5. The Cruel Mother (Folk-Songs of the South- 1925; Footnotes moved to the end of each version.)
THE CRUEL MOTHER (Child, No. 20)
Three variants have been recovered in West Virginia under the titles, "Down by the Greenwood Side," and "The Greenwood Siding" (see Cox, xlv, 159). A is an excellent version, following Child E in most details. B is confused at the beginning and one verse of stanza 4 is missing. In the main it agrees clearly with Child C. The only thing in variant C that may be of help in determining its relationship is the last line: "You shall be keeper of hell's gates." Cf. Child, I, 15: "Seven years a porter in hell," and Child, K, 7: "And seven years a porter in hell."
For American texts see Mackenzie, Journal, xxv, 183 (Nova Scotia; also Quest, p. 104) ; McGill, p. 83 (Kentucky) ; Campbell and Sharp, No. 9 (North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia) ; Sharp, Folk-Songs of English Origin Collected in the Appalachian Mountains, 2d Series, p. 2 (Kentucky) ; Jones, p. 5 (South Carolina by way of Kentucky) ; Journal of the Folk-Song Society, 11, 109 (Kentucky). For other references see Journal, xxx, 293.
A. "Down by the Greenwood Side." Communicated by Mrs. Hilary G. Richardson, Clarksburg, Harrison County, March 15, 19 16; obtained from Mrs. Rachel Fogg, originally from Doddridge County, who learned it from her mother, and she from her mother. Printed by Mrs. Richardson, Journal, xxxii, 503, and by Cox, xlvi, 65.
1 There was a lady lived in York,
Ha liley and loney;
She fell in love with her father's clerk,
Down by the greenwood side.
2 She loved him up and she loved him down,
She loved him till she filled her arms.
3 She placed her foot against an oak,
First it bent and then it broke.
4 Then she placed her foot against a thorn,
There those two little babes were born.
5 She pulled a knife both keen and sharp
And thrust those two little babes to the heart.
6 She buried those two little babes under a marble stone,
Thinking this would never be known.
7 One day, sitting in her father's hall,
She spied those two little babes playing ball.
8 "O babes, O babes, if you are mine,
I'll dress you up in silks so fine."
9 "O mother, when we were thine,
You never dressed us up in coarse nor fine.
10 "Now we are up in heaven to dwell,
And you are doomed to hell."
B. "Down by the Greenwood Side." Communicated by Mr. George Paugh, Thomas, Tucker County, January 10, 1916; obtained from Mrs. S. R. Paugh, who learned it about forty years previous from Mr. John Cox in Pendleton County.
1. She placed her foot against a rock,
And there twin babes were born,
Down by the greenwood side.
2 She drew her garter from her leg
And tied them up both hand and foot.
3 She dug a grave both wide and deep,
She placed them in, both hand and feet.
4. . . . . . .
She thought this murder would never be known.
5 One day she was sitting in her father's hall,
She saw those twin babes play ball.
6 "0 sweet little babes if you were mine,
I'd dress you in the silks so fine."
7 "You false-hearted mother, when we were thine,
You neither dressed us rough nor fine."
C. "The Greenwood Siding." Communicated by Prof essor Walter Barnes, Fairmont, Marion County, July, 1915; obtained from Mr. G. W. Cunningham, Elkins, Randolph County, who learned it from Ellen Howell of Dry Fork.
1 "O baby, O baby, if you were mine,
All along and alone-y;
I would dress you up in scarlet so fine,
All along by the greenwood siding."
2 "O mother, O mother, when I was yours,
You pierced me through my poor tender heart.
3 "O mother, mother, thou hast cut stakes,
You shall be keeper of hell's gates."