The scene of action is a seashore in Icelandic and Färöe #A#, #B#, Norwegian #A#, Swedish #A#, #B#, #G#, #H#, and in all the Danish complete copies: a seashore, or a place where ships come in, in English #A#, #B a#, #D-I#, #Q#, #R a#, #T#, but in all save the last of these (the last is only one stanza) we have the absurdity of a body drowned in navigable water being discovered floating down a mill-stream.[130] #B c# has "the deep mill-dam;" #C# "the river-strand," perhaps one of Scott's changes; #M#, "the dams;" #L#, #O#, #P#, #R b c#, a river, Tweed mill-dam, or the water of Tweed. Norwegian #B# has a river. The pretence for the older sister's taking the younger down to the water is in English #A-E#, #G#, #H#, #I#, #O#, #Q#, to see their father's ships come in; in Icelandic #B# to wash their silks;[131] in most of the Norse ballads to wash themselves, so that, as the elder says, "we may be alike white," Danish #C-H#, Norwegian #A#, #C#, Swedish #F#, #G#, Färöe #A#, #B#. Malice prepense is attributed to the elder in Swedish #B#, #F#, Norwegian C, Danish #E#, #F#, #G#: but in Färöe #A#, #B#, Norwegian #A#, #B#, and perhaps some other cases, a previous evil intent is not certain, and the provocations of the younger sister may excuse the elder so far. The younger is pushed from a stone upon which she sits, stands, or steps, in English #B#, #C#, #E-H#, #M#, #O#, #Q#, Icelandic #A#, #B#, Färöe #A#, #B#, Norwegian #A#, #B#, #C#, Danish #A-E#, #H#, #L#, Swedish #G#, #H#, and Rancken's other copies. The drowning scene is the same in all the ballads, except as to one point. The younger sister, to save her life, offers or consents to renounce her lover in the larger number, as English #B-E#, #G#, #H#, #I#, #M#, #P#, #Q#, Danish #A-D#, #F#, #G#, #I#, Swedish #A-D#, #G#, #H#; and in Icelandic #B# and "all the Färöe" ballads she finally yields, after first saying that her lover must dispose of himself. But Swedish #F#, with more spirit, makes the girl, after promising everything else, reply: 'Help then who can, help God above! But ne'er shalt thou get my dear true-love.' In this refusal concur Icelandic #A#, Danish #E#, #H#, #L#, and all the Norwegian versions except #L#. Swedish #A#, #G#, and Rancken's versions (or two of them) make the younger sister, when she sees that she must drown, send greetings to her father, mother, true-love [also brother, sister, Rancken], and add in each case that she is drinking, or dancing, her bridal in the flood, that her bridal-bed is made on the white-sand, etc.