Fause Knight Upon the Road- N. Kennedy (Aber) 1968
[From Norman Kennedy's 1968 Folk-Legacy album "Ballads & Songs of Scotland." Kennedy a native of from Aberdeen came to the US about 1965.
He had several influences in his young life as a singer. As a boy he lived in the same street as Jeannie Robertson and her mother Maria, and near another giant of traveller singing stock, Davy Stewart. Jimmy MacBeath was an influence. Annual holdiays on Barra gave him a grounding in Gaelic culture and song through his teacher Annie Johnstone. Near Abderdeen Norman lean red songs his mother's relatives in the small village of Methlick. In 1963 he joined the Aberdeen Folk Club and became an accomplished traditional singer.
I'm assuming his version came from the Aberdeen Folk Club. Without a definitive source it's regarded as a recreation.
R. Matteson 2018]
Peter Hall commented:
Child prints only two versions of this, the third ballad in his great collection. A number of other versions have been found in recent years, but the ballad remains comparatively rare in oral tradition. The text used here is similar to the Child “B” text, which was taken from the appendix in Motherwell's Minstrelsy. Norman learned the ballad in school.
The Fause Knight Upon the Road- sung by Norman Kennedy of Aberdeenshire, who relocated to New England in the 1965. Sung to the traditional Scottish tune, "Rose Tree.
“Where are you gang?” quo' the fause knight upon the road.
“I'm gang tae the school,” quo' the wee boy, an' still he stood.
“What's that upon your back?” quo' the fause knight upon the road.
“It's only my school pack,” quo' the wee boy, an' still he stood.
“Wha echt's a' thae sheep?” quo' the fause knight upon the road.
“My mither's an' my ain,” quo' the wee boy, an' still he stood.
“How mony o' them are mine?” quo' the fause knight upon the road.
“A' them that hae blue tails,” quo' the wee boy, an' still he stood.
“I wisht you were in yon tree,” quo' the fause knight upon the road.
“An' a guid branch under me,” quo' the wee boy, an' still he stood.
“An' the branch for tae brak,” quo' the fause knight upon the road.
“An' ye's for tae fa' doon,” quo' the wee boy, an' still he stood.
“I wisht you were in yon sea,” quo' the fause knight upon the road.
“An' a guid boat under me,” quo' the wee boy, an' still he stood.
“An' the boat for to sink,” quo' the fause knight upon the road.
“An' ye's for to be drowned,” quo' the wee boy, an' still he stood.