There Were Three Ladies- Uneda 1852 Child D From Notes and Queries, 1st S., vi, 53. b. 2d S.. v 171.
[I have several issues with Child 11 The Cruel Brother- Version D. First, it should be titled "There Were Three Ladies" as it it in the query published in Notes and Queries in 1852 (see the exact published text of the query below). Second, it's actually a version from Philadelphia even though the original source was her "paternal grandmother, who was a native of county Kerry in Ireland." This is a fragmented recollection (second person) of the ballad by someone in the United States. Thirdly, this is in my opinion a version of Child 10. Child assigns this fragment to No. 11; The Cruel Brother; Version D. There aren't enough verses to make this distinction. The response to this request (for additional verses) was a version of Child 10. Because the knight courted the eldest with a gift, and mentions the eldest, I'm inclined- without further evidence- to consider it a version of Child 10- Twa Sisters. Only the refrain is different from the Twa Sisters, but it's not the same as Child 11 either.]
Version D; Child 11 The Cruel Brother
Notes and Queries, 1st S., VI, 53, 2d S., v, 171. As sung by a lady who was a native of County Kerry, Ireland.
1 There were three ladies playing at ball,
Farin-dan-dan and farin-dan-dee
There came a white knight, and he wooed them all.
With adieu, sweet honey, wherever you be
2 He courted the eldest with golden rings,
Farin-dan-dan and farin-dan-dee
And the others with many fine things.
And adieu, sweet honey, wherever you be
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Notes and Queries: Volume 6 - Page 53; 1852
"There were three ladies," §-c. — My paternal grandmother, who was a native of county Kerry in Ireland, was in the habit of singing a song set to a sweet and plaintive air, which thus commenced:
"There were three ladies playing at ball,
Farin-dan-dan and farin-dan-dee;
There came a white knight, and he wooed them all,
With adieu, sweet honey, wherever you be.
He courted the eldest with golden rings,
Farin, &c. &c.
And the others with many fine things,
And adieu," &c. &c.
The rest has been forgotten. Can any of your readers furnish the remaining words?
Uneda. Philadelphia.