Child Ballads - Additions and Corrections

90. Jellon Grame

P. 303 b, 513 b, III, 515 b, IV, 479 b. Precocious growth.

The French romance of Alexander. Albéric de Besançon: Alexander had more strength when three days old than other children of four months; he walked and ran better from his first year than any other child from its seventh. (The same, nearly, in Lamprecht, vv. 142-4: he throve better in three days than any other child of three months; 178-80, in his first year his strength and body waxed more than another's in three.) Manuscript de l'Arsenal: the child grew in vitality and knowledge more in seven years than others do in a hundred. Manuscript de Venise: he grew more in body and knowledge in eight years than others in a hundred. P. Meyer, Alexandre le Grand, I, 5, v. 56 f., 6, v. 74 f., 27, v. 39 f., 240, v. 53 f. 'Plus sot en x jors que i. autres en c:' Michelant, p. 8, v. 20. A similar precocity is recorded of the Chinese Emperor Schimong: Gützlaff, Geschichte der Chinesen, hrsgg. v. Neumann, S. 19, cited by Weismann, Lamprecht's Alexander, I, 432.

In the romance of Mélusine it is related how, after her disappearance in serpent-form, she was seen by the nurses to return at night and care for her two infant sons, who, according to the earliest version, the prose of Jehan d'Arras, grew more in a week than other children in a month: ed. Brunet, 1854, p. 361. The same in the French romance, I. 4347 f., the English metrical version, I. 4035-37, and in the German Volksbuch. (H.L. Koopman.)

Tom Hickathrift "was in length, when he was but ten years of age, about eight foot, and in thickness five foot, and his hand was like unto a shoulder of mutton, and in all parts from top to toe he was like a monster." The History of Thomas Hickathrift, ed. by G.L. Gomme, Villon Society, 1885, p. 2. (G.L.K.)

305. B. The following, a variety of B, is from the papers of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, "second collection," p. 6.

1	Word has come to May Young Ho, In her bower where she sat, 'You'r bidden come to good green wood And sew your love a shirt.'
2	'I wonder much,' said May Young Roe, 'Such word is come to me; Ther's not a month throwout this year But I have sewed him three.'
3	Then out it spake her mother, And a wise word spoke she; Said, Stay at home, my daughter, They want to murder thee.
4	'I will cast off my gloves, mother, And hing them on a pin; If I come never back again, You'l mind on your daugh[t]er young.
5	'Come here, my boy,' she cried, 'And bring my horse to me, That I may ride to good green wood, The flowers in it to see.'
6	When she was got to good green wood, No further did she ride Till up did start him Hind Henry, Just at the ladie's side.
7	'O stop, O stop there, May,' he cried, 'O stop, I say to thee; The boy who holds your bridle-reins Shall see your body wea.'
8	Then out he drew a large long brand, And struck it ower a str[ow], And throw and throw that ladie's side He made the cold steel go.
9	Said, Take you that now, May Young Roe, Just take you that from me, Because you loved Brown Robin, And never would love me.
10	The boy was in a dreadful fright, And in great haste rode home, Lamenting sadly all the way, And made a piteous moan.
11	And when her mother heard his tale She took the bed of care; Her sister ran to good green wood, A tearing of her hair.
12	There was small pity for that lady, Where she was lying dead, Compared with for the pretty babe, Weltring among the blood.
13	I will take up this babe,' she said, 'And lull him on my sleeve; Altho his father should wish me woe, His mother was to me live.'
14	Now she has taken the boy up, And she has brought him hame, And she has called him Brown Robin, It was his father's name.
15	And she has nursed him carefuly, And put him to the school, And any who affronted him He soon did make cry dule.
16	And it fell ance upon a time It was a haly day, And all the boys at that school On it they got the play.
17	He hied him unto good green wood, And leap from tree to tree, And there did pull some hollin wands, To play his own self we.
18	And aft he looked on a spot, And at it marvelled sair, That all the wood was clad with leaves, And that one spot was bare.
19	And he said unto Hind Henry, 'I wonder very sair That all the wood is clad with leaves, And this one spot is bare.'
20	'You need not wonder, boy,' he said, 'You need not wonder none, For it is just the very spot I killed your mother on.'
21	The boy's pulled out his daggar then, And struck it ower a strow, And even to Hind Henry's heart He made the cold steel go.
22	Says, Take you that, you vile Henry, Just take you that from me, For killing of my mother dear, And she not harming thee.

P. 303 b, 513 b, III, 515 b, IV, 479 b, V, 226 a.

Vol'ga, Volch, of the Russian bylinas, must have a high place among the precocious heroes. When he was an hour and a half old his voice was like thunder, and at five years of age he made the earth tremble under his tread. At seven he had learned all cunning and wisdom, and all the languages. Dobrynya is also to be mentioned. See Wollner, Volksepik der Grossrussen, pp. 47 f., 91.

Simon the Foundling in the fine Servian heroic song of that name, Karadzic, II, 63, No 14, Talvj, I, 71, when he is a year old is like other children of three; when he is twelve like others of twenty, and wonderfully learned, with no occasion to be afraid of any scholar, not even the abbot. (Cf. 'The Lord of Lorne,' V, 54, 9, 10.)

Other cases, Revue Celtique, XII, 63; Wardrop, Georgian Folk Tales, No 6, p. 26. G.L.K. [Lady Guest's Mabinogion, III, 32, 65; 201, 232; Firdusi, Livre des Rois, Mohl, 1838, 1, 353 ff. A. and A. Schott, Walachische Märchen, p. 265 (cf. A. Wirth, Danae in christlichen Legenden, p. 34). F.N. Robinson. See also von Wlislocki, M. u. S. der Bukowinaer u. Siebenbürger Armenier, No 24, p. 65; Jacottet, Contes pop. des Bassoutos, p. 196 f.; Georgeakis et Pineau, Folk-lore de Lesbos, p. 168.]

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