t h a t you showed me you must pay fo r
y e t ."
3. Off h er l i l y white hand she p u lle d diamond r in g s
t h r e e ,
Said, "For my sake wear th ese when you dance upon
me,
I f r e e l y fo rg iv e you, although you d o n 't me,
Ten thousand tim es o 'e r my f o l l y I se e ."
4. Now S a lly is dead, s s we may suppose.
S h e 's l e f t a l l her lo v e rs f o r o th er g i r l s ' beaux,
S h e's gone to l i e down in a bed of co ld c la y ,
And h er red ro sy cheeks are a-m ouldering away.
245
Randolph, Ozark F olksongs, p. 208. Sung in G alena,
M isso u ri, on August 28, 1940, by Mrs. L i l l i a n S h o rt, who got
i t from Mrs. Joseph P o in te r of Cabool, M isso u ri, who learn ed
i t as a c h ild about s ix ty y ears ago.
555*
C246
1. "1 have no h a tre d f o r you, or no o th e r young man.
But t o say t h a t I love you, t h a t ' s more than I can,
I would have you t o r e t i r e , and stop your d is c o u rs e ,
For 1 never w i l l marry you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
2. Six months had not come, six months had not passed.
U n til we heard of t h i s la d y 's m isfortune a t l a s t ,
She was a l l ta n g led in love and she could not t e l l
why.
She sent f o r t h i s young man she once did deny.
247
THE RICH LADY
1. There was a r ic h lady, from Ire la n d she came,
A b e a u tif u l damsel c a lle d S a lly by name,
There was a poor young man as we a l l do h ea r.
Toward t h i s young lady h is c o u rts h ip did s t e e r .
But h er mind being lo f t y and r ic h e s so high,
That upon t h i s young man she would scarce c a s t an
e y e .
2. "Oh, s i r , I d o n 't hate you nor no o th er man,
But to say th a t I love you i s more than I can,
I could love and re sp e c t you but I w ill not of
co u rse .
And I know I ' l l never marry you u n le ss I am
f o r c e d ."
3. Six months had not gone, six months had not passed
T i l l I heard of t h i s la d y 's m isfortune a t l a s t ,
She was entangled in love, and she knew not fo r
why.
So she sent f o r t h i s young man whom once she
denied.
Randolph, Ozark F olksongs, p. 209. A fragment
from Mrs. Maggie Cnadwick of S p rin g d ale, Arkansas, on
March 2, 1942.
247Randolph* 02ark Folksongs, pp. 209-210. C o n trib
uted by Mrs. S. E. Wilson of Verona, M isso u ri, on J u ly 21,
1940.
4. He rode lik e a d o cto r unto h er b ed sid e.
Saying, "Is the p ain in your head, or the p a in in
your side?"
"Oh s i r , i t i s n e ith e r and I ' l l t e l l you the r e s t .
The p a in t h a t i s k i l l i n g me l i e s deep in my
b r e a s t . "
5. "Oh S a lly , oh S a l l y , oh S a l l y ," says he,
"Oh do you remember when I f i r s t co u rte d thee?
You scorned my a t t e n t i o n s , laughed a t my poor
b i r t h .
I ' l l dance on your grave when you are co ld in the
e a r t h . "
6. She drew from h er f in g e r h er diamond rin g s th r e e .
Saying, "Take them and wear them while y o u 're
dancing o 'e r me."
"Oh yes, I w i l l , S a lly , and jo y f u l I ' l l be
To th in k of a r ic h lady who once died f o r me."
7. Now S a lly i s dead, as we may suppose,
Some o th e r r ic h lady wears a l l h er fin e c l o th e s ,
Her body i s lying in a bank of cold c la y .
Her red rosy l i p s they are mouldering away.
e 248
1. There was a r ic h lady, from S co tlan d she came
With g re a t honor and r ic h e s and S a lly by name.
Her r ic h e s were more than a king could p o sse ss.
And h er beauty was more than her r ic h e s a t b e s t.
2. There was a poor bov who came to c o u rt h e r.
Whose wages were only one thousand a year.
