‘Loup[108] off the steed,’ says false Sir John, ‘Your bridal bed you see; Seven ladies I have drownèd here, And the eight’ one you shall be. VIII ‘Cast off, cast off your silks so fine And lay them on a stone, For they are too fine and costly To rot in the salt sea foam. IX ‘Cast off, cast off your silken stays, For and your broider’d shoon, For they are too fine and costly To rot in the salt sea foam. X ‘Cast off, cast off your Holland smock That’s border’d with the lawn, For it is too fine and costly To rot in the salt sea foam.’-- XI ‘O turn about, thou false Sir John, And look to the leaf o’ the tree; For it never became a gentleman A naked woman to see.’ XII He turn’d himself straight round about To look to the leaf o’ the tree; She’s twined her arms about his waist And thrown him into the sea. XIII ‘O hold a grip o’ me, May Colvín, For fear that I should drown; I’ll take you home to your father’s bower And safe I’ll set you down.’ XIV ‘No help, no help, thou false Sir John, No help, no pity thee! For you lie not in a caulder bed Than you thought to lay me.’ XV She mounted on her milk-white steed, And led the dapple-grey, And she rode till she reach’d her father’s gate, At the breakin’ o’ the day. XVI Up then spake the pretty parrot, ‘May Colvin, where have you been? What has become o’ false Sir John That went with you yestreen?’-- XVII ‘O hold your tongue, my pretty parrot! Nor tell no tales o’ me; Your cage shall be made o’ the beaten gold And the spokes o’ ivorie.’ XVIII Up then spake her father dear, In the bed-chamber where he lay; ‘What ails the pretty parrot, That prattles so long ere day?’-- XIX ‘There came a cat to my cage, master, I thought ’t would have worried me, And I was calling to May Colvín To take the cat from me.’ FOOTNOTES: [107] but, ben = both in the outer and inner rooms. [108] loup = leap. _11. The Wee Wee Man_ I As I was walking mine alane Atween a water and a wa’, There I spied a wee wee man, And he was the least that ere I saw. II His legs were scant a shathmont’s[109] length, And thick and thimber[110] was his thie[111]; Atween his brows there was a span, And atween his shoulders there was three. III He’s ta’en and flung a meikle stane, And he flang ’t as far as I could see; Though I had been a Wallace wight I couldna liften ’t to my knee. IV ‘O wee wee man, but ye be strang! O tell me where your dwelling be?’ ‘My dwelling’s down by yon bonny bower; Fair lady, come wi’ me and see.’ V