ROLLIN' A-ROLLIN' (Child #10 - The Twa Sisters)

There lived an old lord by the Northern Sea,
Rollin', a-rollin',
And he had daughters, one, two, and three,
Down by the waters a-rollin'.

Similarly:

Two little sisters, side by side,
The oldest one for Johnny cried.

Now, Johnny brought the old one a beaver hat,
And the youngest one, she thought hard of that.

Then Johnny brought the young one a gay gold ring;
He didn't bring the old one a single thing.

"Oh, sister, oh, sister, let's walk the seashore,
And see the ships as they sail o'er."

Two little sisters walking downstream;
The oldest one pushed the youngest one in.

Down she sank and away she swam;
She floated on down to the miller's dam.

The miller he took her by the hand,
And brought her safely back to the land.

The miller took off her gay gold ring,
And he pushed her back into the river again.

The miller was hung on the gallows so high;
The oldest sister she was hung close by.

Thus endeth my tale of the North Countrie;
It is known as the Berkshire Tragedy.

Recorded by the Golden Ring - CD-16 - Folk-Legacy Records.
George and Gerry Armstrong learned this from Bob Coltman, who modified it, perhaps inadvertently, from the version printed in Folk Songs of Florida by Alton C. Morris. (A new paperback version of that 1950 book, by the way, is now available as a remainder from Hamilton Books in Falls Village, Connecticut. They have a web site which I have apparently failed to bookmark. Sorry, no blue clicky thing.) Coltman added the last verse from an English version of the ballad recorded by Wallace House. I don't think it's language really fits with the rest of the text, but what the heck, sing it if you like it.

Sandy