The Poisoned Child- Deutsch (FL) c.1940 Morris
[From Morris; Folksongs of Florida, 1950 p. 247-248 with music. This is not traditional, and is one of the few Croodin Doo versions published in a North American collection. The music and text are taken from Gilchrist and apparently Deutsch sang it exactly as written since Morris has transcribed it exactly as written by Gilchrist. Bronson couldn't use this since the melody is the same- so it doesn't appear in Bronson.
I'm adding this to my collection with some hesitation- at least it was not "said or implied to be traditional" by the informant or the collector. It's much worse to say something is traditional when it isn't. Recreating and rewriting traditional material without supplying that information is, in my opinion, deception and fraud.
R. Matteson 2014]
LORD RANDAL- (Child, No. 12)
'"THE POISONED CHILD." Communicated by Dr. Leonhard Deutsch, Jacksonville, Florida, who learned this song from Miss A. G. Gilchrist's version published in JFSS, XVII, 19, and brought it to this county a decade or so ago.
"Oh, where have you been this livelong day,
My little wee croodin' doo?"
"I've been to see my stepmother
Marmee, oh, make my bed noo!"
"And what did your stepmother give you to eat,
My little wee croodin' doo?"
"She gave me but a wee, wee fish,
All cover'd with green and blue."
"And what did you do with the bones of the fish,
My little wee croodin' doo?"
"I gave them to my little dog
Marmee, oh, make my bed noo!"
"And what did the dog when he ate up the bones,
My little wee croodin' doo?"
"He stretched his little limbs, and died
Marmee, as I do noo!"