“The Wonderful Crocodile”

Description

The singer, shipwrecked at (La Perouse), encounters the crocodile. He describes its immensity: Five hundred miles long, etc. Blown into its mouth, he lives well on the other things lost inside. At last the beast dies; the singer spends six months escaping

Notes

The similarity to "The Derby Ram" should be obvious. It is also noteworthy that most versions show very little variation; one must suspect a broadside ancestor somewhere. - RBW

Same tune

• End for End Jack (per broadside NLScotland RB.m.143(134))

Cross references

• cf. "The Derby Ram" (theme)
• cf. "The Grey Goose" (theme)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(4288), "The Wonderful Crocodile," J. Pitts (London), 1819-1844; also 2806 c.16*(150), Harding B 11(1317), Harding B 11(1141), Harding B 11(4289), Harding B 11(4290), Firth c.12(412), "[The] Wonderful Crocodile
• NLScotland, RB.m.143(134), "The Crocodile," Poet's Box (unknown), c.1890

References

1. Meredith/Anderson, pp. 134-135, "The Wonderful Crocodile" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Fowke/Mills/Blume, pp. 157-159, "The Crocodile" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Gardner/Chickering 196, "The Wonderful Crocodile" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. SHenry H231a, p. 28, "The Crocodile" (1 text, 2 tunes)
5. Kennedy 292, "The Crocodile" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. Flanders/Brown, pp. 168-170, "The Rummy Crocodile" (1 text, 1 tune)
7. Creighton/Senior, pp. 230-232, "Crocodile Song" (1 text, probably this, 1 tune)
8. Creighton-NovaScotia 60, "Crocodile Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
9. Lomax-ABFS, pp. 498-500, "The Wonderful Crocodile" (1 text, 1 tune)
10. DT, WONDCROC
11. Roud #886
12. BI, MA134