Pretty Polly- Harmon (TN) 1928 Henry A; JAFL
[From: Ballads and Songs of the Southern Highlands- Mellinger E. Henry; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 42, No. 165 (Jul. - Sep., 1929), pp. 254-300. Also Version A in Folk Songs from the Southern Highlands - Collected & Edited By Mellinger Edward Henry, 1933.
This is originally a NC version, probably from Council Harmon. Below are Henry's notes from his JAFL article in 1929.
R. Matteson 2014]
2 LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF-KNIGHT
(Child, No. 4)
This ballad has wide circulation both in Europe and America. It rivals "Barbara Allen" and "The House Carpenter" in the number of variants that have been found in America. See Barry, No. 4; Barry-Eckstorm-Smyth, p. 14; Belden, No. 1; Brown, p. 9; Campbell and Sharp, No. 2; Cox, No. 1; Davis, No. 3; R. W. Gordon, The New York Times Magazine, October 9, 1927, p. 22; Hudson, No. 1; Mackenzie, Ballads', No. 1; Mackenzie, The Quest, pp. 93, 174, 182; Sandburg, p. 60; Scarborough, p. 43; Shearin, p. 3; Shearin and Combs, p. 7; Reed Smith, No. 1; Reed Smith, Ballads, No. 1; Wyman and Brockway, p. 82; Journal, XVIII, 132 (Barry); XIX, 232 (Belden); XXII, 65 (Beatty), 76 (Barry), 374 (Barry); XXVII, 90 (Gardner); XXVIII, 148 (Perrow);XXXV, 338 (Tolman and Eddy) ;XLII, 254(Henry). Cf. Cox's headnote (No. 1) for further American references. Add Barry, Bulletin of The Folk-Song Society of the Northeast, No. 1, p. 3; Jones, p. 13; PTFLS, No. 10, pp. 138—140.
"Pretty Polly." Sung by Mrs. Samuel Harmon, Cade's Cove, Blount County, Tennessee, August 1, 1928. Recorded by Mrs. Henry. Learned by Mrs. Harmon from grandfather Harmon who came from Watauga County, N. C. He obtained it by oral transmission from his father. This, as well as many other traditional ballads in this book, came as the result of an incident while exploring in the Great Smoky Mountains. We were motoring over Rich Mountain on our first visit to Cade's Cove, which until a few years ago was unknown to the outside world. A lone mountaineer toiling along with his bag of meal was invited to ride. Through this act of assistance we came to know his relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Harmon, who, apparently won by this slight help, with unusual freedom from the reserve that characterizes the southern mountaineer, sang for us as soon as they learned of our interest in songs.
1. LADY ISABEL, AND THE ELF KNIGHT Child, No. 4.
"Pretty Polly." Sung by Mrs. Samuel Harmon, Cade's Cove, Blount County, Tennessee, August I, 1928. Recorded by Mrs. Mellinger E. Henry. Learned by Mrs. Harmon from grandfather Harmon who came from Watauga County, N. C. He obtained it by oral transmission from his father who learned it in England and emigrated to North Carolina. See Cox, No. I; Campbell and Sharp, No. 2; Scarborough, 43; Reed Smith, No. I; Sandburg, 60o; Journal VII, 228; Journal XXXV, 338; Wyman and Brockway, 82; R. W. Gordon, The New York Times Magazine, October 9, 1927; W. Roy Mackenzie, The Quest of the Ballad, 93, 174, 182. Cf. Cox's head-note for further American variants and references.
1. He followed me up,
And be followed me down,
When I had no tongue,
For to say, "Nay, Nay."
2. "You get part of your father's gold;
And likewise your mother's too,
And go to your father's stable
Where the horses stand thirty and three.
3. "And you get the very best two
Out of the thirty and three
And we go to the old salt sea
And married we will be."
4. She got part of her father's gold,
Likewise her mother's too,
And she went to her father's stable
Where there stood horses thirty and three.
5. And she mounted on the Turkish brown
And he on the dapper grey
And they rode till they come to the old salt sea -
Three long hours till day.
6. "You get down, my pretty Polly,
Get down, get down," says he,
"For I've drowned six kings' daughters
And you the seventh will be."
7. "You pull off them fine gold clothings,
And hang them on yonders tree;
For I say they are too rich and costly
For to rot in this old sea."
8. "You turn your face towards the green tree;
Your back you turn to me;
For I say a naked maid
Ain't fitten for a man to see."
9. He turned hisself all around and about -
His back he turned to me --
She picked him up in her arms so manful
And throwed him into the sea.
10. "Give me your hand, my pretty Polly,
Give me your hand," said he,
"And the very next time I make you a promise,
I'll double it with three."
II. "Lie there, lie there, you false lying villian,
Lie there instead of me;
For you have drowned six kings' daughters
And you the seventh shall be."
12. She mounted on the Turkish brown
And led the dapple grey;
She rode till she come to her father's home,
One long hour till day.
13. Up spoke her little parrot
A-setting in his cage:
"What is the matter, my pretty Polly?
What made you stay so long from me?"
14. "Hold your tongue, my pretty little parrot,
And tell no tale on me,
And your cage shall be lined with the yellow beaten gold,
And your door of ivory."
15. Up spoke her old father --
Oh, he spoke desperately -
"What's the matter, my pretty little parrot?
What makes you talk so long from day?"
16. "Nothing but an old stray cat
A-trying to catch me,
And I was calling to Pretty Polly
For to drive the cat away."