Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/458

 no Journal of American Folk-Lore.

One fine May morning he did go Down in the meadow for to mow.

He had not mowed half re-ound the field When a pizen sarpint bit his heel.

He lay right daoun upon the ground, Shut up his eyes and looked all around.

They sent right in for Sal-/y dear, Which made him feel so mighty queer.

" Oh John-«y dear, why did you go Down in the medder for to mow ? "

" Oh Sal-/y dear, you always know 'T is dad's grass and it must be mowed." 1

D.

In Springfield-town there once did dwell A lovely youth that I knew very well, Lalalu, lalalu, lalalu, lalalu, Lalalu, lalalu, lia.

One day this lovely youth did go Down in the meadow for to mow.

He mowed it all round, but at length did feel A pizen serpant bite him on the heel.

They carried him home to his mother dear, Which made that old gal feel very queer.

Oh Johnny dear, why did you go Down in the meadow for to mow ?

O mother dear, did you not know

'T was dad's own field and must be mowed.

And so he died and gave up the ghost, And down to the devil he did post.

1 Contributed by Mrs. Chase, Washington, D. C. ; the sequel has escaped her memory. The song was one that was sung to the children in the first reader by the district school-teacher of the West Bethany district schoolhouse, in Genesee County, New York, about six miles north of Batavia, the county seat. At the time the informant wondered why " teacher sang such a ' homely ' " song ; the teacher was never in New England, but lived on the southeast edge of the county.

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