The Jew's Daughter- Fowler (WV) pre-1925 Cox F
[From: Folk-Songs of the South by John Harrington Cox- 1925; his notes follow. This version (Cox F) certainly dates back to at least 1900 and probably earlier.
R. Matteson 2013, 2015]
Folk-Songs of the South- 1925
19. SIR HUGH, OR, THE JEW'S DAUGHTER (Child, No. 155)
Fourteen variants have been found in West Virginia, under various titles (cf. Cox, xlv, 160). They all tell the same brief story and differ in trifling details only. The version agrees closely with Child G and H. Child K of the English versions is very similar. Stanza A 6 and the corresponding stanzas in other variants are most like Child F 4 and N 6.
For American texts see Child, 111, 248, 249 (Philadelphia and Baltimore); Newell, Games and Songs of American Children, p. 75 (New York; reprinted by Child, in, 251); Krehbiel, New York Tribune, August 17, 1902 (see Journal, xv, 195); Belden, Journal, xrx, 293 (Missouri; Kentucky); Tolman, Journal, xxrx, 164 (Indiana; reprinted by Pound, No. 5 A); Kittredge, Journal, xxix, 166 (probably from Connecticut); Tolman and Eddy, Journal, xxxv, 344 (Ohio); Focus, in, 396, 399 (Virginia); Steger and Morrow, The University of Virginia Magazine, December, 191 2, p. 115 (Alabama; the same in Smith, p. 16, and Pound, No. 5B); Campbell and Sharp, No. 26 (North Carolina). For further references see Journal, xxix, 164; xxx, 322; xxxv, 344. Add Bulletin, No. 7, p. 6; No. 9, p. 7; No. 11, p. 5.
F. "The Jew's Daughter." Communicated by Miss Minnie Lee Dickinson, Cheat Haven, Pennsylvania; obtained from Mrs. David Fowler, Cheat Neck, West Virginia, who learned it from her mother.
1 It rained, it mist, it rained, it mist,
It rained throughout the town;
The girls and boys went out to play,
Went out to toss their ball, their ball.
2 Sometimes they tossed their ball too high,
And then again too low;
They tossed it up and over it went,
Into the Jew's garden did go, did go,
Into the Jew's garden did go.
3 Out came one of the Jew's daughters,
All dressed in richest pearl:
"Come in, come in, my sweet little boy,
Come in and get your ball, your ball,
Come in and get your ball."
4 "I won't come in, I can't come in,
For I've often heard them say,
Those who enter the Jew's garden
Can never get away, away,,
Can never get away."
5 She offered him a mellow apple,
And then a beautiful ring,
And then a cherry as bright as gold,
To entice that little boy in, boy in,
To entice that little boy in.
6 She took him by the lily-white hand
And through the castle did go;
And down into the cellar she pinned him down,
Where no one could hear him lament, lament,
Where no one could hear him lament.
7 She pinned him to a napkin tight:
O, wasn't that a sin?
She called for a basin as bright as gold,
To take his heart's blood in, blood in,
To take his heart's blood in.
8 "Go lay my prayer book at my head,
My Bible at my feet;
If any of my schoolmates inquires for me,
Just tell them I'm asleep, asleep,
Just tell them that I'm asleep.
9 "Go lay my prayer book at my feet,
My Bible at my head;
If either of my parents inquires for me,
Just tell them that I 'm dead, am dead,
Just tell them that I am dead."