The Rolling of the Stones- Harmon (Mass.) 1939
[From Folk Songs of Old New England - Page 278; Eloise Hubbard Linscott. Notes from Malcolm Douglas follow,
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
Douglas: The set at Lesley's Contemplator site was noted by Eloise Hubbard Liscott from Mrs. Mary E. Harmon of Cambridge, Massachussetts, and was first published in Linscott's Folk Songs of Old New England (1939). [A version] described as "sung by Joe Hickerson"; I presume that it derives from the Harmon set; the tune is the same. An additional tune is given from The Young Tradition, which appears to be a simplified form of Mrs. Harmon's. Until you find the sleevenotes, I'm assuming that the Bok recording is a collated text made from part of the Harmon set and part of the fragment recorded by The Young Tradition, set probably to the tune they used.
THE ROLLING OF THE STONES or THE TWA BROTHERS- Sung by Mrs. Mary E. Harmon of Cambridge, Massachusetts. She remembers hearing it from her father, who enjoyed singing many songs traditional in his family. This is a very ancient ballad.
O will you come to the rolling of the stones
Or the tossing of the ball?
Or will you go and see pretty Susie
And dance among them all?
They had not danced but one single dance
More than once or twice around
Before the sword that hung at Bell's side
Gave him his fatal wound
They took him him up and carried him out
For he was sore distressed
They carried him and buried him all in the green woods
Where he was content to rest
Pretty Susie she came mourning by
With a tablet on her arm
[*Until she came to her true love's grave
And she began to charm]
She charmed the fish all out of the sea
And the birds all out of their nests
Until she came where her true love lay
Where he was content to rest.
* Supplied from a similar text