The Three Little Babes- Tuggle (OK) 1895 Moores A
[My date. From: Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest- Moores, 1964. The Moores notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
The Wife of Usher's Well (Child, No. 79) is unusually well preserved in Oklahoma, both in texts and tunes. "Nothing that we have is more profoundly affecting," writes child in II, 23g. For a fragment of an early text, see Motherwell, I, 270-72, and for traditional texts and references, consult the following: Arnold, 56-61; Belden, 55-57; Brewster, 97-98; Cox, 89-93; Davis, 279-99; Eddy, 46-47; Hudson, 93-95; Journal, vol. XIII, 119 (Newell), vol. XXIII 429 (Belden), vol. xxx, 305 (Kittredge) and 503 (Richardson), Vol. XXXIX, 96; McGill, 5; Morris, 279-83; Owens, 32-34; Pound, 19; Randolph, I, 122-24; Scarborough, Song Catcher, 167-69; and Sharp, I, 150-60.
A. The Three Little Babes, sung by William S. Tuggle of Jenks. Born in Alabama, he learned his songs from his father, who was born in Georgia. Mr. Tuggle moved to Indian Territory in 1895.
There was a bride; she lived abroad,
And children she had three.
She sent away her tender little babes
To study grammaree.
They hadn't been gone but a very short time,
Much more than two or three,
Till death spread over that country
And swept those babes away.
It was one night all about Christmas time,
The wind blew hard and cold;
She thought she heard her tender little babes,
Come fluttering home to her.
She put her bed all in the bedroom,
And on it spread three white sheets,
Saying, "Come, oh, come, my tender little babes,
Come lie down here and sleep.,'
"Dear Mother, cold clods lie at our heads,
Green grass grows at our feet.
Dear Mother, the tears you've shed for us
Would wet our winding sheet."
She put her table all in the dining room,
And on it spread bread and meat,
Saying, "Come, oh, come, my tender little babes,
Come set down here and eat."
"Dear Mother, we cannot eat your bread,
Nor neither drink your wine,
Dear Mother, the Lord is a-calling us,
And we must go and jine."