Old Sheep-Eye (The Half Hitch)- Cobb (Vermont) 1930 Flanders C
[Fragment, from Flanders, Ancient Ballads, 1966. This fragment was mentioned in Vermont Folk-Songs and Ballads but the brief text was not given. The name seems to be derived from this forgotten line: "She looked like a sheep-eye before and behind," which is a misnomer for "gypsy" pronounced gyps-eye (for another version it's "teapot," see Atwood).
R. Matteson 2014]
C. Old Sheep-Eye. This fragment was given, without music, by Mrs. Joseph Cobb (89 years of age) in South Londonderry Vermont. George Brown, Collector; September 3, 1930.
Old Sheep-Eye
Fragment: a youth and maid involved. He can't marry maid; swears to marry first girl he sees even if she is black as black could be. He sees her, takes her home, and, marries her.
"And with her fingers she puled our the cabbage and meat."
Goes upstairs, puts on good clothes, knocks.
"When you hear my old shoe go clang you can come."
He comes up. she wishes tight, as her toes are sore. He sees her in her fine clothes. All go down and have a festive time.