There Was An Old Jaynor- Justis (Missouri) 1930; Randolph- Version B.
[From Vance Randolph, "Ozark Folksongs," Vol 1: Ballads. Randolph prints 8 different texts and 5 tunes under the title of "The Miller's Daughters"; this is Version B.
R. Matteson 2011, 2014]
THERE WAS AN OLD JAYNOR- Mrs. Violet Savory Justis of Clinton, Missouri; 1930, Randolph- Version B.
There was an old Jaynor lived in the woods
He had two daughters, they were the best,
The youngest gal she had a beau,
An' the oldest gal got mad at that.
Refrain:
Sing hi ri diddle di day,
Sing hi ri diddle di day.
He give the youngest a diamond ring,
An' the oldest swore revenge for that,
It's sister, oh sister, give me your beau
That I might have my own true love.
No, sister, that can't never be
For we have made our vow,
..................
An' our love is deep as the old mill pond.
She pushed the youngest sister in,
Sometimes she floated, sometimes she swum
....................
She floated down to the old mill dam.
The miller he took his old grab hook
An' hooked her out of the pin,
Took off her finger the diamond ring
An' pushed her back in again.
The oldest sister confessed her part,
An' the ring was found with the miller;
The miller was hung on the old mill gate
For drownin' his own sister Kate.