Selling the Cow- Gainer (WV) c.1924 Combs-Woofter
[This version is suspect and probably created by Woofter (probably with Patrick Gainer's knowledge) and supplied to Combs c. 1924. It appears as No. 89 in Combs' Folk-Songs of the Southern United States published in 1925, and revised and republished in 1967 with Wilgus as editor. Carey Woofter and Patrick Gainer were students at The University of West Virginia who "collected" ballads. Wilgus has pointed out Woofter's suspect "contributions" in the book and in an article to the JOAFL.
F.C. Gainer was Patrick Gainer's grandfather and apparently Woofter and Gainer considered him a good source to attribute ballads and songs (this does not imply that F.C. did not know ballads and songs). An editor for the Brown Collection considered this "Americanized" ballad, Selling the Cow, different from the rest and commented:
Combs's West Virginia text is amusingly Americanized; the farmer becomes a Staunton (Virginia) merchant and his man a South Carolina Negro who at the end is commended by his master:
For you have put upon him
A South Carolina bite.
If this truly was F.C. Gainer's version then why in 1971 did Patrick Gainer publish an entirely different version attributed to his grandfather. Here are the notes and first two verses from Patrick Gainer's Folk Songs from the West Virginia Hills:
THE WISE FARMER
(CHILD 293, "THE CRAFTY FARMER")
One version of this ballad, printed by Cox in 1925, was contributed in 1916. Apparently no tune was recovered. My grandfather Gainer sang this ballad.
1. A farmer was riding alone,
Riding along the highway,
A robber stepped out in the road,
And thus to him did say.
2 "Old man, you should not ride alone,
For there are thieves a many,
They'll rob from you all that you have,
And not leave you a penny."
Patrick Gainer doesn't even mention the version that he and Woofter (clearly Woofter would not use his friend's grandfather as a source without him knowing about it) provided to Combs in 1924. Since the 1971 version by F. C. Gainer is completely different, I can only assume the first to be suspect and certainly both are. After all, how many African-American males are named "Fran"?!!!
R. Matteson 2013]
Folk-Songs of the Soutlurn United States
[Selling the Cow] The Crafty Farmer [89]
(Child No. P83)
(Laws L1)
Known by the title "selling the cow," a secondary form of the Child ballad. In the New World the farmer or miller is replaced by a young South Carolina Negro, and the rent of the farm by a cow. The action takes place in Staunton, Virginia. Contributed by F. C. Gainer, Gilmer Co., West Virginia.
In Staunton there did dwell
A merchant by trade;
He had two niggers,
A man and a maid.
A South Carolina boy
He had for his man,
And for to do his business,
His name it was Fran.
He said to Fran early one morning,
"Franny, take the cow and drive her to the fair;
For she is in good order
And all we have to spare."
Fran took the cow
And drove her to the fair;
And on the way he met three men,
And sold the cow for three pounds ten.
They went into the tavern
All for to take a drink;
And there the farmers
Paid him all the chink.[1]
Franny said to the landlady
This did he say:
"What shall I do
With all this money, pray?"
"I will sew it in your
Coat lining," said she;
"For on the highway
You robbed may be."
The highwayman sat behind,
Drinking of his wine;
Says he to himself,
"This money is all mine."
Fran got on his horse to go,
The highwayman also.
They rode till they came
To a long dark land;
"And. now, black boy,
I will tell you plain,
You must hand over your money
Without fear or strife,
Or I shall surely
Take your dear life."
Franny jumped off his horse
Without fear or doubt,
And from his coat lining
He pulled the money out,
And in the tall grass
He strewed it about.
The highwayman came
Down from his horse;
Little did he think
It was for his loss.
For a while he was picking
The money that was strewed;
Franny jumped on his horse
And away he rode.
The maid seeing Fran
Returning home,
Went to call her master
In another room.
'Why, Fran, has my cow
Turned into a horse?"
'O no, my good master,
I well sold your cow
But was robbed of the money
By a highwayman bold.
"And while he was putting
The money in his purse,
To make you amends
I came off with his horse."
The saddle-bags were taken off,
Axd out of them were told
Five thousand pounds
In silver and in gold.
"I swear, my good master,
I well sold your cow."
"As for a boy
You've done very rare;
One part of this money
You shall have for your share.
"But as for the villain,
You served him just right;
For you have put upon him
A South Carolina bite."
1 Chink=money.