AA. Schöndili's parents died when she was a child. Schön-Albert, knowing this, rides to her. She attires herself in silk, with a gold crown on her hair, and he swings her on to his horse. They ride three days and nights, with nothing to eat or drink. She asks whether it is not meal-time; he replies that they are coming to a linden, where they will eat and drink. Seven women are hanging on the tree. He gives her the wale of tree, river, and sword. She chooses the sword; would be loath to spot his coat; whips off his head before the coat is half off. The head says there is a pipe in the saddle; she thinks no good can come of playing a murderer's pipe. She meets first the father, then the mother; they think that must be Schön-Albert's horse. That may be, she says; I have not seen him since yesterday. She sets the pipe to her mouth, when she reaches her father's gate, and the murderers come like hares on the wind.
BB. Alfred Müller, Volkslieder aus dem Erzgebirge, p. 92, 'Schön Ulrich' [und Trautendelein], 36 vv. (Köhler.) Like T, without the song.
CC. A. Schlosser, Deutsche Volkslieder aus Steiermark, 1881, p. 338, No 309, 'Der Ritter und die Maid.' (Köhler: not yet seen by me.)
DD. Curt Mündel, Elsässische Volkslieder, p. 12, No 10, a fragment of fifteen verses. As Anna sits by the Rhine combing her hair, Heinrich comes along on his horse, sees her weep, and asks why. It is not for gold and not for goods, but because she is to die that day. Heinrich draws his sword, runs her through, and rides home. He is asked why his sword is red, and says he has killed two doves. They say the dove must be Anna.
[32] b. H, line 10. Read: umbrunnen.
[39] a, line 1. Read: contributed by Hoffmann.
[39] a, third paragraph. Kozlowski, Lud, p. 54, No 15, furnishes a second and inferior but still important form of A (Masovian).
A b. Ligar (afterwards Jasia, Golo) bids Kasia take all she has. She has already done this, and is ready to range the world with him. Suddenly she asks, after they have been some time on their way, What is that yonder so green? Jasia replies, Our house, to which we are going. They go on further, and Kasia again inquires abruptly, What is that yonder so white? "That is my eight wives, and you shall be the ninth: you are to die, and will be the tenth." "Where is the gold, the maidens' gold?" "In the linden, Kasia, in the linden; plenty of it." "Let me not die so wretchedly; let me draw your sword for once." She drew the sword, and with one stroke Jasia's head was off.
[39] b. To the Polish versions are further to be added: NN, Piosnki wieśniacze znad Dzwiny, p. 41, No 51; OO, Roger, p. 78, No 138; PP, Roger, p. 69, No 125; QQ, ib., p. 79, No 140; RR, p. 81, No 142; SS, p. 79, No 139. The last three are imperfect, and QQ, RR, have a beginning which belongs elsewhere. Jasia suggests to Kasia to get the key of the new room from her mother by pretending headache, and bids her take gold enough, NN, OO. They go off while her mother thinks that Kasia is sleeping, NN, OO, QQ. They come to a wood, NN, PP (which is corrupt here), SS; first or last, to a deep stream, NN, OO, QQ, SS; it is red sea in RR, as in J. Jasia bids Kasia return to her mother, NN (twice), RR; bids her take off her rich clothes, OO, to which she answers that she has not come here for that. John throws her into the water, NN, OO, QQ, SS, from a bridge in the second and third. Her apron catches on a stake or post; she begs John for help, and gets for answer, "I did not throw you in to help you: you may go to the bottom," OO. She swims to a stake, to which she clings, and John hews her in three, QQ. Fishermen draw out the body, and carry it to the church, NN, OO. She apostrophizes her hair in QQ, SS, as in G, I, J, and in the same absurd terms in QQ as in J. John is pursued and cut to pieces in OO, also broken on the wheel. PP closely resembles German ballads of the third class. Katie shouts three times: at her first cry the grass curls up; at the second the river overflows; the third wakes her mother, who rouses her sons, saying, Katie is calling in the wood. They find John with a bloody sword; he says he has killed a dove. They answer, No dove, but our sister, and maltreat him till he tells what he has done with his victim: "I have hidden her under the yew-bush; now put me on the wheel."
[39] b, line 13 of the middle paragraph. Read Piosnki for Piesni, and omit the quotation marks in this and the line before.