Granny and the Golden Ball- Singleton (KY) 1909 Niles B
[From The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles; 1961. This is obviously a re-write by Niles, since it doesn't sound traditional at all.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
Granny and the Golden Ball- Augusta Singleton (Louisville, KY) 1909 Niles B
1 From over the hills and far away,
Came an old granny dressed in gray,
Oh pray, granny pray, ere the trap do fall,
Did you find my golden ball,
Or did you bring me of your fee
To save me from the hang-man’s tree
To save me from the hang-man’s tree?
2 "Oh no, oh no, I have no fee
To save you from this hangman's tree.
I found no ball, no ball of gold,
But I have come as you've told
To see you hanged and hang-ed high,
And the hangman, he knows right well why."
3. From over the hills and far away
Come a young lover very gay.
"Oh lover, oh lover, ere this trap do fall,
Did you find my golden ball,
Or did you bring me a little fee
To save me from this hangman's tree?"
4. "Oh yes, I brought you gold and fee
To save you from this hangman's tree.
We lost that pretty golden ball,
And we have never found it at all.
But I can't see you hang-ed high,
And everybody knows right well why."