30. The Farmer's Curst Wife (Folk-Songs of the South- 1925.)
THE FARMER'S CURST WIFE (Child, No. 278)
One copy only of this ballad has been found in West Virginia (reported by Cox, XL vi, 145) and, notwithstanding several prose lines, it is the most interesting of the versions recovered in this country. Notice the Falstafhan touch in stanza 7. In phraseology it shows some likenesses to Child A.
Texts and fragments have been printed from Maine, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Missouri. For references see Journal xxx, 329. Add Campbell and Sharp, No. 34 (North Carolina, Virginia) ; Sharp, Folk-Songs of English Origin, 2d Series, p. 12 (Kentucky); Bulletin, Nos. 6-10.
Communicated by Mr. Parker C. Black, Parkersburg, Wood County, January 3, 1917; received from his mother, who learned it from "my uncle, W. B. Foley, who learned it from his cousin, M. F. Foley, who learned it from one Mr. Dils, who now resides in Clarksburg."
1 There was an old man lived under the hill,
Hi ran di dan di da
If he ain't moved away he's living there still.
So gallop mi ran di dan di da
2 The devil came to the old man at the plow,
Says he, "I want the old woman you promised me now."
3 Says he, "You may have her with all my heart;
If you can't pack her away, I'll lend you my cart."
4 He picked her up all on his back,
And like a gay peddler went packing his sack.
5 He packed her to the gates of hell,
Says he, "Walk in and take a chair."
6 Four little devils came rattling their chains,
She up with her crutch and knocked out their brains.
7 Four more little devils says, "Hoist her up higher!"
She up with her crutch and knocked nine in the fire.
8 Four more little devils jumped upon the wall,
Cried, "Father, take her home or she'll kill us all."
9 So he picked her up all on his back,
And like an old fool went packing her back.
10 He packed her to the house where she was born,
When she got there the old man was in bed.
1 1 She called for the mush that was left in the pot,
Says he, "Old lady, we've eat it all."
12 Says he, "Old lady, did you fare very well?"
Says she, "Old man, I flattened all hell."
13 Now you see what these old women can do,
They can whip old men and devils too.