The Cruel Mother- collected by H. E. D. Hammond from Mrs. Bowring of Cerne Abbas, Dorset, in 1907, Folk Song Journal, vol. III, P.71.
[The melody is written for the 5th verse, no other verses were supplied. I've included Mrs. Case's text also recorded in Cerne Abbas, Dorset, 1907, which I assume would be very similar.]
From: Conventional Ballads
by H. E. D. Hammond, Frank Kidson, Lucy E. Broadwood, A. G. Gilchrist, Cecil J.Sharp, J. A. Fuller-Maitland, Ralph Vaughan Williams
Journal of the Folk-Song Society, Vol. 3, No. 11 (1907), pp. 61-76
Notes: A major tune to this ballad was published in Vol. ii, No. 7, p. 109, of this Journal, q.v. Mrs. Russell could remember only two verses of the words.- H. E. D. H.
Versions of the ballad are also given by Motherwell, Buchan, and Kinloch, and there are Danish versions very near the Scotch, the story being known in Germany also. The version in Kinloch has the refrain:
"All alone and alonie
* * * *
Doun by the greenwud sae bonnie."
A tune for the ballad is given in Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, under the title of " Hey wi' the rose and the lindie, O." The music for the second refrain resembles the corresponding part of Mr. Hammond's tunes. Christie prints a second part to the melody, but it appears to be only a variation, arranged by himself so as to combine two verses in a longer stanza.--A. G. G.
See Child's Ballads for full history of this ballad.- L. E. B.
Cf. The fragment noted by Burns, " Fine Flowers of the Valley," and its tune, in Jonnson's Scots Musical Museum, Vol. iv, I792.-F. K.
Compare the tune of the second version with that of " Geordie," Journal, Vol. ii, p. 27 (first version).-C. J. S.
THE CRUEL MOTHER- Sung by Mrs. Bowring, Cerne Abbas, Dorset 1907
"Oh! babes, oh I babes, if you were mine,
All a - lone, and a - lo - ney,
I would dress you in scarlet fine.'.
Down by the greenwood sidey.
[Full text from Mrs. Case; Cerne Abbas, Dorset 1907]
She laid herself back against a thorn,
All a - lo - ney, a - lo - ney,
And there she had two pretty babes born,
Down by the greenwood sidey.
She had a penknife long and sharp,
All aloney, aloney,
And she pressed it through their tender hearts
Down by the greenwood sidey.
She digged a grave both wide and deep,
All aloney, aloney,
And she buried them under the marble stone.
Down by the greenwood sidey.
As she was set in her Father's hall,
All aloney, aloney,
Oh! there she saw two pretty babes playing at ball,
Down by the greenwood sidey.
"Oh! babes, Oh! babes if you were mine,
All aloney, aloney,
I would dress you up in the scarlet fine,"
Down by the greenwood sidey.
"Oh! Mother, Oh! mother, we once were thine,
All aloney, aloney,
You did not dress us in the scarlet fine.
Down by the greenwood sidey.
You digged a grave both wide and deep,
All aloney, aloney,
And you buried us under the marble stone."
Down by the greenwood sidey.