It Rained a Mess- Rush (NC-VA) c. 1912 McCraw
[My title, from McCraw, North Carolind Folklore, VII (July- 1959), p. 35.
Sung by Miss Irene Rush, Burlington, NC. Learned from
her mother, who had learned it from her own mother
during childhood in Carroll County, Va.
1. It rained a mess[1], it rained a mess
It reined all over the town,
And three little children went out to play,
To toss the ball around, around,
To toss the ball around.
2. They tossed it high, they tossed it low,
They tossed it all over the ground,
But one tossed it over in a hard woman's yard
Where no one was allowed to go, oh, go,
Where no on was allowed to go.
3. "Come in, little boy, you shall have your ball,
Come in, you shall have your ball."
. . .
. . .
4. "I shan't come in, I shan't come in,
Unless my playmates come too,
For I have been told that if once you go in,
You'll never come out any more, any more,
You'll never come out any more."
5. She showed him a bright red apple,
And then she showed him a chain,
And then she showed him a diamond ring,
To invite the little one in, oh, in,
To invite the little one in.
6. She took him by his lily whitc hand
And led him through the hall
And then into the dining room
Where no one could hear him call, oh call,
Where n0 one could hear him call.
7. "Oh, please spare my.life, oh, please spare my life,
' Oh , please spare my life," he cried.
"And if I live to be forty years old'
My treasures will all be thine, oh, thine,
MY treasures will all be thine."
8 "Please put my Prayer book at my feet,
The Bible to my head,
And when my Playmates call for me,
Please tell them that I am dead, oh, dead,
Please tell them that I am dead."
9 She pinned a napkin over his face,
She pinned it with a pin,
And then she took a carving knife,
And carved his little heart in, oh, in,
And carved his little heart in.
10. She put the prayer book at his feet,
The Bible at his head,
And when his playmates called for him,
She told them ihai he was dead, oh, dead,
She told them that he was dead.