MoLLiE AND Willie
This is not improbably a disordered and defective form of 'Polly
Oliver.'
No title. One of the ballads obtained in the summer of 1945 by Pro-
fessors W. Amos Abrams and Gratis D. Williams from Pat Frye of
East Bend, Yadkin county, concerning whom see the headnote to 'Lady
Isabel and the Elf-Knight' G.
1 'Watch out, my darling, and don't you say so.
If you are forsaken to the wars don't you go.'
'I'm going, I'm going. I'm going away.
You don't wish to marry ; so why should I stay ?'
2 A suit of men's clothing, her sword by her side.
She zolved^ herself in them and away she did ride.
* Cox's text reads here, intelligibly, "That you and your sailors may
drink her health round."
* Read of course "king," as in Cox and Missouri A.
* Cox's text makes her say. more intelligibly, "O. here is pretty Polly.
Duke William's true love."
* Should apparently be "wherever."
'The manuscript reads '"zolved," and I am unable to suggest an
interpretation.
314 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
3 Little Willie and his true love was riding along;
Little Willie thought his true love was left back at home.
4 'Here's a glass of good old brandy and a bottle of good
old wine,
Here's a health to those ladies we have left back behind.'
5 'I love but the one woman, on land or on sea ;
Here's a health to little MolHe ; I know she loves me.'
6 She was standing by my side and beared me say so.
The tears from her eyes like the waters does flow.
7 'The' 's- a sweet little Mollie has followed me here.'
'This is your own true love who loved you so dear.