"Light down, light down, my bonny bird, Light down upon my hand; ***** "O siller, O siller shall be thy hire, An' goud shall be thy fee, An' every month into the year Thy cage shall changed be." "I winna light down, I shanna light down, I winna light on thy hand; Full soon, soon wad ye do to me As ye done to Young Hunting." She has booted and spurred him, Young Hunting, As he been ga'en to ride, A hunting-horn about his neck An' the sharp sword by his side. And she has had him to yon water, For a' man calls it Clyde. ***** The deepest pot intill it all She has putten Young Hunting in; A green turf upon his breast, To hold that good lord down. It fell once upon a day The king was going to ride, And he sent for him, Young Hunting, To ride on his right side. She has turned her right and round about, She swear now by the corn, "I saw na thy son, Young Hunting, Since yesterday at morn." She has turned her right and round about, She swear now by the moon, "I saw na thy son, Young Hunting, Since yesterday at noon. "It fears me sair in Clydes water, That he is drown'd therein."-- O they hae sent for the kings duckers To duck for Young Hunting. They ducked in at the [tae] water-bank, They ducked out at the other; (_pot_, hole.) "We'll duck nae mair for Young Hunting Although he were our brother." Out and spake the bonny bird That flew abune their heads. ***** "O he's na drowned in Clyde's water, 'He is slain and put therein; The lady that lives in yon castle Slew him and put him in. "Leave off your ducking on the day, And duck upon the night; Wherever that sackless knight lies slain, The candles will shine bright."-- They left off their ducking on the day, And duck'd upon the night; And where that sackless knight lay slain, The candles shone full bright. The deepest pot intill it a', They got Young Hunting in; A green turf upon his breast, To hold that gude lord down. O they ha sent off men to the wood To hew down both thorn and fern, That they might get a great bonfire To burn that lady in. (_sackless_, guiltless.) The Twa Corbies "Put na the wite on me," she said, "It was [my] may Catherine:" When they had taen her, may Catherine, In the bonfire set her in. It wadna take upon her cheeks, Nor take upon her chin; Nor yet upon her yellow hair, To heal the deadly sin. Out they ta en her, may Catherine, And they put that lady in; O it took upon her cheek, her cheek, An it took upon her chin; An it took upon her fair body-- She burn'd like [holly-green]. [Illustration: 0074] THE TWA CORBIES |As I was walking all alane, I heard twa corbies making a mane; The tane unto the t'other say, "Where sall we gang and dine to-day?"-- (_wite_, blame,)