Lord Thomas- Vaughan (Mo.) pre1906 Belden BA
[From Old-Country Ballads in Missouri, I by H. M. Belden; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 19, No. 74 (Jul. - Sep., 1906), pp. 231-240. In Songs and Ballads, 1940, this is listed as the A version.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
A. [Lord Thomas] Taken down by Mr. Vaughan, principal of the Tuscumbia school, from the singing of a servant girl. No title given.
"Come mother, come mother, come riddle your sword,
Come riddle to me as one,
Whether to marry fair Ellender
Or bring the brown girl home."
"The brown girl has a house and land,
Fair Ellender has none;
So this is the blessing I give unto you,
Go bring the brown girl home."
"Come mother, come mother, come riddle your sword,
Come tell to me as one,
Whether to go to Lord Thomas's wedding
Or whether to stay at home."
"There may be many there your friends
And as many be your foes;
So this is the blessing I give unto you,
Dear daughter, to tarry at home."
"There may be many there my friends
And as many be my foes,
But life betide or death betide
To Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go."
She dressed herself in scarlet red,
Her waiting maid in green,
And every town that they passed through
They took her to be some queen.
She rode, she rode till she came to the gate,
To the gate with a mighty din;
And who was so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To arise and bid her come in?
He took her by the lily-white hand
And led her to the hall,
And seated her there at the table
Among the ladies all.
"Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, is this your bride?
I think she is very brown,
When you could have married as fine a lady
As ever the sun shone on."
The brown girl having a knife in her hand,
It being keen and sharp,
She pierced it into fair Ellender's breast
So deep it entered her heart.
Lord Thomas took her by the hand
And led her to the hall;
He took his sword and cut off her head
And kicked it against the wall.
Then placing the handle against the wall,
The point against his breast,
Saying "This is the ending of three true lovers,
God send their souls to rest!
(Some lines are evidently lost here.)
"Go dig my grave both wide and long,
Go dig it wide and deep.
And bury fair Ellender in my arms
And the brown girl at my feet."