Pretty Little Miss

As I walked down by the river
I met a nice young girl,
I said to her, "My pretty fair miss,
Won't you sit with me a while?"

"O no, kind sir she answered me
O no, kind sir, I am too young,"
"The younger you are the better for me
For I want a wife and son."

He took her by the lily-white hand
He kissed her cheek and chin,
He took her to his own bedroom
And there the trouble begin.

In the middle of the night when the moon shone so bright
The moon shone bright and clear,
The young man rose, put on his clothes
Saying,"Fare yu well, my dear."

"Oh that's not the promise you made to me
When you lay on my breast,
You tried to make me believe by your false tongue
That the sun rose in the west."

"Go home to your father's garden
Sit down and cry your fill,
And when you think of all you have done
Just blame your own free will."

"There's other farmers' daughters
To the market they can go,
While poor me must stay at home
And rock the cradle, O"

"And rock the cradle, O, my dear
And sing the baby bye,
I wnder if there ever was another
So easy one as I."

"There is an herb in father's garden
And some they call it rue,
The fish will die (dive?), the swallow will fly
But a man will never be true."

"Come all you fair and handsome girls,
A warning take by me,
Don't ever trust your own true love
An inch above your knee."

"He'll hug you and kiss you
He'll roll you all about,
Then he'll leave you as I were left
To roll the baby out."

From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Sharp
Collected from Mrs. Delie Knuckles, KY 1917
DT #500
Laws P18
RG
oct96