The House Carpenter- Paugh (WV) c. 1915 (no date given) Cox E
[From Folk-Songs of the South by Cox- 1925; his noted follow. Both D and E were contributed by George Paugh, E was learned from his mother.
R. Matteson 2013]
25. JAMES HARRIS (THE DAEMON LOVER) (Child, No. 243)
Twenty-one variants have been found in West Virginia, under the titles: "The House Carpenter," "The House Carpenter's Wife," and "The Salt Water Sea" (cf. Cox, xlv, 159). The story is virtually the same in all the variants.
In the main, the West Virginia variants agree very closely with Child B, but contain here and there stanzas that show relations to other Child versions. The returned lover has lost all trace of the "Daemon," unless such a trace is found in A 13, 14.
For a list of American texts see Journal, xxx, 325; xxxv, 346. Add Campbell and Sharp, No. 29 (North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee); Pound, No. 17 (Illinois; same as Journal, xxvi, 360); Minish MS. (North Carolina); Bulletin; Nos. 6-11.
E. "The House Carpenter." Communicated by Mr. George Paugh, Thomas, Tucker County; learned from his mother, whose maiden name was Ida Knapp. Printed by Cox, xliv, 388.
1 "Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well met, well met!" cried he;
"I am just returning home from the sea,
And it's all for the sake of thee, thee, thee,
And it 's all for the sake of thee.
2 "I could have married the king's daughter dear,
I'm sure she'd a married me;
But I forsook her crowns of gold,
And it's all for the love of thee."
3 "If you could of married the king's daughter dear,
I'm sure you're much to blame;
For I have married a house carpenter,
And I'm sure he's a nice young man."
4 "If you will forsake your house carpenter,
And go along with me,
I'll take you where the grass grows green,
On the banks of the sweet Morea."
5 "If I forsake my house carpenter,
And go along with thee,
What have you to support me upon,
To keep me from poverty?"
6 "I have on sea one hundred ships,
All sailing for dry land;
One hundred and ten nice, jolly young men, —
They shall be at your command."
7 She picked up her sweet little babe,
The kisses she gave was three,
Saying, "Stay at home my sweet little babe,
Keep your father's company."
8 She dressed herself in richery,
Most beauteous to behold;
And as they walked along the street,
She shined like glittering gold.
9 They had not been on the sea two weeks,
I'm sure it was not three,
Until this maid began to weep,
And she wept most bitterly.
10 "Are you weeping for your gold,
Or for your richery?
Or are you weeping for your house carpenter,
That you never again shall see?"
11 "I'm neither weeping for my gold,
Nor for my richery;
But I'm weeping for my sweet little babe,
That I never again shall see."
12 "Cheer up, cheer up, my own true love,
Cheer up, cheer up," said he;
"I'll take you where the grass grows green,
On the banks of the sweet Morea."
13 They had not been on the sea three weeks,
I'm sure it was not four,
Until the ship it sprang a leak,
And it sank for to rise no more.
14 "Cursed be to all seafaring young men,
Cursed be to the sailor's life,
Who has robbed me of my house carpenter,
And taken away my life!"