Hello!

I am currently researching stories and songs about storytellers themselves, to examine what they say about the roles storytelling plays in human societies. As part of this research, I'm collecting various versions of Child Ballad #37 ("True Thomas" or "Thomas the Rhymer"), which tells the story of Thomas of Erceldoun of Scotland, who went into the service of the Queen of Elfland as a prophet.

I found one version on the "Digital Tradition Mirror" site by Danny Carnahan, with this footnote at the bottom:

[Written by Danny Carnahan after a Child ballad. " Based on the 13th century legend of Thomas Rymer of Erceldoun. Thomas was said to have visited the land of Faery and returned with the gift of prophecy and tongue that could not lie. Most recent versions of the ballad leave off at the point where Thomas is taken to the other world, but one 14th century version recounts what happened aft on this older story."]

I'd like to use this longer version, because it goes into more detail about what the realm of Faery was ;-) like, but I'd rather use the original version, and not the rewrite by Mr. Carnahan, for copyright reasons.

I've done a web search, and I *did* find the original version once, but when I've gone back to look for it, I can't find the page (yes, I was being lazy, and didn't bookmark it :::Sigh:::). The odd thing is, it doesn't even show up in my computer's "history" folders -- but I *know* I saw it. I even remember the background color and font. I've found many *references* to the longer version in essays *about* the song, and in prose retellings, but not the lyrics themselves.

It is, to say the least, "Argh!"-ish.

Can anyone here help?

Thank you, Ann