“The Bear in the Hill”
Description
"There's a bear in yon hill, and he is a brave fellow." The bear goes out to seek a wife. He meets and courts a possum. She will marry him if her uncle (the raccoon) agrees. The agreement is made and the couple married
Notes
Looks to me like a deliberate rewrite of "Frog Went A-Courting." In support of this, we note that it is very rare in oral tradition. Maybe somebody's kid wanted a song about a bear getting married instead of a frog? - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "Frog Went A-Courting" (plot)
References
- Lomax-ABFS, pp. 162-163, "The Bear in the Hill" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Roud #15552
- BI, LxA162