The Jew's Daughter- Allardin (IN) 1936 Brewster C
[From: Ballads and Songs of Indiana by Brewster, 1940. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2013, 2015]
SIR HUGH (Child, No. 155)
Three texts have been recovered in this state. All of them tell the same story, differing only in unimportant details, and agree most closely with versions G and H of Child. The ballad is more commonly known in Indiana as "The Jew's Daughter" or "The Jew's Garden."
For American texts, see Belden, No. 8; Campbell and Sharp, No. 26; Child, III, 248; Cox, No. 9; Davis, p. 400; Hudson, No. 17; Hudson, Folksongs, p. 116; Jones, p. 301; Journal, XV, 195; XIX, 293; XXIX, 164 (contains an Indiana variant); XXX, 322; XXXV, 344; XXXIX, 212; XLIV, 64, 296; XLVII, 358; Newell, Games and Songs of American Children, p. 75; Pound, Ballads, No. 5; Scarborough, p. 53; Scarborough, Song Catcher, p. 172; Shearin, p. 4; Shearin and Combs, p. 8; C. A. Smith, p. 15; Smith, Ballads, No. 11; Henry, Folk-Songs from the Southern Highlands, p. 102; BFSSNE, V, 7 (Vermont); Creighton, Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia, p. 16.
British texts: JFSS, I, 264; V, 253.
C. "The Jew's Daughter." Contributed by Mrs. C. H. Allardin, of Mc-Leansboro, Illinois. Learned by her in Indiana. April 24, 1936.
1. One Friday in the month of May
When the sun shone through the hall,
All the boys of Lasso Town [1]
Went out to toss their ball.
2. At first they would toss their ball too high,
And then, O then, too low,
Till over into the Jew's garden it went
Where no one would dare to go.
3. And then the Jew's daughter she came out,
All dressed in riches gay,[2]
Saying, "Come in, you little man;
Come in and get your ball."
4. "O I won't come in, I can't come in ;
I say I won't come in.
For I've often heard whoever came in
Would never get out again."
5. At first she showed him a yellow apple
And then a gay gold ring,
And then some cherries as red as blood
To coax that little boy in.
6. She took him by his little white hand [3]
And into the cellar she went,
And called for a basin as bright as tin
To catch his heart's blood in.
7. "When you go home.................
If Mother should call for me,
Please tell her that I'm asleep,
Please tell her that I'm asleep.
8. "Please place my schoolbooks at my feet,
And the Bible at my head;
And if my schoolmates should call for me,
Please tell them that I am dead."
Footnotes:
1. For London Town
2. All dressed in rich array.
3 For lily-white hand.