256. Little Marion Parker

 

256

Little Marion Parker
'Little Marion Parker.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.

I Now little Marion Parker,
She left her home one day.

 

NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS 605

She Started to the schoolhouse ;
Her heart was light and gay.

Upon that fatal morning
She kissed her mother good-bye ;
But little did the poor child think
That she was going to die.

She took her loving sister
And started down the street ;
She left her home that morning,
An awful fate to meet.

And as they walked together,
Although they did not know
That following in their footsteps

 

5 For at her class that morning,
This Edward Hickman went
To tell little Marion Parker
Of her papa's accident.

6 He took her from the schoolroom
And carried her away ;

And wrote to her dear papa,
T kidnapped her today.

7 'If you want your daughter
A ransom you must pay.

Now let me give you fair warning.
You do just what I say.

8 'Bring fifteen hundred dollars
Unto some hiding place,

Or Marion's death will follow ;
You'll never see her face.'

9 Her papa took the money
Just as the lad had said.

But when he found little Marion,
His darling child was dead.

10 It was an awful murder,
The blackest in the state ;
At the hands of Edward Hickman
Little Marion met her fate.

 

6o6 north carolina folklore