The House Carpenter- Gregg (WV) 1917 Cox C
[From: Folk-Songs of the South; John Harrington Cox- 1925. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2013]
25. JAMES HARRIS (THE DAEMON LOVER) (Child, No. 243)
Twenty-one variants have been found in West Virginia, under the titles: "The House Carpenter," "The House Carpenter's Wife," and "The Salt Water Sea" (cf. Cox, xlv, 159). The story is virtually the same in all the variants.
In the main, the West Virginia variants agree very closely with Child B, but contain here and there stanzas that show relations to other Child versions. The returned lover has lost all trace of the "Daemon," unless such a trace is found in A 13, 14.
For a list of American texts see Journal, xxx, 325; xxxv, 346. Add Campbell and Sharp, No. 29 (North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee); Pound, No. 17 (Illinois; same as Journal, xxvi, 360); Minish MS. (North Carolina); Bulletin; Nos. 6-11.
C. "The House Carpenter." Communicated by Professor Walter Barnes, Fairmont, Marion County, January, 191 7; given to him by Mr. George Gregg, Pocahontas County, who obtained it from Miss Grace Bernard, Durbin.
1 "Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well met, well met!" said he;
"For I have just returned from the salt, salt sea,
And it's all for the love of thee.
2 "I could have married a king's daughter dear,
And she would have married me;
But her chains in gold I did refuse,
And it's all for the love of thee."
3 "If I could forsake my house carpenter
And go along with thee,
What would you have to maintain me on
And keep me from poverty?''
4 "I have six ships on sea
And seven more on land;
If you will go along with me,
They'll be at your command."
5 She dressed herself in scarlet red,
Most beautiful to behold;
And as she walked the streets up and down,
She shone like glittering gold.
6 She picked up her own little babe
And gave it kisses three,
Saying, "Stay at home my sweet little babe,
And keep papa's company."
7 Saying, "Who will shoe your pretty feet,
And who will glove your hand,
And who will kiss your red rosy cheek,
When I'm in a foreign land?"
8 "My papa will shoe my pretty little feet,
And he will glove my hand;
And you may kiss my red rosy cheek,
When returned from the foreign land."
9 She had not been on board two weeks,
I am sure it was not three,
Until this lady began to weep,
And she wept most bitterly.
10 Saying, "Is it for my gold you weep,
Or is it for my store?
Or is it for the house carpenter,
Who you will never see more?"
11 "It's neither for your gold I weep,
Or is it for your store;
But it 's all for the love of the sweet little babe,
Who I shall never see any more."
12 She had not been on board three weeks,
I am sure it was not four,
The ship it sprang a leak,
And she sank to rise never more,
13 Saying, " Cursed be to a seaman,
And curse a sailor's life,
For robbing a house carpenter of his wealth
And stealing away his wife!"
14 The little babe in the churchyard lies,
And it's mother in the bottom of the sea;
And it 's father roams all over the world,
And still no pleasure can see.