Ballad of the Jew's Daughter- Fitch (MD) 1902 NY Tribune article by Krehbiel; Bronson 37.
[From: The Ballad of the Jew's Daughter; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 15, No. 58 (Jul. - Sep., 1902), pp. 195-196. Details from Bronson. This version dates back to the early to mid- 1800s.
R. Matteson 2013, 2015]
THE BALLAD OF THE JEW'S DAUGHTER. - (from Clyde Fitch, learned from his mother, who had it from her mother during childhood in Hagerstown, Maryland.) In the "New York Tribune," August 17, Mr. Krehbiel discusses the ancient ballad, and offers a number of new variants, obtained by him in the United States. We give here the words of one of the two new versions, referring persons curious in this matter to the article of Mr. Krehbiel for the melodies:-
It rained a mist, it rained a mist,
It rained all over the town;
And all the boys in our town,
Went out to toss their balls, balls, balls,
Went out to toss their balls.
At first they tossed their balls too high,
And then again too low;
And then into the garden,
Where no one had dared to go, go, go,
Where no one had dared to go.
Out came the Jewish lady,
All dressed in silk and green;
Come in, my little boy," she said,
"You shall have your ball again, 'gain, 'gain,
You shall have your ball again."
"I won't come in, I shan't come in,
Without my playmates, too,
For I've often heard who would come in,
Should never come out again, 'gain, 'gain,
Should never come out again."
At first she showed him a rosy, red apple,
And then, again, a gold ring;
And then a cherry red as blood,
To entice the little boy in, in, in,
To entice the little boy in.
She led him in the parlor,
And then into the hall;
And then into the dining-room,
Where no one would hear his call, call, call,
Where no one would hear his call.
She wrapped him in a napkin,
And pinned it with a pin,
And called out for the carving knife,
To stab his little heart in, in, in,
To stab his little heart in.
Oh, save me. Oh, save me!"
The little boy did cry;
"If ever I live to be a man,
My treasure shall all be thine, thine, thine,
My treasure shall all be thine.
"Pray lay the Bible at my head,
The prayer book at my feet;
And if my parents ask for me,
Pray tell them that I 'm asleep, 'sleep, 'sleep,
Pray tell them that I 'm asleep.
"Pray lay the Bible at my feet,
The prayer book at my head;
And if my playmates ask for me,
Pray tell them that I'm dead, dead, dead,
Pray them that I'm dead."