"O wanted ye your meat, Willie, Or wanted ye your fee? Or gat ye e'er an angry word, That ye ran awa frae me?" 180 "I wanted nought, my master dear; To me ye aye was good: I cam to see my ae brother, That wons in this grene-wood." Then out bespake the King again,-- 185 "My boy, now tell to me, Who dwells into yon bigly bour, Beneath yon green aik tree?" "O pardon me," said sweet Willy, "My liege, I darena tell; 190 And gangna near yon outlaw's bour, For fear they suld you kill." "O haud your tongue, my bonny boy, For I winna be said nay; But I will gang yon bour within, 195 Betide me weal or wae." They have lighted frae their milk-white steids, And saftlie entered in; And there they saw her, White Lilly, Nursing her bonny young son. 200 "Now, by the mass," the King he said, "This is a comely sight; I trow, instead of a forester's man, This is a ladye bright!" O out and spake her, Rose the Red, 205 And fell low on her knee:-- "O pardon us, my gracious liege, And our story I'll tell thee. "Our father is a wealthy lord, Lives into Barnisdale; 210 But we had a wicked step-mother, That wrought us meikle bale. "Yet had she twa as fu' fair sons As e'er the sun did see; And the tane o' them lo'ed my sister deir, 215 And the tother said he lo'ed me." Then out and cried him Bauld Arthur, As by the King he stood,-- "Now, by the faith of my body, This suld be Rose the Red!" 220 The king has sent for robes o' green, And girdles o' shining gold; And sae sune have the ladyes busked themselves, Sae glorious to behold. Then in and came him, Brown Robin, 225 Fra hunting o' the King's deer, But when he saw the King himsell, He started back for fear. The King has ta'en Robin by the hand, And bade him nothing dread, 230 But quit for aye the gude grene-wood, And come to the court wi' speed. The King has ta'en White Lilly's son, And set him on his knee; Says, "Gin ye live to wield a brand, 235 My bowman thou sall be." Then they have ta'en them to the holy chapelle, And there had fair wedding; And when they cam to the King's court, For joy the bells did ring. 240 THE WEDDING OF ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN. From Kinloch's _Ancient Scottish Ballads_, p. 69. The King has wedded an ill woman, Into some foreign land; His daughters twa, that stood in awe, They bravely sat and sang.