Her being so w ealthy, so l o f t y , so high,
Upon t h i s poor boy she could scarce c a s t an eye.
3. Six weeks has scarce come, six weeks had scarce
pa ssed.
T i l l S a lly had f a l l e n in love w ith alas.'
She asked f o r the d o cto r she once did despise
And sent f o r the poor boy she once did deny.
248
Randolph, Ozark F olksonos. p. 210. From Mrs.
S ylvia H i l l of Thayer, M isso u ri, on August 16, 1940.
561
4. "Am I the d o c to r, you sent f o r me here?
Am 1 the young man t h a t loved you so dear?"
"Oh yes, y o u 're the d o c to r, t h a t can k i l l or can
c u r e ,
Without your a s s is ta n c e I'm ru in ed I'm s u re ."
5. "Oh S a lly , oh S a lly , oh S a lly ," said he,
"D on't you remember when you s lig h te d me?
1 c o u rte d w ith p le a s u r e , you s lig h te d w ith scorn.
And now I ' l l remind you of days p a s t and gone."
6. "Oh W illie , oh W illie , fo rg e t and fo rg iv e ,
And g ra n t me some longer on t h i s wide world to
l i v e , "
"Oh no. I ' l l n o t, S a l l y , not while I have b re a th .
And I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're la id in
the e a r t h . "
7. Then off of her f in g e r s she p u lle d diamond r in g s
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Take them and wear them w hile dancing o 'e r
me,
While dancing o 'e r S a lly , o 'e r S a lly the queen
Whose c o lo rs no more on e a r t h w i l l b eseen ."
i
A RICH LADY FROM LONDON249
F
1. There was a r ic h lady from London she came,
A b e a u tif u l damsel, p r e t t y S a lly by name.
Her r ic h e s was more than a king could p o sse ss,
Her w it and h er beauty was more th an the r e s t .
2. There was a poor young man lik e we are a l l h e re .
Who toward t h i s r ic h lady her c o u rts h ip did s t e e r ,
But h er mind being lo f ty and h er eyes were so high
Toward t h i s poor young man she would scarce c a s t
an ey e .
Randolph, Ozark F olksonos. pp. 211-212. Sung in
Walnut Shade, M issouri, on September 6, 1941, by Mr. C h a rle s
Ingenthron, who says th a t he le arn ed i t near Walnut Shade
in 1892.
"Oh S a lly , oh S a lly , p r e t t y S a l l y , " says he,
"I'm sorry th a t your love and mine c a n 't a g re e .
U nless t h a t your hateward would tu r n in to love.
Your love is my ru in , I'm sure i t w i l l prove,"
"I have no hateward f o r you nor no o th e r man.
But t o t e l l you t h a t I love you i s more than I can
I d o n 't wish t o e n t e r t a i n you nor stop your
d is c o u r s e ,
But never w i l l I marry you u n t i l I am f o rc e d ."
Six months had not come and six months had not
passed
T i l l 1 heard t h a t t h i s r ic h lady missed fo rtu n e a t
l a s t .
She was taken so quickly 1 could not t e l l why,
She sent f o r t h i s poor young man she once did deny
He rode lik e a d o cto r a l l to h er b ed sid e,
"Is the pain in your head, love, i s the p ain in
your side?"
"Ch no, i t i s n e i th e r , I ' l l t e l l you the r e s t .
The p ain t h a t ' s now k i l l i n g me l i e s deep in my
b r e a s t . "
"Oh S a lly , oh S a lly , p r e t t y S a l l y , " says he,
" I t ' s d o n 't you remember when I co u rted th e e ,
1 asked you some q u e s tio n s , you answered with
sc orn.
And now I ' l l reward you of th in g s p a s t and gone."
"F o rg o tten , fo rg iv e n , a l l th in g s p a s t and gone,
But t o look a t the sweet p le a s u re s th a t i s yet fo r
t o come, "
"Oh no I w on't S a lly , enduring my b r e a s t,
I ' l l dance on your grave when y o u 're gone to your
re s t . "
