"Sweet Willie's sick, and very sick,

voiceReel 115 Mrs. Betty Minnick (And Mrs. Mary Briscoe) High, Arkansas May 1, 1951 Collected by Irene Carlisle Reel 115 Item 1 BARBARA ALLEN "Sweet Willie's sick, and very sick, And sent for you, Barbara Allen; Kb better will he ever be If he don't get Barbary Ellen" So slowly, slowly she arose, And slowly she went traveling; And all she said when she got there: "Young man, I think you're a-dying." "I know I'm sick, and very sick, And death is on me dwelling; No better will I ever be, If I don't get Barbro Allen." "Don't you recollect that long summer day, "While we 'as setting at the tavern, You passed the wine to the ladies all around; You slighted Barbry Allen." "Yes, I recollect that long summer day, while we 'as setting at the tavern; I passed the wine to the ladies all around; Give my heart to Barbry Allen." She turned herself all around and about; She came downstairs a-smiling, Baying, "I might 'a' saved that young man's l i f e, If I had been a-trying." He turned his pale face up to the wall, And he bursted out to crying, Saying, "I will die with pure hard love; Barbry Allen shall die with sorrow." She had not got one mile from town Till she heared the death-bell a-ringing; with ever' stroke it seemed to say, "Hard-hearted Barbry Allen!" She had not got three miles from town Till she spied the corpse a-coming; "Go bring him here and lay him dawn, And let me look upon him." (MORE) Barbara Allen Reel 115 Minnick 2 The more she looked, the harder she looked, And she bursted out to crying; "Sweet William died for me today, And I shall die tomorrow." Oh, Willie died on Saturday night; Barbara Ellen on Easter Sunday; The good old mother for the sake of the both, She died on Easter Monday. They planted a rose at Willie's feet, And a briar at Barbro Ellen's; They growed t i l l they tied in a true-love's knot, The rose and the briar.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation