FROGGIE WENT A-COURTING (folk ballad)Reprinted in AppLit with
permission from the James Taylor Adams Collection Three versions collected by James M. Hylton Wise, Virginia From Miss Marcella Hyden | Mrs. Rosa Belcher | Mrs. J. W. Thompson NOTE: These texts were recopied directly from a typewritten copy in the archives of the Blue Ridge Institute. James Taylor Adams (1892-1954) kept typewritten copies of the folklore he and others collected during the last thirty years of his life, while he lived in Wise County, VA. Typographical errors in the originals have not been corrected, except for some obvious errors in spacing. For details on other versions of this ballad, see Froggy Went A-Courting in AppLit's Annotated Index of Appalachian Folktales. After the most complete version below, an edited copy with typographical corrections and consistent punctuation is provided to enhance readability. From Miss Marcella Hyden
Related to this Writer by Little Miss Marcella Hyden, age Eleven (11) years and the daughter of Mrs. Martha Hyden of Wise, Virginia. She says it is the only "version" she knows of "Froggie Went A-courtin'" and that she has known it as far back as she can remember. She does not recall just at what time in her young life she heard or learned the song but she says it is sung by all the little folks who are her School Mates at the Wise High School, of Wise, Virginia where she now attends Classes. She is an intelligent little lady and takes delight in recounting what songs or playparty Games she knows. After telling her my mission on a return visit to her home she at once placed a chair by my side and was happy to be of that aid to me, reciting "Froggie Went A-courtin'" without hesitation or faltering through the lines. She promises to furnish this Writer with a list and a full description of some Play-Party Games in the near future which has been taught to her and her School Mates by the various teacher under whom they are taught their School work. March 2, 1942, Wise, Virginia.
[JTA-9483] Replacement photocopy made by BRI, 9/1992 From Mrs. Rosa Belcher
Related to this writer by Mrs. Rosa Belcher, Wise, Virginia who has also give this Writer some other material as shown elsewhere on these pages. She just knows that she has heard the song all her life. She does not recall it being sung or taught to nor by any one although she says she has heard it at times all her life or so far back as she can remember. On March 6, 1942, at her home in Wise, Virginia she recited the following to me as written here: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[JTA-9485] Replacement photocopy made by BRI, 9/1992 From Mrs. J. W. Thompson
During a recent visit to this place by Mr. Richard Chase, who is also on the Staff of the Writer's Project I was asked to kindly gather what could be possible in the way of certain items and to submit such items through the regular route via the Office at Richmond, Virginia. After some interviews on same I have been able to locate some material in part only and I am also submitting this in case that a suitable place might be found for it. Some of the items may vary in words or form and be a different version of what might already be on file. Through the help of Mr. Chase a few new leads were given me to which will afford new methods and territory and in obtaining the regular run of Folklore I am sure it will be possible for this Writer to obtain some such matter at the same time. The part of "Froggy went a-courtin" given below was given to this Writer on Monday October 20th, 1941, at her home at Big Ston[e] Gap, Virginia. She has contributed to this Writer before and a good account of her folks before her and that of her husband has been outlined. Her folks were Scotch-Irish and through the run of the family and her husband she has heard lots of the old Songs and Ballads that were sung and told by the backwoods people of an earlier day. Her husband, now deceased, was a man who enjoyed such things and he would go about the house or the yard singing the old songs and at night he would get one of his growing children on his knee and sing some of the old songs to them and tell them of the old Folklore Tales. As these children grew older and entered School they found that there were of course different versions of such Folklore and from then on took a keen interest in the same. Below is given in part some of "Froggy went a-courtin'" as she heard her husband mention it at different times before his death in 1928. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Also given to this Writer by Mrs. Thompson, who says she heard the Bishops or her older folks recite it during the Blackberry season in Scott County:
[JTA-9484] Replacement photocopy made by BRI, 9/1992 copyright 2007 U
of Virginia's College at Wise/Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College
AppLit
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