It Rained a Mist- Jones (VA) 1933 Gresham A
[From The Jew's Daughter: An Example of Ballad Variation by Foster B. Gresham; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 47, No. 186 (Oct. - Dec., 1934), pp. 358-361 (see the article attached to Recording & Info page).
R. Matteson 2015]
It Rained a Mist- Sung by Mrs. Ruth Jones, Prince George County, Virginia, February 23, 1933.
It rained a mist, it rained a mist,
It rained all over the town;
Two little boys came out to play,
They tossed their ball around, around,
They tossed their ball around.
They tossed the ball too high at first,
And then they tossed it too low;
And then it fell in a Jewish yard
Where no one was allowed to go, to go,
Where no one was allowed to go.
A pretty fine miss, she came to the door,
All dressed in silk so fine.
"Come in, come in, my pretty little boy,
You shall have your ball again, again,
You shall have your ball again."
"I won't come in, I won't come in,
Unless my playmate comes too;
For they say when little boys go in,
They'll never come out again, again,
They'll never come out again."
She showed him a rosy red apple
And then a blood red peach,
And then she showed him a diamond ring
That urged his little heart in, oh in,
That urged his little heart in.
She took him by his lily white hand,
And led him through the hall,
She led him to her dining room,
Where no one could hear him call, oh call,
Where no one could hear him call.
And then she took a red white towel
And tied it 'round his chin,
And then she took a carving knife,
And cut his little heart in, oh in,
And cut his little heart in.
"Oh, spare my life, oh, spare my life!"
And then the little boy cried,
"If ever I should grow to be a man,
My pleasure shall all be thine, oh thine,
My pleasure shall all be thine.
"Oh, place a Bible at my head
And a prayer book at my feet;
And ever my playmate call for me,
Pray tell him that I am asleep, asleep,
Pray tell him that I am asleep.
"Oh, place a prayer book at my feet
And a Bible at my head;
And ever my mother call for me,
Pray tell her that I am dead, oh dead,
Pray tell her that I am dead."