Lady Gay- Copley (WV) 1916 Cox B
[From Folk-Songs of the South- John Harrington Cox, 1925. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
14. THE WIFE OF USHER'S WELL (Child, No. 79)
Seven variants have been recovered in West Virginia, under the titles: "A Moravian Song," "Lady Gay," "The Three Little Babes," and "A Lady Gay" (cf. Cox, XVI, 160). They all belong to the same version, and of the three versions printed by Child, they resemble most A. The best of the West Virginia copies are practically identical with the American text printed in Child V, 294. The main lines of the story are these: A lady who had three fair children sent them away to the North country to school, where, in short time, they died. She prays to the King in heaven to send them down to her, and about Christmas time they appear. She spreads a bountiful table for them, but they refuse to eat because they have food divine. She makes up a downy bed for them, with clean sheets and a golden spread, but they command her to take it off because it is vanity and sin. At the break of day they depart.
The prayer of the mother to have the children come back is not found in Child A. Cf. Child C 1. West Virginia texts A 9 and D 8 indicate the children come back to forbid obstinate grief, as the dead often do. This motive is not found in the Child versions. An ancient law compelled ghosts to return to their graves at the crowing of the cock. This law is observed in the Child versions,
but in the West Virginia variants they act in obedience to the will of their Savior. A curious combination of the two compelling forces is found in West Virginia B 8.
For references to English and American versions see Journal, xxx, 305. Add Campbell and Sharp, No. 19; Pound, No. 7; Wyman MS., No. 16 (Kentucky); Minish MS. (North Carolina); Bulletin, No. 3, p. 5; No. 9, p. 6.
B. "Lady Gay." Communicated by Anna Copley, Shoals, Wayne County, January 28, 1916; written from the dictation of Mr. Burwell Luther.
1 Once there was a lady gay,
And children she had three;
She sent them away to the North country,
To learn their grammaree.
2 They hadn't been gone but a mighty little while,
It was six weeks and a day,
Till death came hastening all around,
And killed those babes all three.
3 The Christmas times were coming on,
And the nights were long and cold,
When those three babes came running along,
Down to their mother's hall.
4 She set a table before them,
All covered with bread and wine;
Saying, "Come my babes, my three little babes,
Come and eat and drink of mine."
5 "We can't eat of your bread, mamma,
Nor drink none of your wine;
For woe be unto this wicked world,
Since pride has first begun!"
6 She made a bed in the best room,
All covered with white sheets;
And the top one was a golden sheet,
To make those infants sleep.
7 "Take it off, take it off," said the oldest one,
"Take it off, take it off, I say;
For yonder stands our Saviour dear,
And to him we must return."
8 "Rise up, rise up," said the oldest one,
"The chickens are crowing for day;
For yonder stands our Saviour dear,
And him we must obey."