182
The Old Woman's Blind Husband
This is an alternative form of the Johnny Sands story, in which
the wife blinds her husband instead of tying his hands. It goes by
various names : in Scotland it is called 'The Wily Auld Carle' or 'The
Wife of Kelso,' in Maine 'The Old Woman of Dover,' in Kentucky
'The Old Woman of London,' in Ohio 'The Old Woman of Slapsa-
dam.' See BSM 237, and add to the references there given Maine
(FSONE 255-8), Virginia (SharpK i 349, FSV 164-5), North
Carolina (SharpK i 238-349, FSRA 79-80), Arkansas (OFS iv
248-9), Missouri (Hoosier Folklore v 34), Ohio (JAFL xl 40-1,
BSO 90-1), and Indiana (Leah J. Wolford's The Play-Party in
Indiana 93). In Ohio and Indiana it is a play-party song. There
is among the manuscripts of our collection a single stanza of the
A version with no name attached but probably from H. C. Martin
of Lenoir, written out with the tune.
A
The Old Woman's Blind Husband.' Contributed by J. W. Brady of
Durham. With the tune, as sung by Mrs. O. D. Barnett of Durham in
1921.
1 There was an old woman in our town,
In our town did dwell.
She loved her dearest husband
But another man twice as well.
Chorus:
Oh sing tid-e-ree-um, tid-e-ree-um,
mac-falu-falai.
2 She went down to the doctor's shop
To see what she could find.
OLDER BALLADS — MOSTLY BRITISH 45I
To see if she could find anything
To make her old man blind.
3 She found six dozen old beef bones
And made him chew them all.
He says, 'Old woman, I am so blind
I can't see you at all.'
4 He says, 'Old woman, I'd drown myself
If I could only see.'
She says, 'My dearest husband,
I'll go show you the way.'
5 She took him by the hand
And led him to the brim.
He says, 'Old woman, I'll drown myself
If you will push me in.'
6 The old woman stepped a little one side
To give a rounding spring;
The old man stepped a little one side.
And she went a-bouncing in.
7 Then she bawled out, she squalled out
As loud as she could bawl.
He says, 'Old woman, I am so blind
I can't see you at all.'
8 The old man being goodnatured
And thought that she might swim
He goes and gets a good long pole
And pushed her further in.
'The Old Woman's Blind Husband.' Reported by Julian P. Boyd of
Alliance, Pamlico county, in 1927, from James Tingle, one of his students.
1 There was a rich lady,
At Richmond did she dwell.
She loved her husband dearly
But another man twice as well.
Chorus:
Oh, sing dory, the ring ding dory,
Oh, sing dory, the ring ding dory, oh!
2 She went into a blacksmith shop
To see what she could find ;
Something rather special.
To make her old man blind.
452 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 She found three old marrow bones.
She told him to eat them all.
And when he ate the last one
He could not see at all.
4 Her husband was so down-hearted
When he found he could not see
He said, 'I'll go and drown myself,
And that will be the last of me.'
5 Then, going to the water.
So sweetly did she sing:
'The old man is going to drown himself,
And I'll go push him in.'
6 But when they got to the water.
Standing on the brink.
The old man shoved her in
And calmly watched her sink.
7 When she struck the water
So loudly did she squeal
'Oh, my dearest husband,
I cannot swim at all.'
8 But he was a man so tender-hearted.
He saw she could not swim ;
He picked up a little stick
And pushed her farther in.
9 Now this must end my story;
I won't sing any more
About the silly woman
Who could not swim ashore.
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182
The Old Woman's Blind Husband
'The Old Woman's Blind Husband.' Sung by Mrs. O. D. Barnett. Recorded
as MS score at Durham in 1921.
For melodic relationship cf. ***OFS iv 246, No. 750, measures 1-4 ('Johnny
Sands') ; **SharpK i 349, No. 55B, first six measures.
Scale: Hexatonic (4), plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: abc (4,4,4).
A(I)
The Old Woman's Blind Husband.' Sung by Horton Barker. From previous
recording of Dr. W. A. Abrams, Boone, Watauga county ; no date given. Other
titles given 'Rich Old Lady' and 'There Was an Old Lady in Our Town.'
Although this tune is in Dorian mode, the melodic line, for the first eight
measures, is closely related to that of the preceding version, 182 A.
For melodic relationship cf. ***SharpK i 349, No. 55B ; **OFS rv 246, Na
750, first four measures.
Scale: Dorian (plagal). Tonal Center: g. Structure: abc (4,4,4).
2 She w^ent down to the butcher shop
To see if she could find,
To see if she could find something
To make her old man blind.
3 She got twelve dozen marrow bones,
She made him sup them all.
Says he, 'Old woman, I am so blind
I cannot see at all.'
4 Said he, 'I'm goin' to drown myself
If I could only see.'
Said she, 'My dearest husband,
I'll go and show you the way.'
5 She bundled him up in his old grey coat,
She took him to the brim ;
Said he, 'I cannot drown myself
Unless you push me in.'
6 The old woman took a step or two back
To give her roll and spring;
242
NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
The old man stepped a little aside
And she went tumbling in.
7 She bubbled and gurgled and squalled out
As loud as she could bawl.
Said he, 'Old woman, I am so blind
I can't see you at all.'