Old Spotted Cow- Wagner (NY) pre1982 Cazden
[From Joe offer: Norman Cazden, Herbert Haufrecht and Norman Studer, 1982, "Folk Songs of the Catskills," SUNY Press, 1982, give musical scores for three tunes used with the versions of "The Old Spotted Cow," and discuss the relations between the three forms of Child Ballad 283.
The tunes set a "merry, humorous, and often a disrespectful mood" for the tale. Prominent among musical versions are "The Jolly Boatswain," "Turpin Hero" and other Dick Turpin melodies, and "Brennan on the Moor."
THE OLD SPOTTED COW
117A, Sung by Elson Van Wagner
1
It is of a wealthy farmer, as you shall hear,
A very wealthy farmer who lived in Yorkshire;
He had horses, sheep and cattle and many other things,
And he had a man to work and his name was John.
Refrain:
Lol-di-dol, lol-di-dol, lol-di doodle, doodle, dy-dee-o,
Whack! fall the ding ang, doodle, dinky day.
2
One morning, very early, he called his man John
He came to him, as we do understand;
"Take the old spotted cow and go to the fair,
For she looks the best, and it's her I can spare."
3
The little boy started and went over the bend
With the old spotted cow, as we do understand;
Going a little ways, when he met two men,
And he sold the old cow for six pounds ten.
4
As these two men stepped up for to drink,
They paid him down his money and his chink.
Turnin' to the landlady, thus he did say:
"What shall I do with my money, I pray?"
5
"I will sew it in your coat," said she,
"Fear on your way robbed you will be."
The highwayman stood drinking up his wine,
And he says to himself, "That money shall be mine."
6
The little boy started home for to go;
The highwayman followed after, also.
Going a little ways, when he overtook the lad,
"It is well we have met once more," he said.
7
"How much further have you for to go?"
"Four more miles is as much as I know."
"Four more miles for me also;
Hop aboard my horse, and away we will go."
8
Then they rode and they rode, till they came to a lane;
"Now," says he, "I'll tell you plain:
Deliver up your money without any strife,
Or in this lane I will take away your life."
9
The little boy knew there was no time to dispute;
He reached to his coat, and the money dropped out;
He reached to his coat and the money dropped out,
And into the tall grass he scattered it about!
10
Then the highwayman, he leaped from his horse,
Not thinking to himself that it was to his loss;
But when he was a-picking the money from the grass,
The boy hopped aboard, and he rode away his horse!
11
The robber begged for him to stay;
The boy said nothing, but he rode away.
The old woman cried out, "What the Devil is the fuss?
Has the old spotted cow turned into a horse?"
12
"It is I have been robbed by a highwayman bold
Of six pounds ten in silver and gold,
And so, for to make up your loss,
I hopped on aboard and brought his horse."
13
"Oh, now," says the farmer, "for being so bold,
I will give you forty pounds in gold;
And as for the robber, you served him right,
You played onto him the Yorkshire bite!"
Pp. 440-442, with musical score.