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And he has loosed her left foot shee, And latten that ladye lighter be; And now he has gotten a bonny son, 95 And meikle grace be him upon.
57. _Billy Blind_--A familiar genius, or propitious spirit, somewhat similar to the _Brownie_.
67-74. Inserted from Jamieson's copy.
68. _leaf_, Jamieson.
81. The witch's chief familiar, placed in the chamber of the sick woman in the form of a kid.
ALISON GROSS.
Jamieson's _Popular Ballads_, ii. 187.
FROM THE RECITATION OF MRS. BROWN.
The beginning is to be compared with _Lindormen_, the whole ballad with _Jomfruen i Ormeham_, Grundtvig's _Folkeviser_, ii. 213, 177.
O Alison Gross, that lives in yon tower, The ugliest witch in the north countrie, Has trysted me ae day up till her bower, And mony fair speech she made to me.
She straiked my head, and she kembed my hair, 5 And she set me down saftly on her knee, Says,--"Gin ye will be my lemman sae true, Sae mony braw things as I would you gi'e."
She shaw'd me a mantle o' red scarlet, Wi' gouden flowers and fringes fine, 10 Says "Gin ye will be my lemman sae true, This goodly gift it sall be thine."
"Awa, awa, ye ugly witch, Haud far awa, and lat me be; I never will be your lemman sae true, 15 And I wish I were out of your company."
She neist brocht a sark o' the saftest silk, Weel wrought wi' pearls about the band; Says,--"Gin ye will be my ain true love, This goodly gift ye sall command." 20
She shaw'd me a cup o' the good red goud, Weel set wi' jewels sae fair to see; Says,--"Gin ye will be my lemman sae true, This goodly gift I will you gie."
"Awa, awa, ye ugly witch! 25 Haud far awa, and lat me be; For I wadna ance kiss your ugly mouth For a' the gifts that ye cou'd gie."
She's turned her richt and round about, And thrice she blew on a gra.s.s-green horn; 30 And she sware by the moon and the stars aboon, That she'd gar me rue the day I was born.
Then out has she ta'en a silver wand, And she's turned her three times round and round; She's mutter'd sic words, that my strength it fail'd, 35 And I fell down senseless on the ground.
She's turn'd me into an ugly worm, And gar'd me toddle about the tree; And ay, on ilka Sat.u.r.day's night, My sister Maisry came to me, 40
Wi' silver bason, and silver kemb, To kemb my headie upon her knee; But or I had kiss'd her ugly mouth, I'd rather hae toddled about the tree.
But as it fell out on last Hallowe'en, 45 When the Seely Court[L46] was ridin' by, The queen lighted down on a gowan bank, Nae far frae the tree whare I wont to lye.
She took me up in her milk-white hand, And she straiked me three times o'er her knee; 50 She changed me again to my ain proper shape, And I nae mair maun toddle about the tree.
46. _Seely Court_, i.e. "pleasant or happy court," or "court of the pleasant and happy people." This agrees with the ancient and more legitimate idea of Fairies. JAMIESON. See p. 120, v. 131, _et seq._
THE EARL OF MAR'S DAUGHTER.
From Buchan's _Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland_, (i. 49.)
It is much to be regretted that this piece has not come down to us in a purer and more ancient form. Similar ballads are found in Danish, Swedish, and Faroish. Several forms of the Danish are given by Grundtvig (_Ridderen i Fugleham_, No. 68), who also cites many popular tales which have the same basis, e.g. the Countess d'Aulnoy's fairy story of _The Blue Bird_.
It was intill a pleasant time, Upon a simmer's day; The n.o.ble Earl of Mar's daughter Went forth to sport and play.
As thus she did amuse hersell, 5 Below a green aik tree, There she saw a sprightly doo Set on a tower sae hie.
"O Cow-me-doo, my love sae true, If ye'll come down to me, 10 Ye'se hae a cage o' guid red gowd Instead o' simple tree:
"I'll put gowd hingers roun' your cage, And siller roun' your wa'; I'll gar ye s.h.i.+ne as fair a bird 15 As ony o' them a'."
But she had nae these words well spoke, Nor yet these words well said, Till Cow-me-doo flew frae the tower, And lighted on her head. 20
Then she has brought this pretty bird Hame to her bowers and ha'; And made him s.h.i.+ne as fair a bird As ony o' them a'.
When day was gane, and night was come, 25 About the evening tide, This lady spied a sprightly youth Stand straight up by her side.
"From whence came ye, young man?" she said, "That does surprise me sair; 30 My door was bolted right secure; What way ha'e ye come here?"
"O had your tongue, ye lady fair, Lat a' your folly be; Mind ye not on your turtle doo 35 Last day ye brought wi' thee?"
"O tell me mair, young man," she said, "This does surprise me now; What country ha'e ye come frae?
What pedigree are you?" 40
"My mither lives on foreign isles, She has nae mair but me; She is a queen o' wealth and state, And birth and high degree;
"Likewise well skill'd in magic spells, 45 As ye may plainly see; And she transform'd me to yon shape, To charm such maids as thee.
"I am a doo the live lang day, A sprightly youth at night; 50 This aye gars me appear mair fair In a fair maiden's sight.
"And it was but this verra day That I came ower the sea; Your lovely face did me enchant,-- 55 I'll live and dee wi' thee."
"O Cow-me-doo, my luve sae true, Nae mair frae me ye'se gae."
"That's never my intent, my luve, As ye said, it shall be sae." 60
"O Cow-me-doo, my luve sae true, It's time to gae to bed."
"Wi' a' my heart, my dear marrow, It's be as ye ha'e said."
