A Spanish Lady- anon (ON) 1909 Waugh JAF
[My title. From Journal of American Folklore, Volume 31, 1917; "Canadian Folk-Lore from Ontario" by F. W. Waugh. His notes mixed with text follow. According to Waugh "A Cornwall informant quotes (Dec. 11, 1909) a version formerly heard at Colborne, Ont., which he supposes to be Irish." F. W. Waugh's version includes the mysterious "Spanish Lady" who replaces the "lovely creature" found in standard versions of "Madam." This is classified as "Spanish Lady IV." See 8E. Spanish Lady or the headnotes of "Madam" for more information.
R. Matteson 2017]
A Spanish Lady-- from a Cornwall informant who quoted (Dec. 11, 1909) a version formerly heard at Colborne, Ont., which he supposes to be Irish:
"Play Rhymes"
"Here sits a Spanish lady,
Who she is I do not know.
Come and court her for her beauty,
Whether she say yes or no."
The next verse began, –
"Madam, I have come a-courting,
Your kind favor to obtain."
The young man set forth his qualifications: —
"Madam, I have gold and silver,
Madam, I have houses and land;
Madam, I have ships on the ocean,
And they're all at your command."
The lady then scornfully remarked,
"What care I for your gold and silver?
What care I for your houses and land?
What care I for ships on the ocean?
All I want is a nice young man."
The young man then returned, –
"Madam, I have gold, etc.,
And, besides, I'm a nice young man," —
after which they both lived happily.