King John & the Bishop- Daniels/George (VT) 1930; Flanders B1
[From Flanders' Ancient Ballads, pp. 281-298, notes by Coffin follow. This version, B1, is a compilation from Myrna Daniels and her brother Elmer George. B2 is the version sung by George.
R. Matteson 2014]
King John and the Bishop
(Child 45)
"King John and the Bishop" is a ballad version of a well-known folk tale (Aarne-Thompson, Mt. 922) that is probably oriental in origin. At least a ninth-century Arabic work contains a story about a wicked king, his viziers, and a potter that is basically similar. This is about as far back as the tale can be safely traced. It became quite popular in the Middle Ages, both in the East and west, and has been the subject of a good bit of study. Walter Anderson's monograph, "Kaiser und Abt" (FFC, No. 42 [Helsinki, 1923]); the citations in the Aarne-Thompson Types of the Folktale; and the notes in Child, I, 405 f., make a good start on a bibliography of the tale's variations and history.
The American ballad versions, almost all from the North, follow the child's Brooksby broadside pretty closely, usually even to the "derry down" refrain. The Flanders texts are of interest more because of the way they interrelate to each other than because of anything unusual in their make-up. After all, the story, with its set situation, questions, and answers, is about as variation-proof as folklore can ever be. A1 and A2, below, were learned by two men from a mutual grandmother, and, except for the fact that most of is is forgotten, they are much alike. However, it should be noted that the singer of A1 did not recall a good portion of his text until later. B1, B2, and BB make an interesting series. B1, sung word for word the same in 1933 by a brother and sister, was re-collected from the brother in 1939 and again in 1951. The 1939 B2 and 1951 B2 texts have two stanzas (8 and 9) not found in the 1933 version and add two new stanzas to the material covered in B1 from stanza 3 to stanza B. Otherwise the three texts do not differ greatly. The fact that neither Mr" George nor his sister recalled the additional stanzas in 1933 makes one wonder why the material should crop up six and eighteen years later. C, it will be noted, is also from the Slayton family that Mrs. Daniels, Elmer George's sister, gave as the source of her text. D is interesting in the singer's comment that the Bishop "was arrested for having too much money"--a compact statement of the Child B motivation. For a start on a bibliography of the song, see Coffin, 58-59.
All three of the tunes given here are related, corresponding to BC1 group A. The two George tunes are almost identical.
B1. KING JOHN AND THE BISHOP. As sung by Elmer George of East Calais, Vermont, and by his sister, Mrs. Myra Daniels, of North Montpelier, Vermont, at separate times during the summer of 1933. Mrs. Daniels said she got her version from the singing of Mr. Newell Slayton. Printed with its tune in A Garland of Green Mountain Song, 64. H. H. F., Collector; July 23, 1933 (Daniels); Summer, 1930 (George).
Structure: A1 A2 B (internal rep.) C D (2,2,2,2,2); Rhythm A; Contour: undulating; Scale: Dorian. t.c. A. Note the difference between the two tunes: In the first, the refrain uses a leap of E-e, the second, D-d. The marked tones appear in only tunes 1 and 2, respectively.
King John and the Bishop
A story, a story, a story of one
About an old prince whose name was King John.
He was a man, a man of great mirth
Who set up all rights and downed great wrongs.
Derry down, down, derry I down.
One day the King to make himself merry,
He sent for the Bishop of Canterbury.
"Good morning, Mr. Bishop, they tell to me
That you keep a far better house than me, etc.
"Now if you don't answer to my questions three,
Your head shall be taken from your bodee,
And if you don't answer to them all right
Your head shall be taken from your body quite," etc.
The Bishop on returning home,
He met the old shepherd and he was alone.
"Good morning, Mr. Bishop," the shepherd did say,
"What news do you bring us from court today?" etc.
"If I don't answer to the King's questions three
My head shall be taken from my bodee,
And if I don't answer to them all right,
My head shall be taken from my body quite, etc.
"The first, he sits in his royal estate
With his golden crown all on his pate
And with his nobility, joy and great mirth
I must tell to one penny just what he is worth, etc.
"The second one is without all doubt
How long he'll be ravelling this whole world about,
And the third one is that when he does wink
I must tell to him presently what he does think," etc.
"Are you a man of learning and wit
To answer these questions, so soonly put to it?
It's for one suit of your fine apparel,
I'll go to King John and answer the quarrel," etc.
"One suit of my apparel I'll give
And five pounds a year, as long as I live."
Now the shepherd is gone (and I am alone)
To answer the questions to the royal King John, etc.
"Good morning, Mr. Bishop," the King replied,
"Have you come here to live or to die?"
"I hope Your Grace will pardon me;
I've come to answer your questions three, etc.
"The first, you sit on your royal estate
With your golden crown all on your pare
And with your nobility, joy and great mirth,
I must tell to one penny just what you are worth, etc"
"For thirty pieces our Saviour was sold
Among the Jews so barbarous and bold
So about twenty-nine would be your just due
For I think he was one piece better than you, etc.
"The second one is, without all doubt
How long you'll be travelling this whole world about.
Begin with the sun and keep his same pace,
In twenty-four hours you'll finish the race, etc.
"The third one is that when you do wink
I must tell you presently what you do think,
And that I can do, so make yourself merry-
you think I,m the Bishop of Canterbury, etc.
"But you,re mistaken and that all alone,
I'm the old shepherd and the Bishop's at home."
"But that is all right," he said with a smile,
"You shall be Bishop another while," etc.
"There's no use in talking, there's no use to fight,
For I can neither read not write,
But tell the old Bishop, go tell him for me
That he'll be a frisky one if he gets me," etc.