A youth has passed the night with his love, either in her bower or in a wood. When they are about to part in the morning, she begs him to be on his guard against her seven brothers, on his way through the wood and over the heath. He makes light of the danger, and in the wood meets the seven brothers. They demand how he comes to be there, and he feigns to have been out with his hawk and hound, to have been coursing hares. No, they say, you were with our sister last night, and asked no read of us. He makes no denial; but her will was as good as his. They ask whether he will fly or fight. He has no thought of flight, kills all seven, and goes back to his love. She will not forsake him for killing her brothers; nor would she, Danish #A#, #C#, #F#, had he killed her father too.[110] 1 'There are sixteen lang miles, I'm sure, Between my love and me; There are eight o them in gude dry land, And other eight by sea. 2 'Betide me life, betide me death, My love I'll gang and see; Altho her friends they do me hate, Her love is great for me. 3 'Of my coat I'll make a boat, And o my sark a sail, And o my cane a gude tapmast, Dry land till I come till.' 4 Then o his coat he's made a boat, And o his sark a sail; And o his cane a gude tapmast, Dry land till he came till. 5 He is on to Annie's bower-door, And tirled at the pin: 'O sleep ye, wake ye, my love, Annie, Ye'll rise, lat me come in.' 6 'O who is this at my bower-door, Sae well that kens my name?' 'It is your true-love, Sweet Willie, For you I've crossd the faem.' 7 'I am deeply sworn, Willie, By father and by mother; At kirk or market where we meet, We darna own each other. 8 'And I am deeply sworn, Willie, By my bauld brothers three; At kirk or market where we meet. I darna speak to thee.' 9 'Ye take your red fan in your hand, Your white fan ower your een, And ye may swear, and save your oath, Ye sawna me come in. 10 'Ye take me in your arms twa, And carry me to your bed; And ye may swear, and save your oath, Your bower I never tread.' 11 She's taen her red fan in her hand, The white fan ower her een; It was to swear, and save her oath, She sawna him come in. 12 She's taen him in her arms twa, And carried him to her bed; It was to swear, and save her oath, Her bower he never tread. 13 They hadna kissd, nor love clapped, As lovers do when they meet, Till up it waukens her mother, Out o her drowsy sleep. 14 'Win up, win up, my three bauld sons, Win up and make ye boun; Your sister's lover's in her bower, And he 's but new come in.'