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74 The Play-Party in Indiana. |
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3. "If when walking in the garden, Plucking flowers all wet with dew, Will you be offended if I Have a walk and talk with you?"
4. "If when walking in the garden, I should ask you to be mine, And should tell you that I love you, Would you then my heart decline?"
d. This is sometimes sung in dialogue by a boy and a girl. It bears a resemblance to the riddle ballads. Not by answering questions correctly, but by asking them in the right way does he win his love.
In Mr. Sharp's book of Folk-Songs from Somerset, series 4, pp. 46-47 is the song, "O No, John!" It is very similar to the Indiana song. The words certainly had a common original. The music, however, is in common time and both in melody and in rhythm it is very different from the song as I heard it. Mrs. Underwood, the lady from whom I received the song, is of Scotch descent and it is probable' that her variant represents the words and music of a Scotch parallel to the Somerset Song. |
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