"But how came thy sword so bloody, Merry son of mine?" "I have stabbed my only brother, 15 O dear mother mine." "Whither wilt thou now betake thee, Merry son of mine?" "Far away to foreign countries, O dear mother mine." 20 "Where leav'st thou thy gray-haired father, Merry son of mine?" "Let him chop wood in the forest, Never wish to see me more, O dear mother mine." 25 "Where leav'st thou thy gray-haired mother, Merry son of mine?" "Let her sit, her flax a-picking, Never wish to see me more, O dear mother mine." 30 "Where leav'st thou thy wife so youthful, Merry son of mine?" "Let her deck her, take another, Never wish to see me more, O dear mother mine." 35 "Where leav'st thou thy son so youthful, Merry son of mine?" "He to school, and bear the rod there, [Never wish to see me more,] O dear mother mine." 40 "Where leav'st thou thy youthful daughter, Merry son of mine?" "She to the wood and eat wild berries, Never wish to see me more, O dear mother mine." 45 "Home when com'st thou back from roaming, Merry son of mine?" "In the north when breaks the morning, O dear mother mine." "In the north when breaks the morning, 50 Merry son of mine?" "When stones dance upon the water, O dear mother mine." "When shall stones dance on the water, Merry son of mine?" 55 "When a feather sinks to the bottom, O dear mother mine." "When shall feathers sink to the bottom, Merry son of mine?" "When we all shall come to judgment, 60 O dear mother mine." THE TWA BROTHERS. See p. 220. From Motherwell's _Minstrelsy_, p. 61. There were twa brothers at the scule, And when they got awa',-- "It's will ye play at the stane-chucking, Or will ye play at the ba', Or will ye gae up to yon hill head, 5 And there we'll warsel a fa'?" "I winna play at the stane-chucking, Nor will I play at the ba'; But I'll gae up to yon bonnie green hill, And there we'll warsel a fa'." 10 They warsled up, they warsled down, Till John fell to the ground; A dirk fell out of William's pouch, And gave John a deadly wound. "O lift me upon your back, 15 Take me to yon well fair, And wash my bluidy wounds o'er and o'er, And they'll ne'er bleed nae mair."