It is a leal maiden that lies by thee, But not the maiden that it should be."-- O wrathfully he left the bed, Aud wrathfully his claes on did; And he has ta'en him through the ha', And on his mother he did ca'. "I am the most unhappy man, That ever was in Christian land! I courted a maiden, meek and mild, And I hae gotten naething but a woman wi' child."-- "O stay, my son, into this ha', And sport ye wi* your merrymen a'; And I will to the secret bower, To see how it fares wi' your paramour."-- The carline she was stark and sture, She aff the hinges dang the dure; "O is your bairn to laird or loon, Or is it to your father's groom?"-- "O hear me, mother, on my knee, Till my sad story I tell to thee: O we were sisters, sisters seven, We were the fairest under heaven. "It fell on a summer's afternoon, When a' our toilsome task was done, We cast the kevils us amang, To see which should to the green-wood gang. "Ohon! alas, for I was youngest, And aye my weird it was the hardest! The kevil it on me did fa', Whilk was the cause of a' my woe. (_carline_, old woman. _stark_, strong, _sture_, big. _dang_, struck, _dure_, door. _kevils_, lots. _weird_, destiny.) "For to the green-wood I maun gae, To pu' the red rose and the slae; To pu' the red rose and the thyme, To deck my mother's bower and mine. "I hadna pu'd a flower but ane, When by there came a gallant hend, Wi* high-coll'd hose and laigh-coll'd shoon, And he seem'd to be some king's son. "And be I a maid, or be I nae, He kept me there till the close o' day; And be I a maid, or be I nane, He kept me there till the day was done. "He gae me a lock o' his yellow hair, And bade me keep it ever mair; He gae me a carknet o' bonny beads, And bade me keep it against my needs. "He gae to me a gay gold ring, And bade me keep it abune a' thing."-- "What did ye wi' the tokens rare, That ye gat frae that gallant there?"-- "O bring that coffer unto me, And a' the tokens ye sall see."-- "Now stay, daughter, your bower within, While I gae parley wi' my son."-- (_slae_, sloe. _hend_, handsome, _coll'd_, cut. _laigh_, low. _carknet_, necklace.) O she has ta'en her thro' the ha, And on her son began to ca; "What did ye wi' the bonny beads I bade you keep against your needs? "What did you wi' the gay gold ring I bade you keep abune a' thing?"-- "I gae them to a lady gay, I met on green-wood on a day. "But I wad gie a' my halls and towers, I had that lady within my bowers; But I wad gie my very life, I had that lady to my wife."-- "Now keep, my son, your halls and towers, Ye have the bright burd in your bowers; And keep, my son, your very life, Ye have that lady to your wife."-- Now, or a month was come and gane, The lady bare a bonny son; And 'twas weel written on his breast-bane, "Cospatrick is my fathers name." "O row my lady in satin and silk, And wash my son in the morning milk."