He’s louted[128] him o’er the Eastmuir craig, As out she swang and about the tree; He steppèd in, gave her a kiss, The royal belt he brought him wi’. XIV Her breath was strang, her hair was lang And twisted twice about the tree, As awa’ she gid[129], and again she swang-- ‘Come to the craig, an’ kiss with me! XV ‘Here is a royal ring,’ she said, ‘That I have found in the green sea; And while your finger it is on, Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin, I swear my ring your death shall be.’ XVI He’s louted him o’er the Eastmuir craig, As out she swang and about the tree; He steppèd in, gave her a kiss, The royal ring he brought him wi’. XVII Her breath was strang, her hair was lang And twisted ance about the tree, As awa’ she gid and again she swang-- ‘Come to the craig, an’ kiss with me! XVIII ‘Here is a royal brand,’ she said, ‘That I have found in the green sea; And while your body it is on, Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin, I swear my brand your death shall be.’ XIX He’s louted him o’er the Eastmuir craig, As out she swang and about the tree; He steppèd in, gave her a kiss That royal brand he brought him wi’. XX Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short, And twisted nane about the tree, As awa’ she gid and again she came The fairest lady that ever could be. XXI ‘O was it a wer-wolf into[130] the wood, Or was it a mermaid into the sea, Or was it a man or a vile woman, My true love, that mis-shapit thee?’-- XXII ‘It was na wer-wolf into the wood, Nor was it mermaid into the sea, But and it was my vile stepmother, And wae and weary mote she be! XXIII ‘O a heavier weird shall light her on, Her hair sall grow rough an’ her teeth grow lang, And [aye] on her four feet sall she gang, And aye in Wormeswood sall she won[131]!’ FOOTNOTES: [120] dee = do. [121] craig = rock. [122] Kemp = champion, knight. [123] borrow = ransom. [124] siccan = such. [125] biggit = built. [126] gar’d = made. [127] stythe = place, station. [128] louted = bowed. [129] gid = went. [130] into = in. [131] won = dwell. _14. The Laily Worm_ _and the Machrel of the Sea_ I ‘I was but seven year auld When my mither she did dee; My father married the ae warst woman The warld did ever see. II ‘For she has made me the laily[132] worm, That lies at the fit o’ the tree, An’ my sister Masery she’s made The machrel of the sea. III ‘An’ every Saturday at noon The machrel comes to me, An’ she takes my laily head An’ lays it on her knee, She kaims it wi’ a siller kaim, An’ washes ’t in the sea. IV