The Jew's Garden- Vaughn (IN) 1935 Brewster B
[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.
B. "The Jew's Garden." Contributed by Mrs. Hiram Vaughan, of Oakland City, Indiana. Gibson County. March 3, 1935. With music.
SIR HUGH Sung by Mrs. Hiram Vaughan; noted by Mrs. Johnson
blood, Which en-ticed the lit-tle boy in.
1. It rained a mist; it rained a mist
All o'er, all o'er the town,
When two little boys went out
To toss their ball around, 'round, 'round,
To toss their ball around.
2. It was first too low and then too high,
And then again too low,
And then into the Jew's garden
Where none was allowed to go, go, go,
Where none was allowed to go.
3. "Come in, little boy, and get your ball,
And get your ball again,
"I won't come in, I shan't come in;
. . . .
. . . .
4. "For I've ofttimes heard it said,
. . . . .
If anyone entered the Jew's garden,
They'd never come out again, -gain, -gain,
They'd never come out again."
5. She first offered him a mellow apple
And then a golden ring,
And then a cherry as red as blood,
Which enticed the little boy in, in, in,
Which enticed the little boy in.
6. She took him by the lily-white hand
And led him through the hall,
And seated him down at the end of the table
Where no one could hear him call, call, call,
Where no one could hear him call.
7. She called then for a napkin;
She pinned it with a pin,
And then she called for a tin basin
To catch his heart's blood in, in, in,
To catch his heart's blood in.
8. "Place my prayer book at my head,
My Bible at my feet;
And if my schoolmates call for me,
Just tell them that I'm asleep, -sleep, -sleep,
Just tell them that I'm asleep.
9. "Place my prayer book at my feet,
My Bible at my head;
And if my parents call for me,
Just tell them that I'm dead, dead, dead,
Just tell them that I'm dead."