Ah ha! A package arrived from Australia with a wonderful book called Hey Ho Raggedy-O, A Study of the Billy Barlow Phenomenon. This looks like really good stuff! Thank you so much for remembering that we spoke of this. The book is by our own Joybell, Joy Hildebrand, and liberally illustrated with period art. It's so nice when a book comes along with the combination of good reading AND still contains all of the scholarly stuff that makes it a durable resource. This will inhabit the precious shelves of books that I inherited from my father, and is one that he as folklorist would also have been very happy to own.

The chapters are:

Up and starts the Billy Blin

Ladies and gentlemen how do you do

A fine boy but he'll be of no use

The fat little gentleman

I'll start on my travels, says Billy Barlow

The spider of Billy Barlow

An abundance of comicalities

In and out the eagle

Tail-bone mine, says Billy Barlow

Where will-o-the-wisps and glow-worms shine

Three cheers and a tiger for Billy Barlow

Victory was ours, says Billy Barlow

I'll bid you goodnight, says Billy Barlow

And the book concludes with a very nice bibliography and index.

Now comes the question: I'm sure other Mudcatters will be interested in your research and buying a copy. How would they go about it?

This book looks absolutely wonderful! As I flip through the pages and stop to read a paragraph here and there I can see that there's a great story behind this research. Thank you again for thinking of me and sending this along.

Maggie (SRS)