Seven King's Daughters- Drain (Arkansas) 1942
[From Vance Radolph's Ozark Folksongs; Volume 1- Ballads; 1946;
R. Matteson 2014]
D. SEVEN KING'S DAUGHTERS- Sung by Dellie Drain; Rodgers, Arkansas March 14, 1942; Randolph Ozark Folk Songs- Ballads I
Go bring half of your father's beaten gold,
Likewise your mother's seat. [1]
Tow of the best horses from your father's barn,
For in there is thirty and three.
They rode and they rode through the merry greenwood
Until they came by the sea.
Light down, light down, my pretty little miss,
Light down, light down, said he,
It's the six kings' daughters I've drownded here
And the seventh one you'll be.
She turned herself all about,
She turned her face toward leaves on the trees, [2]
And manfully she picked him up
And cast him into the sea.
Take holt, take holt [3] of the skirts of my coat
And help me out again!
Lay there, lay there, you false-hearted man,
Lay there instead of me.
Six king's daughters you have drownded here,
And the seventh one you shall be!
She hopped up on the pony of brown,
Leading the dapple gray,
She rode for three long hours
Before it was day.
Keep still, keep still, my pretty polly parrot,
Don't you tell no tales on me,
Your cage shall be lined with bars of gold
And hung on the green willow tree.
1. fee
2. This should be "he" not "she"; the preceding stanza about "a naked woman" is missing.
3. hold (really Randolph- haha)