They made a rod o' the hazel bush, Another o' the slae-thorn tree, And mony mony were the men At fetching o'er Johnie. Then out and spake his auld mother, 85 And fast her tears did fa'-- "Ye wad nae be warn'd, my son Johnie, Frae the hunting to bide awa'. "Aft hae I brought to Breadislee The less gear and the mair, 90 But I ne'er brought to Breadislee What grieved my heart sae sair. "But wae betyde that silly auld carle! An ill death shall he die! For the highest tree in Merriemas 95 Shall be his morning's fee." Now Johnie's gude bend bow is broke, And his gude graie dogs are slain; And his bodie lies dead in Durrisdeer, And his hunting it is done. 100 JOHNIE OF COCKLESMUIR. From Kinloch's _Ancient Scottish Ballads_, p. 38. This version was procured in the North Country. The termination would seem to be wanting, for the story must have had a tragical conclusion. Buchan's copy ends very insipidly with the King's granting Johny a free license to hunt! Johnie rose up in a May morning, Call'd for water to wash his hands; And he has call'd for his gude gray hunds, That lay bund in iron bands, _bands_, _That lay bund in iron bands_. "Ye'll busk, ye'll busk my noble dogs, 5 Ye'll busk and mak them boun, For I'm going to the Broadspear-hill, To ding the dun deer doun, _doun_, &c. Whan Johnie's mither heard o' this, She til her son has gane-- 10 "Ye'll win your mither's benison, Gin ye wad stay at hame. "Your meat sall be of the very very best, And your drink o' the finest wine; And ye will win your mither's benison, 15 Gin ye wad stay at hame." His mither's counsel he wad na tak, Nor wad he stay at hame; But he's on to the Broadspear-hill, To ding the dun deer doun. 20 Johnie lookit east, and Johnie lookit west, And a little below the sun; And there he spied the dun deer sleeping, Aneath a buss o' brume. Johnie shot, and the dun deer lap, 25 And he's woundit him in the side; And atween the water and the wud He laid the dun deer's pride. They ate sae meikle o' the venison, And drank sae meikle o' the blude, 30 That Johnie and his twa gray hunds, Fell asleep in yonder wud. By there cam a silly auld man, And a silly auld man was he; And he's aff to the proud foresters, 35 To tell what he did see.