Ballads & Songs of Southern Michigan-songbook

A Collection of 200+ traditional songs & variations with commentaries including Lyrics & Sheet music

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IX. Nursery
188 GIFTS FROM OVER THE SEA
For texts similar to the Michigan forms and a discussion of this riddle song from the fifteenth century see Child, I, 415, and Barry, Eckstorm, and Smyth, p. 99, note. See also Eddy, No. 4, Henry, p. 25; Sharp, II, 190-191; and Tolman, 1AFL, XXIX, 157-15&
Version A was sung in 1934 by Mr. Charles Muchler, Kalkaska, who learned the song about 1879.
if 1 j 11 1 j j 11 p f 11
I           had four broth - ers           o - ver the sea,
'f * '■ * > 11 ■' 111 r -n
Per - ry           mer - ry dine - turn dom - 1 ■< nee, And
if j j' j r J1 1 r 11
I1 t t l '* r r 1 Pl r' "fi
Per - ry          mer - ry dine - turn           dom            1 - nee
A
1    I had four brothers over the sea, Perry merry dinctum dominee; And each sent a present unto me; Partum, quartum, perry dee centum, Perry merry dinctum dominee.
2    One sent a cherry that had no stone, One sent a chicken without any bone.
3    The next sent a blanket without any thread, And the next sent a book that couldn't be read.
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