The King's Seven Daughters- Cooper (MO) 1865 Belden G-a
[From Ballads and Songs; Collected by the Missouri Folk-Lore Society; Belden 1940. Uses the "Lord Lovel" form. This is the first of Belden's two G texts; see also Belden G-b.
R. Matteson 2014]
G. 'The King's Seven Daughters.' 'The Seven King's Daughters.' Two texts, fairly similar, contributed by Mrs. George H. Barnett of Columbia, (a) from Mrs. J. T. Cooper of Warrensburg, who learned it in 1865 or 1866, and (b) from Mrs. Sarah Henry, who learned it in Saline County about 1865-70.
(a) He followed her up and he followed her down
To the place where'er she lay;
She had no wings to fly- away,
No tongue to say 'Nay, nay, nay, nay,
No tongue to say 'Nay, nay. '
(Repeat thus the end of each stanza)
'Bring me half of your father's beaten gold,
And likewise your mother's fee,
And two of the best steeds in your father's stall
'Wherein stands thirty and three.'
She brought him half of her father's beaten gold,
Likewise her mother's fee,
And two of the best steeds in her father's stall,
Wherein stood thirty and three.
She mounted all on her bonny young brown
And he on the dapple gray,
And they rode and they rode through the merry green wood
Till they came to the side of the sea.
'Alight you down, my pretty fair maid,
. . . . .
Six of the king's daughters I've drowded here
And you the seventh shall be.
'Alight you down, my pretty fair maid,
Take off those clothes so grand;
For they're too fine and too costly
To rub beneath the salt sea sand.'
'O love, O love, is this what you promised me
When you sat by my side?
You promised to take me to old Scotland
And there make me your bride.'
She turned herself around and about
And gazed upon the tree,
She picked him up most manfully strong
And plunged him into the sea.
'O love, O love, lend me your hand,
. . . .
I'll take you down to old Scotland,
And there make you my bride.'
'Lie there, lie there, you false young man,
Lie there instead of me;
Six of the king's daughters you've drowned here
And the seventh has drowned, thee.'
She mounted on the bonny young brown
And led the dapple gray;
She rode and she rode through the merry green wood,
Two long hours before it was day.
'O hush ! O hush ! my pretty Polly,
And tell no tales on me;
Your cage shall be made of pure beaten gold
And hung in the willow tree.'
'Cheer up, cheer up, my pretty young maid,
I'll tell no tales on thee
If you will drive those cats away,
For they are troubling me.'