This West Virginia version of CHILD 2, "The Elfin Knight/Scarborough Fair", resembles the version from Vermont found in the Digital Tradition as "Scarborough Fair 2.

The material below the line is from Patrick Gainer's 1975 book (now out of print) FOLK SONGS FROM THE WEST VIRGINIA HILLS. We've discussed whether the Puritan influence explains the loss of elvish elements from ballads in the U.S. I notice that Dr. Gainer refers, in the passage below, not to a "Puritan" influence, but to a "puritanical" influence. I wouldn't say that the Puritan influence was strong in West Virginia, but I suppose the dominant religions and culture of West Virgina 100 years ago could be called "puritanical".

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O WHERE ARE YOU GOING? I'M GOING TO LINN
(CHILD 2, "THE ELFIN KNIGHT")

   In the old-world ballad of Child's work, the title of this ballad is "the Elfin Knight", but in the West Virginia versions the knight loses the character of the supernatural and is simply a young man who has a playful sort of game between himself and his former lover. He imposes certain impossible tasks upon her, and she in turn imposes even more impossible tasks upon him.

   The preternatural world of fairies and elves does not survive in the folklore of West Virginia because of the strong puritanical influence. The fairies generally were a benevolent folk who helped man, but since good could only come from God, and since fairies weren't in the Bible, they could not exist. Therefore, the old-world ballads and stories of fairies did not survive in oral tradition, or were adapted to include only mortals. Sung by Moses Ayers, Calhoun County.

"O where are you going?" "I'm going to Linn."
Follow ma la cus lonelee
"Give my respects to a lady therein."
Ma kee ta lo, kee ta lo, tam-pa-lo, tam-pa-lo
Follow ma la cus lonelee

"I want her to make me a cambric shirt,"
Follow ma la cus lonelee
"Without any thread or needlework,"
Ma kee ta lo, kee ta lo, tam-pa-lo, tam-pa-lo
Follow ma la cus lonelee

"I want her to wash it yonder hill,"
Follow ma la cus lonelee
"Where dew never was nor rain never fell,"
Ma kee ta lo, kee ta lo, tam-pa-lo, tam-pa-lo
Follow ma la cus lonelee

"I want her to dry it on yonder bush,"
Follow ma la cus lonelee
"Where tree never bloomed since Adam was born."
Ma kee ta lo, kee ta lo, tam-pa-lo, tam-pa-lo
Follow ma la cus lonelee

"Now since you have asked these questions of me,"
Follow ma la cus lonelee
"And now I will ask as man of thee,"
Ma kee ta lo, kee ta lo, tam-pa-lo, tam-pa-lo
Follow ma la cus lonelee

"I want you to buy me an acre of land,"
Follow ma la cus lonelee
"Between the salt sea and the salt land,"
Ma kee ta lo, kee ta lo, tam-pa-lo, tam-pa-lo
Follow ma la cus lonelee

"I want you to plow it with an old ox's horn,"
Follow ma la cus lonelee
"And plant it all over with one kernel of corn,"
Ma kee ta lo, kee ta lo, tam-pa-lo, tam-pa-lo
Follow ma la cus lonelee

"I want you to hoe it with a peacock's feather,"
Follow ma la cus lonelee
"And thresh it all out with the sting of an adder,"
Ma kee ta lo, kee ta lo, tam-pa-lo, tam-pa-lo
Follow ma la cus lonelee