Tale of the Little Boy- Nelson Penfold (Dev) c.1974
[From: Folkways album An English Folk Music Anthology; FE 38853; 1981. Notes from album follow:
R. Matteson 2016]
Nelson Penfold here sings another of the ballads that Child omitted. His rendition begins with a short spoken passage to set the scene, moving into song at what is variously found elsewhere as a second, third or even fourth verse. He says that the spoken passage is traditional, although often longer than he gives it.
The sense of the story usually revolves around an arranged marriage. Nelson's version changes the sense. As in the other versions the boy is too young, although he fathers a son but dies soon after. Nelson has them, though, as two young lovers seeking parental consent, and sometimes calls the song “the tale of the little boy and the big maid”.
"The Tale of the Little Boy and the Big Maid" sung by Nelson Penfold to Sam Richards and Tish Stubbs in between 1974 and 1980
[spoken] This is the story of a young boy and a young girl who want to got married. But the father thinks his son is too young, so--
[sings] We'll send him to the college for one year or two
When he do come back he might do for you
For the younger the better if you wait a while
For my bonny boy is young but he's growing.
She want to the college and looked in over the wall
There was four and twenty bonny bays a-playing with a ball
For she asked for her own true the best among them all
For her bonny boy is young but he's growing.
At the age of sixteen oh he was a married man
At the age or seventeen he was the father of a son
At the age of eighteen his grave was growing green
And that soon put an end to his growing.
She was out in the garden all one summer's morn
Picking of the roses, the tears came tumbling down
Saying: once I had a true love but now I haven't got none
For my bonny boy is gone now for ever,
Yes my bonny boy is gone now for ever.