Robin Hood and Little John- Cummings (KY) 1857 Kirklands
{Taken from the article, Popular Ballads Recorded in Knoxville, Tennessee, in Southern Folklore Quarterly, vol. II, no. 2., pages 65-80. Music and texts from Edwin Capers Kirkland and Mary Neal Kirkland, 1938. Their notes follow.
Pound published this in 1926. For whatever reason, the Kirklands include the Cummings Schaupp version in their article without mentioning Pound or that Schaupp was once a resident of Nebraska. The fact that the texts are identical is also odd, although it's possible the informant sang the ballad the same way every time. At the bottom of the page is the text from Cummings as published by Pound in 1926.
R. Matteson 2015]
ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN
(Child 125)
"Robin Hood and Little John" was recorded July, 1937, by Mrs. Mariana Schaupp, "who learned it from her father, Mr. Marion Taylor Cummings, who had it from his mother, Frances Hayden Cummings, once of Kentucky. It has been in the family for at least eighty years."
Professor Child printed only one text, and did not include a variant from Virginia which is in his manuscript collection presently at the the Harvard. College Library.[16] A variant found at Normal, Illinois in 1908, was edited and published by Professor H. S. V. Jones.[17]
The Child printed text contains thirty-nine stanzas; the Illinois text twenty; and the Knoxville, sixteen. All give the essential parts of the story, and maintain in general the internal rime in the third line. The American variants leave out explanatory material, such as Robin Hood's instructions to his men that they are to tarry in the forest while he seeks adventure alone, but that they are to come to his assistance should he blow upon his horn. The American variants also leave off the description of the merrymaking as Little John is taken into the band, baptized, dressed in green, told of his future work, and his name changed from John Little to Little John.
[music]
When Robin Hood was about eighteen years old,
He chanced to meet Little John,
A jolly brisk blade, just fit for his trade,
For he was a sturdy young man.
Although he was little, his limbs they were large;
His stature was seven feet high
Wherever he came, he soon quickened his name,
And he presently caused them to fly.
One day these two met on a long narrow bridge,
And neither of them would give way,
when Robin stepped up to the stranger and said,
"I'll show you brave Nottingham play."
"You speak like a coward," the stranger he said,
"As there with your long bow you stand.
f vow and protest you may shoot at my breast
While I have but a staff in my hand."
"The name of a coward," said Robin, "I scorn,
And so my long bow I lay by.
And then for your sake a staff I will take,
The faith of your manhood to try."
Then Robin he stepped out into a grove,
And pulled up a staff of green oak,
And this being done straight back he did come
And thus to the stranger he spoke.
"Behold thou my staff; it is lusty and tough;
On this long narrow bridge let us play,
Then he who falls in, the other shall win
The battle, and then we'll away."
Then Robin hit the stranger a crack on the crown
Which caused the blood to appear,
And thus so enraged they more closely engaged
And they laid on the blows most severe.
The stranger hit Robin a crack on his crown,
Which was a most terrible stroke.
The very next blow laid Robin below
And tumbled him into the brook.
"Oh where are you now?" the stranger, he cried.
With a hearty laugh in reply,
"Oh, faith in the flood," cried bold Robin Hood,
"And floating away with the tide."
Then Robin, he waded ail out of the deep
And pulled himself up by a thorn;
Then just at the last he blew a loud blast
So merrily on his bugle horn.
The hills they did echo, the valleys did ring,
Which caused his gay men to appear,
All dressed in green, most fair to be seen;
Straight up to the master they steer.
"What aileth thee, Master ?" quoth William Stutely.
"You seem to be wet to the skin."
"No matter," said he, "this fellow you see,
In fighting hath tumbled me in."
"We'll pluck out his eyes, and duck him likewise."
Then seized they the stranger right there.
"Nay, let him go free," quoth bold Robin Hood,
"For he's a brave fellow. Forbear!
"Cheer up, jolly blade, and don't be afraid
Of these gay men that You see.
There are fourscore and nine, and if you will be mine
You may wear of my own livery."
A brace of fat doe was quickly brought in,
Good ale and strong liquor likewise;
The feast was so good ail in the greenwood
Where this jolly babe was baptized.
----------
16. Reed Smith, "The Traditional Ballad in the South," JAFL, XXVII, p.
17. "Robin Hood and Little John," JAFL, XXIII (1910) , 432-34"
__________________________________
[From: American Text of "Robin Hood and Little John" by Louise Pound; American Speech, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Nov., 1926), p. 75]
AMERICAN TEXT OF "ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN"
ROBIN HOOD ballads have not often found their way into oral survival in the United States. The following text of a ballad concerning Robin Hood and Little John cannot be traced back very far. It is contributed by Marianna Cummings of Lincoln, Nebraska, as she heard it sung by her grandmother, Frances Hayden Cummings, who learned it in her girlhood in Kentucky.
It deserves preservation, however it may have reached Kentucky, because of the interest of Robin Hood ballads and their
stories and variant texts.
ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN
When Robin Hood was about eighteen years old
He chanced to meet Little John,
A jolly brisk blade just fit for his trade
For he was a sturdy young man.
Altho he was little his limbs they were large,
His stature was seven feet high.
Wherever he came he soon quickened his name
And presently caused them to fly.
One day these two met on a long narrow bridge,
And neither of them would give way,
When Robin stepped up to the stranger and said,
"I'll show you brave Nottingham play."
"You speak like a coward," the stranger, he said,
"As there with your long-bow you stand;
I vow and protest you may shoot at my breast
While I have but a staff in my hand."
"The name of a coward," said Robin, "I scorn,
And so my long-bow I lay by
And then for your sake a staff I will take
The strength of your manhood to try."
Then Robin he stepped out into a grove
And pulled up a staff of green oak,
And this being done straight back he did come,
And thus to the stranger he spoke:
"Behold thou my staff, it is lusty and tough,
On this long narrow bridge let us play;
Then he who falls in, the other shall win
The battle and then we'll away."
Then Robin hit the stranger a crack on the crown
That caused the blood to appear
And thus so enraged they more closely engaged
And laid on the blows most severe.
The stranger gave Robin a crack on the crown
That was a most terrible stroke,
The very next blow laid Robin below
And tumbled him into the brook.
"Oh where are you now?" the stranger he cried;
With a hearty laugh in reply,
"Oh, faith, in the flood" quoth bold Robin Hood,
"And floating away with the tide."
Then Robin he waded all out of the deep
And pulled himself up by a thorn,
Then just at the last he blew a loud blast
So merrily on his bugle horn.
The hills they did echo, the valleys did ring
Which caused his gay men to appear,
All dressed in green most fair to be seen
Straight up to the master they steer.
"What aileth thee, master?" quoth William Stutely,
"You seem to be wet to the skin."
"No matter," quoth he, "This villain you see
In fighting hath tumbled me in."
"We'll pluck out his eyes and duck him likewise,"
Then seized they the stranger right there,
"Nay, let him go free," quoth bold Robin Hood,
"For he's a brave fellow. Forbear!
"Cheer up jolly blade and don't be afraid
Of all these gay men that you see,
There are four-score and nine and if you will be mine
You may wear of my own liverie."
A brace of fat deer was quickly brought in,
Good ale and strong liquor likewise.
The feast was so good, all in the greenwood
Where this jolly babe was baptised.
LOUISE POUND.
University of Nebraska.