Odd that Brown, "North Carolina Folklore," has no versions of "The Pesky Sarpent." One version was collected in Jackson Co., West Virginia by M. F. Morgan in 1915 and printed under the title, "Springfield Mountain," by J. H. Cox, "Folk-Songs of the South," p. 292.

SPRINGFIELD MOUNTAIN

A charming youth in Conway dwelled,
A charming youth that I knew quite well.

Too-da-nica-da-li, too-da-nica-dali,
too-da-nica, too-da-nica,
Too-da-nica-da-li, too-da-nica,
Too-da-nica, too-di-a.

That charming youth one day did go
Down in the meadow for to mow.

He mowed along but at length did feel
A great big serpent bite him on the heel.

They carried him to his Sally dear,
Now don't you bet it made her feel queer?

"O Johnnie dear, why did you go,
Down in the meadow for to mow?"

"Why, Sallie, dear, and I thought you knowed
'T was granddaddie's meadow, and it must be mowed."

At length he died, gave up the ghost;
In Abraham's bosom he was post.

Now all ye people this warning take,
To shun the bite of a great big snake.

---

ON SPRINGFIELD MOUNTAINS or the Pesky Sarpent.

On Springfield Mountain there did dwell
A comely youth I knew full well.
One Monday morning he did go
Down to the meadow for to mow.

Ri tu di nu, ri tu di na,
Ri tu di nu, ri tu di na.

He scarce had mowed half the field
When a pesky serpent bit his heel.
He took his scythe and with a blow
He laid the pesky serpent low.

He took the serpent in his hand
And straight-way went to Molly Bland.
The serpent's poison made him weak
He scarcely had the strength to speak.

Extra chorus 1:
Oh Molly, Molly here you see
The pesky serpent what bit me.

Now Molly had a ruby lip
With which the pizen she did sip.
The pizen proved so awful strong
It killed them both ere very long.

The neighbors found that they were dead
So laid them both upon one bed.
And all their friends from far and near
Did cry and howl they were so dear.

Now all you maids a warning take
From Molly Bland and Tommy Blake
And mind when you're in love don't pass,
Too near to patches of high grass.

Extra chorus 2:
Oh Molly, Molly, this we take
As a moral of that snake.

Sheet music in the Levy Collection, O. Ditson, Boston, 1878, arranged by L. C. Elson.
The first verses are the same as those of "The Pesky Sarpent" of 1840, but the last parts are re-written.