6. "The Sword-dancers" Cumberland. [1930]

S.Piggott (1929) pp.272-273

Location:	[Unlocated], Cumberland, England (NY----)
Year:	Col. 1930
Time of Occurrence:	[Not given]
Collective Name:	Sword-dancers

Stuart Piggott
Collectanea. Mummers' Plays from Berkshire, Derbyshire, Cumberland, and Isle of Man.
Folk-Lore, 1929, Vol.40, No.3, pp.272-273

• Johnny Funny
• Farmer Dick
• King George
• Doctor Brown

{Enter all together, and request to be allowed to perform.}

Johnny Funny.-

"Stir up the fire and make a light,
For in this house there will be a fight.
In comes Farmer Dick
With his big stick."

King George and Farmer Dick {together}.-

"Here's two champions going to fight."

{They fight, and the Farmer falls dead.}

K.G.-

"Five pounds for a doctor.
Ten pounds for a doctor.
Twenty pounds for a doctor."

{Enter Doctor Brown.}

D.B.-

"In comes I, old Dr. Brown,
The best old doctor in the town."

K.G.-

"Who made you the best doctor?"

D.B.-

"By my travels."

K.G.-

"Where have you travelled?"

D.B.-

"England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales,
Three times there and back again."

K.G.-

"What can you cure?"

D.B.-

"I can cure the itch, the pitch, the colic, and the gout."

K.G.-

"Can you bring dead men to life?"

D.B.-

"I can."

K.G.-

"Make this man live."

D.B. {Draws bottle from his pocket and puts it to the Farmer's mouth}.-

"Drink this."

{The Farmer rises.}

All.-

"Once he was dead, but now lives."

Johnny Funny.-

"In comes I, Johnny Funny,
The man who collects the money.
Money we want and money we'll have,
If you don't give us money
We'll sweep you all out."

Piggott's Notes:

"Oral. MS. headed 'The Sword-dancers'. Communicated to me by Mr. H.A.Auden, 1930."

16th February 2002 – Scanned & coded by Peter Millington