[1156] aits = oats. [1157] grat = cried. [1158] fit = foot. _136. Johnnie of Cockerslee_ I Johnnie rose up in a May morning, Call’d for water to wash his hands; ‘Gar loose to me the gude gray dogs, That are bound wi’ iron bands.’ II When Johnnie’s mother gat word o’ that, Her hands for dule she wrang; ‘O Johnnie, for my benison, To the greenwood dinna gang! III ‘Eneugh ye hae o’ gude wheat bread, And eneugh o’ the blude-red wine; And therefore for nae venison, Johnnie, I pray ye, stir frae hame. IV ‘There are Seven For’sters at Hislinton side, At Hislinton where they dwell, And for ae drap o’ thy heart’s blude They wad ride the fords o’ hell.’ V But Johnnie has buskit his gude bend-bow, His arrows, ane by ane, And he has gane to Durrisdeer To ding the dun deer down. VI He’s lookit east, and he’s lookit west, And a little below the sun; And there he spied the dun deer lying Aneath a buss[1159] o’ broom. VII Johnnie he shot and the dun deer lap[1160], And he wounded her on the side; But atween the wood and the wan water His hounds they laid her pride. VIII And Johnnie has brittled[1161] the deer sae well, Had out her liver and lungs; And wi’ these he has feasted his bluidy hounds As if they had been Earl’s sons. IX They ate sae much o’ the venison, And drank sae much o’ the blude, That Johnnie and his gude gray hounds Fell asleep by yonder wood. X By there came a silly auld carle, An ill death mote he die! And he’s awa’ to Hislinton, Where the Seven Foresters did lie. XI ‘What news, what news, ye gray-headed carle? What news? come tell to me.’-- ‘I bring nae news,’ said the gray-headed carle, ‘But what these eyes did see. XII ‘High up in Braidislee, low down in Braidislee, And under a buss o’ scroggs[1162], The bonniest childe that ever I saw Lay sleeping atween his dogs. XIII ‘The sark he had upon his back It was o’ the holland fine, The doublet he had over that It was o’ the Lincoln twine[1163]. XIV ‘The buttons that were on his sleeve Were o’ the gowd sae gude; The twa gray dogs he lay atween, Their mouths were dyed wi’ blude.’ XV Then out and spak’ the First Forester, The head man owre them a’; ‘If this be Johnnie o’ Cockerslee Nae nearer will we draw.’ XVI But up and spak’ the Sixth Forester, (His sister’s son was he,) ‘If this be Johnnie o’ Cockerslee, We soon shall gar him dee!’ XVII The first flight of arrows the Foresters shot, They wounded him on the knee; And out and spak’ the Seventh Forester, ‘The next will gar him dee.’ XVIII