Dandoo- Courtney (WV) 1918 Cox B
Folk-Songs of the South- John Harrington Cox 1925
29. THE WIFE WRAPT IN WETHER'S SKIN (Child, No. 277)
In West Virginia, this ballad goes under the titles: "Dandoo," "Bandoo," and "Gentle Virginia." Five variants have been found, A, B, and D practically alike and very similar to the version printed by Belden, Journal, xix, 298. The first four and the last two stanzas in C correspond to stanzas in A or B, but the arrangement is somewhat confused and several stanzas are more or less corrupt. Stanzas 5, 6, 7, and 8 are not to be found in any other American version nor in any of the Child versions. They may point to a different source for this copy, or they may have been deliberately added by some singer to satisfy a whim or to
make a local hit. In phraseology and in the burden, E shows a close relationship to the text printed by Newell, Journal, vn, 253 (Child, v, 304).
For American texts see Journal, vn, 253 (Newell; Massachusetts; reprinted by Child, v, 304); xix, 298 (Belden; Missouri); xxx, 328 (Kittredge, from Belden; Missouri; reprinted by Pound, No. 6 A) ; Campbell and Sharp, No. 33 (Virginia and Kentucky) ; Pound, No. 6 B (Nebraska). For references see Journal, xxx, 328. Add Bulletin, Nos. 7-10; Reed Smith, Journal, xxvm, 200.
A. "Dandoo." Contributed by Mr. Wallie Barnett, Leon, Mason County, 1915; learned from his grandfather about the year 1898. His grandfather was of English descent, a native of Gilmer County. The last stanza was furnished by some teacher whose name was not secured. It is a reminiscence of the famous nursery rhymes about the man who had naught — "and robbers came to rob him." Reported by Cox, xlv, 159.
B. "Dandoo." Contributed by Miss Courtney, Clay Court House, Clay County, August 8, 1918.
1 There was an old man lived in the West,
Dandoo
There was an old man lived in the West,
Tommy Tim cli clingo
There was an old man lived in the West,
He had a little old wife that was none of the best.
With a hare and a bear liddy I cliddy I
Tommy Tim cli clingo
2 This old man went out to plow,
"Hey! old woman, is dinner ready now?"
3 "A piece of dry bread lies on the shelf,
If you want any more you can get it yourself."
4 This old man went to his sheepfold,
And the best old wether he strung on a pole.
5 He threw the skin around his wife's back,
And two little sticks went whickity whack.
6. I'll tell our neighbors and all our kin,
The way you tan your wether's skin."
7 This old man then ran away,
Went fourteen miles in fifteen days.