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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

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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.’

225

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.’