11.

She's taen her seven sons in her hand, I wot she didna fail; She met Lord Thomas and his bride, As they came o'er the dale.

12.

'You're welcome to your house, Lord Thomas, You're welcome to your land; You're welcome with your fair ladye, That you lead by the hand.

13.

'You're welcome to your ha's, ladye, You're welcome to your bowers; You're welcome to your hame, ladye, For a' that's here is yours.'

14.

'I thank thee, Annie, I thank thee, Annie, Sae dearly as I thank thee; You're the likest to my sister Annie, That ever I did see.

15.

'There came a knight out o'er the sea, And steal'd my sister away; The shame scoup in his company, And land where'er he gae!'

16.

She hang ae napkin at the door, Another in the ha', And a' to wipe the trickling tears, Sae fast as they did fa'.

17.

And aye she served the long tables, With white bread and with wine; And aye she drank the wan water, To had her colour fine.

18.

And aye she served the lang tables, With white bread and with brown; And ay she turned her round about Sae fast the tears fell down.

19.

And he's taen down the silk napkin, Hung on a silver pin, And aye he wipes the tear trickling A' down her cheek and chin.

20.

And aye he turned him round about, And smil'd amang his men; Says, 'Like ye best the old ladye, Or her that's new come hame?'

21.

When bells were rung, and mass was sung, And a' men bound to bed, Lord Thomas and his new-come bride To their chamber they were gaed.

22.

Annie made her bed a little forbye, To hear what they might say; 'And ever alas,' Fair Annie cried, 'That I should see this day!

23.

'Gin my seven sons were seven young rats Running on the castle wa', And I were a gray cat mysell, I soon would worry them a'.

24.

'Gin my seven sons were seven young hares, Running o'er yon lilly lee, And I were a grew hound mysell, Soon worried they a' should be.'

25.

And wae and sad Fair Annie sat, And drearie was her sang, And ever, as she sobb'd and grat, 'Wae to the man that did the wrang!'

26.

'My gown is on,' said the new-come bride, 'My shoes are on my feet, And I will to Fair Annie's chamber, And see what gars her greet.

27.

'What ails ye, what ails ye, Fair Annie, That ye make sic a moan?

Has your wine barrels cast the girds, Or is your white bread gone?

28.

'O wha was't was your father, Annie, Or wha was't was your mother?

And had ye ony sister, Annie, Or had ye ony brother?'

29.

'The Earl of Wemyss was my father, The Countess of Wemyss my mother; And a' the folk about the house To me were sister and brother.'

30.

'If the Earl of Wemyss was your father, I wot sae he was mine; And it shall not be for lack o' gowd That ye your love sall tyne.

31.

'For I have seven ships o' mine ain, A' loaded to the brim, And I will gie them a' to thee, Wi' four to thine eldest son: But thanks to a' the powers in heaven That I gae maiden hame!'

[Annotations: 15.3: 'scoup,' fly, hasten.

17.4: 'had' = haud, hold.

22.1: 'forbye,' apart.

24.2: 'lilly lee,' lovely lea.

30.4: 'tyne,' lose.]

THE CRUEL MOTHER

+The Text+ is given from Motherwell's _Minstrelsy_, earlier versions being only fragmentary.

+The Story+ has a close parallel in a Danish ballad; and another, popular all over Germany, is a variation of the same theme, but in place of the mother's final doom being merely mentioned, in the German ballad she is actually carried away by the devil.

In a small group of ballads, the penknife appears to be the ideal weapon for murder or suicide. See the _Twa Brothers_ and the _Bonny Hind_.

THE CRUEL MOTHER

1.

She leaned her back unto a thorn; _Three, three, and three by three_ And there she has her two babes born.

_Three, three, and thirty-three_.

2.

She took frae 'bout her ribbon-belt, And there she bound them hand and foot.

3.

She has ta'en out her wee pen-knife, And there she ended baith their life.

4.

She has howked a hole baith deep and wide, She has put them in baith side by side.