Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/456
So soon his Carfull father went
to seak his son with discontent
And there hes fond onley son he found
ded as a stone a pon the ground.
And there he lay down sopose to rest
withe both his hands Acrost his brest
his mouth and eyes Closed fast
And there poor man he slept his last.
his father vieude his track with greate concern
Where he had ran across the corn
unevin tracks where he did go
did apear to stagger two and frow.
The seventh of August sixty one
this fatull axadint was done
Let this a warning be to all
to be prepared when god does call.
It may probably have been the quaintness of the melody which gave the ballad a wide popularity; as already mentioned (vol. xii. p. 242), it has obtained currency as a favorite lullaby for children. The composition must therefore have been originally sung rather than composed for reading or even recitation. The parallel case of Isaac Orcutt justifies a suspicion that the verses treating the fate of the Merrick youth were also prepared for chanting at the funeral, and constituted a dirge.
The versions which follow will serve to show in what manner the song was altered in the course of its wide diffusion.
B.
On Spring -field Moun-tain there did dwell A love - ly youth, I
knew full well Ri tick a rick a Ri tick a rick a ra de ro.
On Springfield Mountain there did dwell
A lovely youth, I knew full well
Ri tick a rick a ra
Ri tick a rick a ra de ri de ro.
One Friday morning he did go
Down in the meadow for to mow.