She ta k en from her f in g e r s , 'tw as diamond rin g s
t h r e e ,
Saying, "Taken them and wear them while dancing on
me,"
"Oh yes, I w i l l , S a lly , r e jo ic in g ' t w i l l be
To th in k what a p r e t t y g i r l has once died f o r me."
Now t h i s lady i s dead, as we may suppose,
Some o th e r f a i r damsel i s a-w earing her fin e
c lo th e s.
Her body now l i e s in a cold tomb of c la y .
Her red rosy cheeks have a l l faded away.
APPENDIX N N N N N
A RICH IRISH LADY250
1. A r i c h I r i s h lady from London she came.
Fine S a lly , fin e S a lly indeed was h er name.
A young man came c o u rtin g numbers of y e a rs ,
Toward t h i s young lady h is c o u r ts h ip did s t e e r .
2. "Oh, S a lly , oh, S a lly , and S a l l y ," sa id he,
"I'm sorry t h a t your love and mine d o n 't agree;
I know t h a t your beauty w i l l my r u in prove
U nless a l l your h a tre d w i l l tu r n in to lo v e ."
3. " S ir, t o say th a t I hate you or any o th e r man,
Or to say th a t 1 love you i s more than I can;
N eith er love you nor hate you, but to end your
disc o u rs e ,
I never w i l l marry you u n le ss I am fo rc e d ."
4. Before fiv e and twenty weeks had quickly come and
passed,
T h is young man had heard of her dow nfall a t l a s t .
She sent f o r t h i s young man a l l lik e unto d ie ,
A ll ta n g le d in love and she knew not f o r why.
5. T h is young man came to her b ed sid e.
S aid, "Where l i e s the p ain , in your head or in your
side?"
"Oh, no, my young Jew, you cannot know the p a r t;
The p ain th a t tr o u b le s me l i e s n e a re st my h e a r t . "
6. "Am I any d o c to r, you sent f o r me h ere,
Or am I the young man th a t once loved you dear?"
"You are the very one th a t can k i l l or can c u re .
Without your a s s is ta n c e I ' l l die I am s u re ."
260
W illiam A. Owens, Texas Folk Sonas (D a lla s , 1950),
p. 38. Recorded f o r Mr. Owens by h is g r e a t- a u n t, Mrs.
Penelope Haigood.
563
"Oh, S a l l y , oh, S a lly , and S a l l y ," sa id he,
"Oh, do you remember the time you s lig h te d me?
You s li g h te d me, S a l l y , you s lig h te d me t o scorn.
And now I ' l l reward you, f o r tim es p a s t and gone."
"For tim e s p a s t and gone, lo v e, I hope you w i l l
fo r g iv e .
And g ra n t me yet lo n g er a time h^re t o l i v e . "
" I ' l l never fo rg iv e you and w hile I have b re a th
I ' l l dance over your grave when y o u 're c o ld in the
e a r t h . "
She took off h er f i n g e r s gold diamond r in g s t h r e e .
Saying, "Take th e se and wear them w hile dancing
over me.
I f r e e l y fo rg iv e you but you cannot me;
Ten thousand tim es over my f o l l y I s e e ."

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Asset Metadata

Creator Browne, Earl William (author)

Core Title Variant Forms Of English And Scottish Popular Ballads In America

Degree Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Program English

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Literature, General,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Advisor McElderry, Bruce R. (committee chair), Arnold, Aerol (committee member), Templeman, William D. (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c18-91070

Unique identifier UC11358144

Identifier 6101695.pdf (filename),usctheses-c18-91070 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier 6101695.pdf

Dmrecord 91070

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Browne, Earl William

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

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