Early America7i Ballads. 109
He had not mowed across the field Before a black snake bit him on the heel.
When he received this deadly wound
He dropped his scythe right on the ground.
They took him to his Sally dear
Which made him feel quite wondrous queer.
" Oh, Johnny dear, why did you go Down in the meadow for to mow ? "
" Oh, Sally dear, and don't you know 'T is daddy's grass and must be mowed ? "
At last he died, gave up the ghost, To Abraham's bosom he did post.
Now all young men, a warning take And avoid the bite of a big black snake.
Ri tick a rick a ra
Ri tick a rick a ra de ri de ro. 1
The informant remarks : —
" I think it is only fair to say that my spelling varies from the original, as I heard it ; but as I cannot minutely make the facts, it seems to be best not to tamper with the orthography of the ballad. It is probable that ' mountain ' should be pronounced mounting, that ' heel ' should rhyme with ' field,' ' wound ' with ' ground,' and that the word 'deadly' should be pronounced as if written dcadli, 'lovely,' love li, etc.
" For the melody I can vouch in a general way only, as my musical ability — if it can be called that — is not of an executive order. The gentleman who has recorded it thinks it to be correct, or as I have given it to him, but it seems to me to lack something. Perhaps the proper expression can be given to the transcript which I send you, if one has a slight knowledge of ballad singing, or knows aught of, or loves, olden days and olden ways."
C.
In Springfield mountain there did dwell A love-/y youth I knew full well.
Ri tu da day, ri tu da day,
Ri tu da day, tu da day.
1 Contributed by Mr. John L. Earll, of Utica, N. Y., who learned it according to the recitation of a lady from Vermont.
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