The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #140911   Message #3310072
Posted By: Steve Gardham
17-Feb-12 - 11:11 AM
Thread Name: Child Ballads: US Versions
Subject: RE: Child Ballads: US Versions
Richie
Your guess is as good as anyone else's. All of them were mixing and matching and this is an example of the most basic process whereby two ballads are simply grafted together with no new material except perhaps the couplet that introduces stanza 12. At least this one is patently obvious