Polly and William- Jenkins (MO) pre1909 Belden D
[From Ballads and Songs; Collected by the Missouri Folk-Lore Society; Belden 1940. Uses the "Lord Lovel" form.
R. Matteson 2014]
D. "Polly and William.' Secured by Miss Hamilton from Agnes Shibley, one of her students at the State Teacher's College, Kirksville, 1911, who had it from 'the old manuscript of Mr. Jenkins.'
He followed me up and he followed me down,
He followed me into the room;
And there I stole my father's money
And a little of my mother's fee, fee, fee,
And a little of my mother's fee.
(Repeat thus the last line of each stanza)
'Come on, come on, pretty Polly,' said he,
'Come on and go with me ;
I'll take thee to Scotland'
And there I'll marry thee.'
So she mounted on the milk-white steed';
He rode the iron-gray;
They rode off to the seashore
A while before it was day.
'Light off, light off, pretty Polly,' said he,
'Light off like the leaf of the tree;
I've drowned six king's daughters here
And you are the seventh one.'
'Pull off that robe, pretty Polly,' said he,
'Pull off that pretty robe,' said he;
'It is too neat, it is too sweet
To rot in the salt water sea, sea, sea,
To rot in the salt water sea.'