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Ballads Although separated by centuries, the ballads Puff the Magic Dragon and Lord Randal are very similar. The similarities lie in the mechanics of the ballads, not in the plot as some might think. Still, though, there are many differences. For instance Lord Randal uses the question and answer format, which Puff the Magic Dragon does not. Since Jackie Paper abandons Puff as he grows older, and Lord Randal's lover poisons him, both may be …

…Randal, like the similarities, are in the ballads' mechanics. Lord Randal employs the uncommon question-answer format, while Puff the Magic Dragon has the equally uncommon absence of dialogue. All other differences are merely cosmetic and if they were changed, the two ballads would be almost identical. In conclusion, while slightly different on the outside, popular ballads are still being written and despite being written hundreds years later, are remarkably similar to the ballads of old.