Willie Down By the Pond

They tell me 'tis sinful to flirt;
They say my heart is of stone;
They tell me to speak to him kind,
Or else leave the poor boy alone.

They tell me he's only a boy,
But I'm sure he's much older than me,
And if they would leave us alone,
I'm sure more happy we'd be.

I remember one night when he said
That I was dearer than his life;
He called me his darling, his pet,
And asked me to be his wife.

"Oh, Willie," I said with a sigh,
"I'm sure I'Il have to say no!"
He then todk my hand for a while
And said, "Good-bye, I must go.

"Oh, darling, oh, darling," he said,
"Your heart must be carved of stone;"
He took a white rose from my hair
And left me standing alone.

The next poor Willie was found,
He was drowned in the pond by the mill;
The clear, placid water so fair
Lay round near the brink of the hill.

Those blue eyes forever were closed,
And deeply the golden head fair,
And close to his dear lips he held
The white rose he took from my hair.

"Oh, Willie, oh, Willie, come back,
I'll ever be faithful to you;
Oh, Willie, oh, Willie, come back,
I loved you so fondly and true!"

From Ballads and Songs, Henry
Collected from Gene Wilson, VA
DT #772
Laws G19
RG
oct96