She's mounted on her milk-white steed;
She's ta'en true Thomas up behind;
And aye, whene'er her bridle rang,

The steed gaed swifter than the wind.

O they rade on, and farther on,

The steed gaed swifter than the wind; Until they reached a desert wide,

And living land was left behind.

"Light down, light down now, true Thomas, And lean your head upon my knee;

Abide

ye there a little space,

And I will show you ferlies three.

"O see ye not yon narrow road,

So thick beset wi' thorns and briers? That is the Path of Righteousness, Though after it but few inquires.

"And see ye not yon braid, braid road, That lies across the lily leven?

That is the Path of Wickedness,

Though some call it the Road to Heaven.

"And see yet not yon bonny road,

That winds about the fernie brae?

That is the Road to fair Elfland,

Where thou and I this night maun gae.

"But, Thomas, ye sall haud your tongue, Whatever ye may hear or see;

For speak ye word in Elfyn-land,

Ye'll ne'er win back to your ain countrie."

O they rade on, and farther on,

And they waded rivers abune the knee; And they saw neither sun nor moon,

But they heard the roaring of the sea.

Kemp Owyne

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It was mirk, mirk night, there was nae starlight,
They waded through red blude to the knee;
For a' the blude that's shed on earth

Rins through the springs o' that countrie.

Syne they came to a garden green,
And she pu'd an apple frae a tree:
"Take this for thy wages, true Thomas;

It will give thee tongue that can never lee."

"My tongue is mine ain," true Thomas he said;
"A gudely gift ye wad gie to me!

I neither dought to buy nor sell,
At fair or tryst where I might be.

"I dought neither speak to prince or peer,
Nor ask of grace from fair lady!"
"Now haud thy peace!" the lady said,
"For as I say, so must it be."

He has gotten a coat of the even cloth,
And a pair o' shoon of the velvet green;
And till seven years were gane and past,
True Thomas on earth was never seen.

Unknown

KEMP OWYNE

HER mother died when she was young,
Which gave her cause to make great moan;
Her father married the warst woman

That ever lived in Christendom.

She served her wi' foot and hand,
In everything that she could dee,
Till once, in an unluckly time,

She threw her in o'er Craigy's sea.

Says, "Lie you there, dove Isabel,
And all my sorrows lie with thee;
Till Kemp Owyne come o'er the sea,
And borrow you with kisses three."

Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang,
And twisted thrice about the tree,
And all the people, far and near,

Thought that a savage beast was she.

These news did come to Kemp Owyne,
Where he lived, far beyond the sea;
He hasted him to Craigy's sea,

And on the savage beast looked he.

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted thrice about the tree,

And with a swing she came about:

"Come to Craigy's sea, an' kiss with me.

"Here is a royal belt," she cried,

"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 vow my belt your death shall be."

He's louted him o'er the Eastmuir craig,
As out she swang and about the tree;
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal belt he brought him wi'.

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted twice about the tree,

And with a swing she came about:

"Come to Craigy's sea, an' kiss with me.

"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."

He's louted him o'er the Eastmuir craig,
As out she swang and about the tree;

He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal ring he brought him wi’.

Earl Mar's Daughter

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted ance about the tree,

And with a swing she came about:

"Come to Craigy's sea, an' kiss with me.

"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."

He's louted him o'er the Eastmuir craig,
As out she swang and about the tree;
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal brand he brought him wi'.

Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short,
And twisted nane about the tree,

And smilingly she came about,

As fair a woman as fair could be.

EARL MAR'S DAUGHTER

It was intill a pleasant time,
Upon a simmer's day,
The noble Earl Mar's daughter
Went forth to sport and play.

And as she played and sported
Below a green aik tree,
There she saw a sprightly doo
Set on a branch sae hie.

"O Coo-my-doo, my love sae true,
If ye'll come doun to me,
Ye'se hae a cage o' gude red gowd
Instead o' simple tree.

2539

Unknown

"I'll tak' ye hame and pet ye weel,

Within my bower and ha';

I'll gar ye shine as fair a bird

And she had nae these words weel spoke,

Nor yet these words weel said,

Till Coo-my-doo flew frae the branch,
And lighted on her head.

Then she has brought this pretty bird
Hame to her bower and ha',
And made him shine as fair a bird
As ony o' them a'.

When day was gane, and night was come,

About the evening-tide,

This lady spied a bonny youth

Stand straight up by her side.

"Now whence come ye, young man," she said,

"To put me into fear?

My door was bolted right secure,

And what way cam' ye here?"

"O haud your tongue, my lady fair, Lat a' your folly be;

Mind ye not o' your turtle-doo

Ye wiled from aff the tree?"

"O wha are ye, young man?" she said, "What country come ye frae?"

"I flew across the sea," he said, ""Twas but this verra day.

"My mither is a queen," he says, "Likewise of magic skill;

"Twas she that turned me in a doo, To fly where'er I will.