TWA MAGICIANS

She looked out of the window
As white as any milk
He looked into the window
As black as any silk

Refrain
"Hello, hello, hello, hello
You coal black smith
You have done me no harm
You never shall have me maidenhead
That I have kept so long
I'd rather die a maid-o,"
And then she said,
"And be buried all in me grave,
Than to have such a nasty,
Husky, dusty, fussy, musty
Coal black smith!
A maiden I shall die!"

She became a hare,
A hare all on the plain,
And he became a good greyhound
And fetched her back again.
Refrain

She became a duck,
A duck all on the stream
And he became a water-dog
And fetched her back again
Refrain

She became a fly
A fly all in the air
And he became a spider
And carried her to his lair
Refrain

She became a dove
A dove all in the air
And he became another dove
And they flew pair in pair
Refrain

She became a plaid
A plaid all on the bed
And he became a coverlet
And gained her maidenhead
Refrain


As recorded by Nancy Thym on "If I Had Wings Like Noah's Dove," Thym's notes say
her version came from the singing of a blacksmith named Mr. Sparks, Minehead, S
omerset, August 8, 1904.
As noted in Bronson's 'The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads' (#44), the ve
rsion that Cecil Sharp collected from Mr. Sparks on Aug 8th, 1904, was published
in many places, starting with JFSS #6, p. 50, 1905, where his title for it was
"The Two Magicians; or, The Coal Black Smith". [Earlier in the same issue of JFS
S, starting on p. 40m Sharp gave 3 versions of "Hares on the Mountains". These t
unes are also given by Bronson as well a tune for it from the complete Petrie co
llection. WBO
Sharp has only the hare, duck, and spider verses. He changes the chorus to:
You never shall change my maiden name
That I have kept so long


Child #44
see MAGICN2

@magic @animal @contest @courtship
filename[ 2MAGICN3
JRO WBO
mudcat.org

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