THE CRUEL MOTHER—K
[_]
Motherwell's MS., p. 186.
1
Lady Margaret looked oer the castle wa,
Hey and a lo and a lilly O
And she saw twa bonnie babes playing at the ba.
Down by the green wood sidy O
2
‘O pretty babes, an ye were mine,
I would dress you in the silks so fine.’
3
‘O false mother, when we were thine,
Ye did not dress us in silks so fine.’
4
‘O bonnie babes, an ye were mine,
I would feed you on the bread and wine.’
5
‘O false mother, when we were thine,
Ye did not feed us on the bread and the wine.’
[OMITTED]
6
‘Seven years a fish in the sea,
And seven years a bird in the tree.
7
‘Seven years to ring a bell,
And seven years porter in hell.’
