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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

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332

The Wee Wee Man

THE WEE WEE MAN—E

[_]

a. Motherwell's Note-Book, fol. 40, “from Agnes Lyle;” Motherwell's MS., p. 195, “from the recitation of Agnes Laird, Kilbarchan.” b. Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 343.

1

As I was walking mine alone,
Betwext the water and the wa,
There I spied a wee wee man,
He was the least ane that eer I saw.

2

His leg was scarse a shaftmont lang,
Both thick and nimble was his knee;
Between his eyes there was a span,
Betwixt his shoulders were ells three.

3

This wee wee man pulled up a stone,
He flang't as far as I could see;
Tho I had been like Wallace strong,
I wadna gotn't up to my knee.

4

I said, Wee man, oh, but you're strong!
Where is your dwelling, or where may't be?
‘My dwelling's at yon bonnie green;
Fair lady, will ye go and see?’

5

On we lap, and awa we rade,
Until we came to yonder green;
We lichtit down to rest our steed,
And there cam out a lady soon.

6

Four and twenty at her back,
And every one of them was clad in green;
Altho he had been the King of Scotland,
The warst o them a' micht hae been his queen.

7

There were pipers playing in every neuk,
And ladies dancing, jimp and sma,
And aye the owre-turn o their tune
Was ‘Our wee wee man has been lang awa.’