28. Our Goodman (Folk-Songs of the South- 1925; Footnotes moved to the end of each version.)
28. OUR GOODMAN (Child, No. 274)
Three variants of the same version of this ballad have been recovered in West Virginia under the title of "Home Came the Old Man." This version is the same as Child A. By variation or extension several vulgar stanzas are current in West Virginia and elsewhere. For American texts see Journal, xvin, 294 (Barry; Massachusetts); xxx, 199 (Parsons, North Carolina); Smith, p. 16 (Virginia); Campbell and Sharp, No. 32 (North Carolina); Belden's Missouri collection. For references see Journal, xxix, 166; xxx, 328; xxxv, 348.
A. "Home Came The Old Man." Communicated by Mrs. Elizabeth Tapp Peck, Morgantown, Monongalia County, March 31, 1916; obtained from her mother, Mrs. Thomas H. Tapp, who learned it from her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Wade Mack. Printed by Cox, xlv, 58.
1 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the parlor,
A strange coat did see.
2 "My wife, my beloved wife,
What does all this mean?
A strange coat here,
Where my own ought to been?"
3 "You old fool, you blind fool,
O can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a blanket,
My mother sent to me?"
4 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But buttons on a blanket,
I never saw before."
5 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the kitchen,
A strange gun did see.
6 " My wife, my beloved wife,
O what does all this mean?
A strange gun here,
Where my own ought to been?"
7 "You old fool, you blind fool,
O can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a mush-stick,
My mother sent to me?"
8 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But a gun for a mush-stick,
I never saw before."
9 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the stable,
A strange horse did see.
10 "My wife, my beloved wife,
O what does all this mean?
A strange horse here,
Where my own ought to been? "
11 "You old fool, you blind fool,
O can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a milch cow,
My mother sent to me?"
12 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But a saddle on a milch cow,
I never saw before.
13 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into a bed room,
A strange face did see.
14 "My wife, my beloved wife,
O what does all this mean?
A strange face here,
Where my own ought to been?"
15 "You old fool, you blind fool,
O can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a baby,
My mother sent to me?"
16 "Miles have I travelled
Five hundred miles or more,
But whiskers on a baby's face,
I never saw before."
B. "Home Came The Old Man." Communicated by Mr. Walter M. Duke, Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, May 6, 1916; dictated by Mrs. R. A. Jaques, Hedgesville, who learned it in childhood from her mother. Printed by Cox, xlv, 92.
1 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the house,
Strange boots did see.
2 "My wife, my beloved wife,
what does all this mean?
Strange boots here,
Where mine ought to been? "
3 "You old fool, you blind fool,
Can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a bootjack,
That my mother sent to me? "
4 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But spurs on a bootjack,
I never saw before."
5 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the kitchen,
A strange hat did see.
6 "My wife, my beloved wife,
O what does all this mean?
A strange hat here,
Where my own ought to been?"
7 "You old fool, you blind fool,
O can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a dinner pot,
That mother sent to me?"
8 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But crape on a dinner pot,
I never saw before."
9 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the house,
A strange shirt did see.
10 "My wife, my beloved wife,
O what does all this mean?
A strange shirt here,
Where my own ought to been?"
11 "You old fool, you blind fool,
Can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a table cloth,
My mother sent to me?"
12 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But sleeves on a table cloth,
I never saw before."
13 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the bed room,
A strange face did see.
14 "My wife, my beloved wife,
O what does all this mean?
A strange face here,
Where mine ought to been?
15 "You old fool, you blind fool,
O can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a baby,
My mother sent to me?"
16 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But whiskers on a baby's face,
I never saw before."
C. "Home Came The Old Man." Communicated by Miss Mary Meeks Atkeson, Morgantown, Monongalia County, June, 191 7; obtained from Miss Effie Anderson, a student in West Virginia University.
1 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the parlor,
A strange coat did see.
2 "My wife, my beloved wife,
O what does this mean?
A strange coat here,
Where my own ought to be?"
3 "You old fool, you blind fool,
O can you not but see,
'T is nothing but a blanket,
My mother sent to me?"
4 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But buttons on a blanket,
Did I never see before."
5 Home came the old man,
Home came he;
He went into the bed room,
A strange face did see.
6 "My wife, my beloved wife,
O what does this mean?
A strange face here,
Where my own ought to be?"
7 "You old fool, you blind fool,
O can you not but see,
T is nothing but a baby,
That my mother sent to me?"
8 "Miles have I travelled,
Five hundred miles or more,
But whiskers on a baby's face,
I ne'er did see before."