Miss Pound (pp. 42, 69) records two variants from Nebraska ("Sailor's Trade," "Sailor Boy").

Sweet William.

Communicated, 1917, by Mr. C. McPh. A. Rogers, to whom it was sent by Mr. John D. McInnis of Meridian, Miss. Mr. McInnis writes, April 4, 1917: "Sweet William' . . . I heard in the mountains of East Tennessee during the Civil War. It was sung by an ignorant mountain-girl, who accompanied herself with an accordion. The song still lives in the mountains. It was heard there two summers ago by a grandson of mine, who had heard me sing it." Stanzas 1, 5, and 6 appear in part in "The Butcher's Boy" and elsewhere (see JAFL 29: 169–170).

I.

She sot down, she wrote a song,
She wrote it true, she wrote it long,
At ev'ry line she dropped a tear
And ev'ry word cried, "O my dear!"

2. She cast her boat upon the tide
That she might sail the ocean wide,
An' ev'ry ship that she passed by

She thought she heard her William cry.

3. "O sailors, O sailors, pray tell me true,

Has my sweet William been sailin' with you?"
"No, no, purty Miss, he isn't here,
He's drowned in some deep, I fear."

4. Her boat was cast upon the san',
She wandered fur in a furrin lan',
O'er valleys low, o'er hills so high,
Still she heard Sweet William cry.

5. Three Eastern men went ridin' by;
They spied her on a limb so high;
They tuk her down fuh to be at rest;
A turkle dove lit on her breast.

6. So dig her grave both deep and steep,
An' put the marble at the head and feet,
Cyarve on that stone a turtle dove

To signify she died of love.

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.

The text here printed is worth notice because of its long period of demonstrable oral transmission in America. It was taken down by G. L. Kittredge, Dec. 30, 1877, from the singing of Mrs. Sarah G. Lewis of Barnstable, Mass. (born in Boston, 1799). Mrs. Lewis learned the song when a young girl from her grandmother, Mrs. Sarah Gorham.

1. The first day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Some part of a juniper tree,

And some part of a juniper tree.

2. The second day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Two French hens,

And some part of a juniper tree,

And some part of a juniper tree.

3. The third day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Three turkle doves, two French hens,

And some part, etc.

4. The fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Four colly birds, three turkle doves, etc.

5. The fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Five gold rings, etc.

6. The sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying, etc.

7. The seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming, etc.

8. The eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Eight

.1

9. The ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Nine lambs a-bleating, etc.

10. The tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Ten ladies dancing, etc.

II. The eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Eleven lords a-leading, etc.

12. The twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Twelve bells a-ringing, etc.

In a copy from Quincy, Mass., sent to Child March 30, 1881 (Child MSS., ii, 190-194; cf. xxi, 4, article 6 a), the series is, a partridge and a pear-tree, two turtle doves, three French hens, four colly birds,

1 Forgotten by the singer.

five gold rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-singing, eight ladies dancing, nine fiddlers fiddling, ten rams a-bleating(?), eleven stags a-leaping, twelve bulls a-roaring. In a Massachusetts text from Miss Julia M. Maynard the series runs, a part of a juniper tree, two turtle doves, three French hens, four Cornish birds, five gold rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight herds a-grazing, nine ladies dancing, ten fiddlers fiddling, eleven golden pippins, twelve silver florins. In another, communicated a few years ago by Mr. J. S. Snoddy, as "sung by Mrs. Uriah Holt, Andover, Mass., 95 years old," we have, a partridge upon a fair tree, two turtle-doves, three collie birds, four American hens, five gold rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight ladies dancing, nine lords a-leaping, ten bells a-beating, eleven hounds a-howling, twelve knights a-riding. See "Family Songs," compiled by Rosa S. Allen (1899), for still another Massachusetts text. In a variant taken down in 1916 by Miss Loraine Wyman in Pulaski County, Kentucky, there are but seven gifts, — a partridge in a pear-tree, two turtle-doves, three French hens, four corn boys, five gold rings, six geese a-laying, and seven swans a-swimming. In a full Missouri copy in Belden's collection we have "eight deers a-running, nine wolves a-howling, ten ladies dancing, eleven lords a-limping, twelve bulls a-bellering." Compare Barry, No. 67.

For English and Scottish versions see Halliwell, "Nursery Rhymes," 1842, No. 226, pp. 127-128 (2d ed., 1843, No. 272, pp. 155–156; 5th and 6th eds., No. 346, pp. 184-188); Chambers, "Popular Rhymes of Scotland" (ed. 1870), pp. 42-43; Bruce and Stokoe, "Northumbrian Minstrelsy," pp. 129-131; "Notes and Queries," 1st series, 12: 506– 507; Husk, "Songs of the Nativity," pp. 181-185; Balfour, "County Folk-Lore," 4:138 (Stokoe's text); Baring-Gould, "Songs of the West," 4 : xxxiii-xxxiv; Gomme, "Traditional Games," 2: 315–321; Sharp, "One Hundred English Folksongs," No. 96: xlii, 224-225; "Journal of the Folk-Song Society," 5: 277-281. There is a similar French song in the "Revue des Traditions Populaires," 7: 34-36 (with tune).

