The Cruel Mother
THE CRUEL MOTHER—E
[_]
a. Motherwell's MS., p. 390. b. Motherwell's Note-Book,
p. 33. From the recitation of Agnes Lyle, Kilbarchan,
August 24, 1825.
1
There was a lady, she lived in Lurk,
Sing hey alone and alonie O
She fell in love with her father's clerk.
Down by yon greenwood sidie O
2
She loved him seven years and a day,
Till her big belly did her betray.
3
She leaned her back unto a tree,
And there began her sad misery.
4
She set her foot unto a thorn,
And there she got her two babes born.
5
She took out her wee pen-knife,
She twind them both of their sweet life.
6
She took the sattins was on her head,
She rolled them in both when they were dead.
7
She howkit a grave forenent the sun,
And there she buried her twa babes in.
8
As she was walking thro her father's ha,
She spied twa boys playing at the ba.
9
‘O pretty boys, if ye were mine,
I would dress ye both in the silks so fine.’
10
‘O mother dear, when we were thine,
Thou neer dressed us in silks so fine.
11
‘For thou was a lady, thou livd in Lurk,
And thou fell in love with thy father's clerk.
12
‘Thou loved him seven years and a day,
Till thy big belly did thee betray.
13
‘Thou leaned thy back unto a tree,
And there began thy sad misery.
14
‘Thou set thy foot unto a thorn,
And there thou got thy two babes born.
15
‘Thou took out thy wee pen-knife,
And twind us both of our sweet life.
16
‘Thou took the sattins was on thy head,
Thou rolled us both in when we were dead.
17
‘Thou howkit a grave forenent the sun,
And there thou buried thy twa babes in.
18
‘But now we're both in [the] heavens hie,
There is pardon for us, but none for thee.’
19
‘My pretty boys, beg pardon for me!’
‘There is pardon for us, but none for thee.’
