Whitelaw’s Book of Scottish Song, p. 333. 1 There was a wee cooper who lived in Fife, Nickity, nackity, noo, noo, noo And he has gotten a gentle wife. Hey Willie Wallacky, how John Dougall, Alane, quo Rushety, roue, roue, roue 2 She wadna bake, nor she wadna brew, For the spoiling o her comely hue. 3 She wadna card, nor she wadna spin, For the shaming o her gentle kin. 4 She wadna wash, nor she wadna wring, For the spoiling o her gouden ring. 5 The cooper’s awa to his woo-pack And has laid a sheep-skin on his wife’s back. 6 ‘It’s I’ll no thrash ye, for your proud kin, But I will thrash my ain sheep-skin.’ 7 ‘Oh, I will bake, and I will brew, And never mair think on my comely hue. 8 ‘Oh, I will card, and I will spin, And never mair think on my gentle kin. 9 ‘Oh, I will wash, and I will wring, And never mair think on my gouden ring.’ 10 A’ ye wha hae gotten a gentle wife Send ye for the wee cooper o Fife. D Jamieson-Brown MS., Appendix, p. iii, letter of R. Scott to Jamieson, June 9, 1805. 1 There livd a laird down into Fife, Riftly, raftly, now, now, now An he has married a bonny young wife. Hey Jock Simpleton, Jenny[’s] white petticoat, Robin a Rashes, now, now, now 2 He courted her and he brought her hame, An thought she would prove a thrifty dame. 3 She could neither spin nor caird, But sit in her chair and dawt the laird. 4 She wadna bake and she wadna brew, An a’ was for spoiling her delicate hue. 5 She wadna wash nor wad she wring, For spoiling o her gay goud ring. 6 But he has taen him to his sheep-fauld, An taen the best weather by the spauld. 7 Aff o the weather he took the skin, An rowt his bonny lady in. 8 ‘I dare na thump you, for your proud kin, But well sall I lay to my ain weather’s skin.’ * * * * * E Jamieson’s Popular Ballads, I, 324. 1 There lives a landart laird in Fife, And he has married a dandily wife. 2 She wadna shape, nor yet wad she sew, But sit wi her cummers and fill hersell fu. 3 She wadna spin, nor yet wad she card, But she wad sit and crack wi the laird. 4 He is down to his sheep-fald And cleckit a weather by the back-spald. 5 He’s whirpled aff the gude weather’s-skin And wrappit the dandily lady therein. 6 ‘I darena pay you, for your gentle kin, But weel I may skelp my weather’s-skin.’ * * * * * =A.= =a.= _The refrain, altered by Jamieson, has been restored from his preface. Five stanzas added by him at the end have been dropped._