Ladies were dancing, jimp and sma'; But in the twinkling of an eye, My wee wee man was clean awa. (_lap_, leapt. _jimp_, slender.) CLERK COLVILL, OR THE MERMAID |Clerk Colvill and his lusty dame Were walking in the garden green; The belt around her stately waist Cost Clerk Colvill of pounds fifteen. "O promise me now, Clerk Colvill, Or it will cost ye muckle strife, Ride never by the wells of Slane, If ye wad live and brook your life." "Now speak nae mair, my lusty dame, Now speak nae mair of that to me: Did I ne'er see a fair woman, But I wad sin with her body?" He's ta'en leave o' his gay lady, Nought minding what his lady said, And he's rode by the wells of Slane, Where washing was a bonny maid. "Wash on, wash on, my bonny maid, That wash sae clean your sark of silk;" "And weel fa' you, fair gentleman, Your body whiter than the milk." (_brook_, preserve. _sark_, skirt.) Then loud, loud cried the Clerk Colvill, "Omy head it pains me sair;" "Then take, then take," the maiden said, "And frae my sark you'll cut a gare." Then she's gi'ed him a little bane-knife, And frae her sark he cut a share; She's tied it round his whey-white face, But ay his head it ached mair. Then louder cried the Clerk Colvill, "O sairer, sairer aches my head;" "And sairer, sairer ever will," The maiden cries, "till you be dead." Out then he drew his shining blade, Thinking to stick her where she stood; But she was vanish'd to a fish, And swam far off, a fair mermaid. "O mother, mother, braid my hair; My lusty lady, make my bed; O brother, take my sword and spear, For I have seen the false mermaid." (_gare_, gore. _bane_, bone.) LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF-KNIGHT |Fair lady Isabel sits in her bower sewing, _Aye as the gowans grow gay;_ There she heard an elf-knight blawing his horn, _The first morning in May._ "If I had yon horn that I hear blawing, And yon elf-knight to sleep in my bosom." This maiden had scarcely these words spoken, Till in at her window the elf-knight has luppen. "It's a very strange matter, fair maiden," said he, "I canna blaw my horn, but ye call on me." "But will ye go to yon greenwood side, If ye canna' gang, I will cause you to ride." He leapt on a horse, and she on another, And they rode on to the greenwood together. "Light down, light down, lady Isabel," said he, "We are come to the place where ye are to die." "Hae mercy, hae mercy, kind sir, on me, Till ance my dear father and mother I see." (_gowans_ flowers.) [Illustration: 0243] "Seven king's-daughters here hae I slain, And ye shall be the eight o' them." "O sit down a while lay your head on my knee, That we may hae some rest before that I die." She strok'd him sae fast, the nearer he did creep, Wi' a sma' charm she lull'd him fast asleep.