I Called to my Loving Wife- Keene (VA) 1936 Scarborough C
Some of Scarborough's notes: Gummmere says that this ballad is sung "as a little drama" in several parts of France. Puymaigre says, in his Chants populaires, 1865, pp. 215 ff.,
In rare cases it has a serious ending and we need not be alarmed at this threat:
"Je t'y menerai n'en Flandre
Et puris t'y ferai pendre"
which the woman parries with " Keep that terrible fate for the French robbers."
"Two young girls" play this ballad,one made up as an angry shepherd, the other as a timid shepherdess, singing it from house to house accompanied by the young folk of the village.
The Percy Society Publications, XVII, 272, list it as "Old Wicket and His Wife," and say of it:
This song still retains its popularity in the North of England, and when sung with humour, never fails to elicit a roar of laughter. A Scotch version may be found in Herd's Collection, 1769, and also in Cunningham's Songs of England and Scotland, 1835. The editor cannot give an opinion as to which is the original, but the English set is of unquestionable antiquity. Our copy was obtained from Yorkshire. It has been collated with one printed at the Aldermary Press, and preserved in the third volume of the Ronburghe Collections.
Mrs. Laura Keene, of Murphy's Hollow, Buchanan County, Virginia, gave a slightly different account of the inquisition.
(C) I Called to my Loving Wife- Mrs. Laura Keene, of Murphy's Hollow, Buchanan County, Virginia
I called to my loving wife.
Oh, what do you want with me?
I see some man in bed in there
Where my own self ought to be.
You old fool, you blind fool,
Oh, fool, you cannot see
Nothing but a baby
My mama gave to me.
I travelled this world over
Ten thousand times or more,
A baby with whiskers on
I never seen before.
You old fool, you btind foot,
You fool, you cannot see
It's nothing but a milk cow
My mama gave to me.
I've travelled this world over
Ten thousand times or more.
A milk cow with wheels on
I never seen before.
I called to my loving wife,
Oh, what do you want with me?
I see some man in bed with You
Where you know he oughtn't to be.
You old fool, you blind fool,
You fool, you cannot see
It's nothing but a milk churn
My mama gave to me.
I travelled this world over
Ten thousand times or more
A milk churn with legs on
I never seen before.