In a broadside of about 1800 or perhaps earlier (Angus, Printer), entitled "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (Harvard College Library, 25242.5.5.149, No. 15), the series is, a partridge in a pear-tree, two turtle-doves, three French hens, four colly birds, five gold rings, "six geese a laying, seven swans a swimming, eight maids a milking, nine drummers drumming, ten pipers playing, eleven ladies dancing, twelve lords a leaping."

The following Shetland version, which resembles Chambers's text, is in the Child MSS., iii, 17 (Harvard College Library). It was sent to Child in 1880 by Mr. Arthur Laurenson, who received it from Mr. R. Sinclair, Jr., of Shetland, in whose handwriting it is.

Come now let me see

Who learns this carol and carries it for me.

The king sent his ladie the first Yule day
One peeping.1

[The series is given in reverse order by Mr. Sinclair: -]

Thirteen knights a merry fighting.

Twelve hawks a merry hunting.
Eleven maids a merry meeting.
Ten hares a merry beating.
Nine hounds a merry hunting.
Eight bulls, they were brown.
Seven crowns a merry carolling.
Six swans a merry swimming.
Five geese, they were gray.
Four starlings.

Three gold rings.

Two pedricks.2

One peeping.

THE YORKSHIRE BITE (THE CRAFTY PLOUGHBOY).

The favorite broadside ballad of "The Yorkshire Bite" or "The Crafty Ploughboy" was duly registered by Child (5: 129) as a parallel to "The Crafty Farmer" (No. 283), though not a version of it.3 Barry published a fragmentary copy, obtained in Boston from singing, in this Journal, 1910 (23: 451-452), with the tune, and added an amusing and instructive traditional tale. A better text, from the Child MSS., is given below; it was sent to Child in 1889. Professor F. C. Brown (p. 7) reports (1914) the ballad as collected by Mrs. John C. Campbell of Asheville, N.C.4 Dr. Bertrand L. Jones has

found it in Michigan.

"The Crafty Ploughboy" (sometimes with a sub-title, "The Highwayman Outwitted") occurs in the following Harvard broadsides: 25242.17, i, 86 (G. Jacques, Manchester); same, iii, 49 (J. Kendrew, York); iv, 153 (W. R. Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne); ix, 113 (John O. Bebbington, Manchester, and J. Beaumont, Leeds, No. 117); xii, 64 (H. Such, No. 217); 25242.28 (no imprint); Irish broadside in lot of Aug. 31, 1916 ("The Robber Outwitted"). An American broadside of about 1820-30 has recently been acquired, "The Yorkshire Bright . . . Printed and Sold at No. 25, High Street, Providence, where are kept for sale 100 other kinds Songs."

1 [That is, papyngo, parrot.]

2 [That is, partridges.]

"The Crafty Farmer" itself has not yet turned up in this country. It was published, however, in The Universal Songster, or Museum of Mirth (London, 1825-26; also 1834), 2:357-358, - - a book whose title was copied by C. Gaylord, Boston, 1835.

4 Compare JAFL 28: 199.

It is still sung in England: see "Journal of Folk-Song Society," 2: 174-176 ("The Lincolnshire, or Yorkshire, Farmer"). Greig has found the piece in oral circulation in Scotland (“Yorkshire Farmer," "Folk-Song of the North-East," xxxv).

[The Yorkshire Bite.]

From Child MSS., Harvard College Library, xxvii, 188 (1), written down for Professor Child, April 10, 1889, by Mr. J. M. Watson, of Clark's Island, Plymouth, Mass., as imperfectly remembered by him from the singing of his father, Mr. A. M. Watson, of the same place. At the same time Mr. Watson sent a very interesting version of "Archie o' Cawfield," 1 also remembered from his father's singing.

I. If you please to draw near,

You quickly shall hear;

It is of a farmer who lived in Yorkshire.

A fine Yorkshire boy he had for his man,

And for to do his business: his name it was John.
Lod-le-tol, lod-le-tol, lod-le-tedle, lod-le-tay.

2. Right early one morning he called to his man;
A-coming in to him, he says to him: "John,
Here, take you the cow to the fair,

For she is in good order, and she I can spare."

3. The boy took the cow away in a band,

And arrived at the fair, as we understand;
A little time after he met with three men,
And he sold them the cow for a six pound ten.

4. They went into a tavern, 'twas there for to drink,
The farmers to pay the boy down his chink;

But while the highwayman was a-drinking of his wine,

He says to himself, "That money is mine."

5. (The boy speaks to the landlady about this conspicuous-looking man, as to what he shall do with the money.)

"I will sew it in the lining of your coat," says she,
"For fear on the road robbed you may be."

6. (The boy starts on his way home on foot; the highwayman follows him on horseback, and very politely offers him a lift on his journey; the boy accepts his invitation and gets up behind him.)

7. They rode till they came to a dark, narrow lane;
The highwayman said, "I must tell you in plain,
Deliver that money without any strife,

Or else I shall surely take thy sweet life."

1 Printed by Child, No. 188 F (3: 494).