10 ‘The night it is baith mist and mirk, You may gan out and see; The night is mirk and misty too, There’s nae body been wi me. 11 ‘There was a tod came to your flock, The like I neer did see; When he spake, he lifted his hat, He had a bonny twinkling eee.’ 12 When fifteen weeks were past and gane, Full fifteen weeks and three, Then she began to think it lang For the man wi the twinkling eee. 13 It fell out on a certain day, When she cawd out her father’s ky, There was a troop of gentlemen Came merrily riding by. 14 ‘Weel may ye sigh and sob,’ says ane, ‘Weel may you sigh and see; Weel may you sigh, and say, fair maid, Wha’s gotten this bairn wi thee?’ 15 She turned her sel then quickly about, And thinking meikle shame, ‘O no kind sir, it is na sae, For it has a dad at hame.’ 16 ‘O hawd your tongue, my bonny lass, Sae loud as I hear you lee! For dinna you mind that summer night I was in the bught wi thee?’ 17 He lighted off his milk-white steed, And set this fair maid on; ‘Now caw out your ky, good father,’ he said, ‘She’ll neer caw them out again. 18 ‘I am the laird of Knottington, I’ve fifty plows and three; I’ve gotten now the bonniest lass That is in the hale country.’ * * * * * B #a.# Herd’s Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 308. #b.# Johnson’s Museum, No 110, p. 113. 1 It was on an evning sae saft and sae clear A bonny lass was milking the kye, And by came a troup of gentlemen, And rode the bonny lassie by. 2 Then one of them said unto her, ‘Bonny lass, prythee shew me the way:’ ‘O if I do sae, it may breed me wae, For langer I dare nae stay.’ * * * * * * 3 But dark and misty was the night Before the bonny lass came hame: ‘Now where hae you been, my ae doughter? I am sure you was nae your lane.’ 4 ‘O father, a tod has come oer your lamb, A gentleman of high degree, And ay whan he spake he lifted his hat, And bonny, bonny blinkit his ee.’ 5 Or eer six months were past and gane, Six months but and other three, The lassie begud for to fret and to frown, And think lang for his blinkin ee. 6 ‘O wae be to my father’s shepherd, An ill death may he die! He bigged the bughts sae far frae hame, And trysted a gentleman to me!’ 7 It fell upon another fair evening The bonny lassie was milking her ky, And by came the troop of gentlemen, And rode the bonny lassie by. 8 Then one of them stopt, and said to her, ‘Whae’s aught that baby ye are wi?’ The lassie began for to blush, and think, To a father as good as ye. 9 ‘O had your tongue, my bonny may, Sae loud I hear you lie! O dinnae you mind the misty night I was in the bught with thee?’