Seventh King's Daughter- Frye (NC) 1945 Brown G
[From Brown Collection of NC Folklore, version G, the title was probably assigned by Abrams or Williams. This dates back a number of years, possibly as many as 60 years if Frye learned it as a boy. With no information the date is 1945 when it was given. There are 7 versions of text A-G plus six additional versions with music.
R. Matteson 2014]
G. 'Seventh King's Daughter.' One of the songs collected by Professors W. Amos Abrams and Gratis D. Williams of the Appalachian State Teachers College in 1945 from the singing of Pat Frye of East Bend, Yadkin county. Frye was then seventy-three years old and had lived in or near East Bend all his life. He had been a tobacco farmer and a miller, but at the time the songs were collected had been for some years totally blind. He had a wide repertory of songs. The language of this text is not always clear. Note that it begins in the first person of the man but after three stanzas of pure dialogue passes to third person narration.
1 She wrapped her mother up
She rolled her father up in speed.
She stole the keys from the stable door
And followed after me me me,
And followed after me.
2 'Oh, light, oh, light, my pretty fair miss,
Oh, light, oh, light, pretty Polly.
There is the place I drownded six.
And the seventh you shall be be be,
And the seventh you shall be.
3 'Pull off, pull off that little white silk
And spread it on the green;
It is too costly of a dress
To rot in the roaring sea sea sea,
To rot in the roaring sea.'
4 'Oh, turn your face it's all about.
Your back to the leaves on the tree.
Till I pull off my little white silk
And spread it on the green green green,
And spread it on the green.'
5 He turned his face 'twas all about,
His back to the leaves on the tree.
She didn't pull off her little white silk;
She pushed him into the sea sea sea,
She pushed him into the sea.
6 'Oh help, oh help, my pretty fair miss,
Oh help, oh help, pretty Polly,
And we'll go back to your father's house
And married we will be be be,
And married we will be.'
7 'Lie thar, lie thar, oh, sink or swim;
It as well be you as me,
And I can get back to my father's house
Without the help of thee thee thee,
Without the help of thee.'
8 She got upon her milk-white stage
And had to trace her way;
And when she got to her father's house
It was one otter[1] day day day,
It was one otter day.
9 'Where have you been, my pretty fair miss.
Where have you been, pretty Polly?
Where have you been, my pretty fair miss,
So long before 'tis day day day,
So long before 'tis day?'
10 'Oh hush, oh, hush, my pretty parrot.
And tell no tales on me.
Your ring shall be of the neden nedeu[2] gold
And your combs of the iris[2] gay gay gay.
And your combs of the iris gay.'
11 'Oh, what said what said,' the old man says.
'They[3] come a scaddy to my stage [4]
And swore he wrestle with me.
And I called to my pretty Polly
To run the scaddy away way way.
To run the scaddy away.'
1. So the manuscript. Probably stands for "It was one hour to day."
2. How "beaten" becomes "neden" and "ivory" "iris" it is hard to say.
3. This spelling for the aphetic form of "there," common in rustic speech, occurs not infrequently in the manuscripts of the Collection.
4. scaddy = scaredy is usallay a cat; stage is a cage.