Bonny Birdy, The [Child 82]
DESCRIPTION: A bird tells a knight that his wife is unfaithful. The two speed to his home, to find his wife in the arms of another man. He slays the intruder.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1783/1799 (Riewerts-BalladRepertoireOfAnnaGordon-MrsBrownOfFalkland)
KEYWORDS: infidelity death bird
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Child 82, "The Bonny Birdy" (1 text)
Riewerts-BalladRepertoireOfAnnaGordon-MrsBrownOfFalkland, pp. 210-214, "The bonny birdy" (1 text, printed parallel to blank pages)
Niles-BalladBookOfJohnJacobNiles 35, "The Bonny Birdy" (1 text, 1 tune -- another instance where it is left to the reader to decide if Niles's version could possibly be legitimate)
Roud #3972
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" [Child 81] (plot)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Tattletale Birdy
File: C082
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