Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Three Ladies Played at Ball / The Three Maids / The Three Knights / The Cruel Brother (Child No. 11) - Sung by Mrs. Paulina Ellen Watts Adkins Cole (Mrs. Ely Cole) (1882-1957) of Big Creek, Logan County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 14, 1940.
00:00:00 The Three Ladies (Take 1) - Ely Cole
00:03:29 The Three Ladies (Take 2) - Ely Cole
00:07:05 The Three Maids - Polly Johnson
00:10:40 Lily O - Aunt Becky Gordon
00:14:29 The Three Ladies (Original Tape) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:17:52 The Three Ladies (Bass Reduced Slightly) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:21:11 The Three Ladies (Bass Reduced Heavily) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:24:29 The Cruel Brother - Bell Duncan
Link to Take 1: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_52_Cole_B_CruelBrother
Link to Take 2: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_52_Cole_J_CruelBrother
Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional West Virginia version of The Cruel Brother (Child 11). It was customary in medieval times for a bride to ask permission of the family and especially the brother before marriage. The bride in this story forgot to ask her brother. The offended brother helps her on the horse and stabs her. The ballad makes little sense to modern ears as such marriage customs have long been abandoned.
The few versions recorded from traditional singers in the 20th century are the last remains of what was once one of the most popular ballads in Scotland according to Prof. Child's notes. I'm fairly certain that none of the singers understood the reason for the bride's stabbing, but they kept singing the ballad because certain parts of it still appealed to them. It's telling that the stabbing is the part most often missing from collected texts, with the three knights courting and the stanzas about leaving various things to family members being the elements retained.
Mrs. Paulina Cole sings an incomplete version. The main plot point of the brother stabbing the bride and the ending stanzas of wishing him and his family ill are missing. The song has almost become a burlesque with the dying bride on her last breath willing various things to her many family members.
Song transcription:
Take 1:
Take me to yondo's hill
Till I get down and make my will
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your father dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
I will him my horse, my bridle and saddle
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your mother dear
My golden book and silver ring
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your brother dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
My bow and arrow that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
Oh what do you will to your sister Ann
My wedding dress that I have here
Tell her to wash it white and clean
For my heart's blood was never a-seen
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
And...
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your uncle dear
It's my house and furniture
I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your grandmother dear
My golden books and silver spoon
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your grandfather dear
My cup and saucers that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your niece and dear
I will her my...
Take 2:
There was three ladies, ladies playing ball
There come three gentlemen for to court them all
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
The first one come was dressed in red
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
The next one come was dressed in white
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
The next one come was dressed in blue
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
It's drive on, drive on, to yondo's hill
Till I get down and make my will
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
It's what do you will to your father dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
I will him my horse, my bridle and saddle
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
It's what do you will to your mother dear
My golden book and silver ring
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
It's what do you will to your sister Ann
It's my wedding dress that I have here
Tell her to wash it white and clean
For my heart's blood was never a-seen
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your brother dear
My bow and arrow that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your aunt
My golden book and silver spoon
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your uncle dear
High lily...
Three Ladies Played at Ball / The Three Maids / The Three Knights / The Cruel Brother (Child No. 11) - Sung by Mrs. Paulina Ellen Watts Adkins Cole (Mrs. Ely Cole) (1882-1957) of Big Creek, Logan County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 14, 1940.
00:00:00 The Three Ladies (Take 1) - Ely Cole
00:03:29 The Three Ladies (Take 2) - Ely Cole
00:07:05 The Three Maids - Polly Johnson
00:10:40 Lily O - Aunt Becky Gordon
00:14:29 The Three Ladies (Original Tape) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:17:52 The Three Ladies (Bass Reduced Slightly) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:21:11 The Three Ladies (Bass Reduced Heavily) - Edith Ballinger Price
00:24:29 The Cruel Brother - Bell Duncan
Link to Take 1: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_52_Cole_B_CruelBrother
Link to Take 2: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_52_Cole_J_CruelBrother
Note by Kevin W.:
A traditional West Virginia version of The Cruel Brother (Child 11). It was customary in medieval times for a bride to ask permission of the family and especially the brother before marriage. The bride in this story forgot to ask her brother. The offended brother helps her on the horse and stabs her. The ballad makes little sense to modern ears as such marriage customs have long been abandoned.
The few versions recorded from traditional singers in the 20th century are the last remains of what was once one of the most popular ballads in Scotland according to Prof. Child's notes. I'm fairly certain that none of the singers understood the reason for the bride's stabbing, but they kept singing the ballad because certain parts of it still appealed to them. It's telling that the stabbing is the part most often missing from collected texts, with the three knights courting and the stanzas about leaving various things to family members being the elements retained.
Mrs. Paulina Cole sings an incomplete version. The main plot point of the brother stabbing the bride and the ending stanzas of wishing him and his family ill are missing. The song has almost become a burlesque with the dying bride on her last breath willing various things to her many family members.
Song transcription:
Take 1:
Take me to yondo's hill
Till I get down and make my will
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your father dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
I will him my horse, my bridle and saddle
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your mother dear
My golden book and silver ring
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your brother dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
My bow and arrow that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
Oh what do you will to your sister Ann
My wedding dress that I have here
Tell her to wash it white and clean
For my heart's blood was never a-seen
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
And...
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your uncle dear
It's my house and furniture
I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your grandmother dear
My golden books and silver spoon
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your grandfather dear
My cup and saucers that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your niece and dear
I will her my...
Take 2:
There was three ladies, ladies playing ball
There come three gentlemen for to court them all
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
The first one come was dressed in red
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
The next one come was dressed in white
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
The next one come was dressed in blue
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
It's drive on, drive on, to yondo's hill
Till I get down and make my will
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
It's what do you will to your father dear
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
I will him my horse, my bridle and saddle
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
It's what do you will to your mother dear
My golden book and silver ring
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
It's what do you will to your sister Ann
It's my wedding dress that I have here
Tell her to wash it white and clean
For my heart's blood was never a-seen
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your brother dear
My bow and arrow that I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your aunt
My golden book and silver spoon
That I have here
High lily low
Roses sweet-high-o
What do you will to your uncle dear
High lily...
