The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #17058   Message #4070825
Posted By: Phil Edwards
05-Sep-20 - 06:05 AM
Thread Name: Penguin: Banks Of Green Willow
Subject: RE: Penguin: Banks Of Green Willow
Most of these verses are recorded by at least two out of Sharp, Butterworth and Gardiner. Verse 4 - confirming that she did in fact steal her father's gold - is only in Butterworth, although it is in both of the Child versions.

"Hold your tongue you foolish man" [sic] only gets a full verse in Child B, but there's half a verse to that effect in Child A and (more importantly for my purposes) in Butterworth. (Also, Shirley Collins sang it whsn she recorded the song recently!) The only real 'import' is "What shall I do", which is only in Child B - but Purslow used it & on this occasion I agree with him.