The Water o Wearie's Well; or, Wearie's Wells
LADY ISABEL AND THE ELF-KNIGHT—B
[_]
a. Buchan's MSS, ii, fol. 80. b. Buchan's Ballads of
the North of Scotland, ii, 201. c. Motherwell's MS., p. 561.
d. Harris MS., No 19.
1
There came a bird out o a bush,
On water for to dine,
An sighing sair, says the king's daughter,
‘O wae's this heart o mine!’
2
He's taen a harp into his hand,
He's harped them all asleep,
Except it was the king's daughter,
Who one wink couldna get.
3
He's luppen on his berry-brown steed,
Taen'er on behind himsell,
Then baith rede down to that water
That they ca Wearie's Well.
4
‘Wide in, wide in, my lady fair,
No harm shall thee befall;
Oft times I've watered my steed
Wi the waters o Wearie's Well.’
5
The first step that she stepped in,
She stepped to the knee;
And sighend says this lady fair,
‘This water's nae for me.’
6
‘Wide in, wide in, my lady fair,
No harm shall thee befall;
Oft times I've watered my steed
Wi the water o Wearie's Well.’
7
The next step that she stepped in,
She stepped to the middle;
‘O,' sighend says this lady fair,
I've wat my gowden girdle.’
8
‘Wide in, wide in, my lady fair,
No harm shall thee befall;
Oft times have I watered my steed
Wi the water o Wearie's Well.’
9
The next step that she stepped in,
She stepped to the chin;
‘O,' sighend says this lady fair,
‘They sud gar twa loves twin.’
10
‘Seven king's-daughters I've drownd there,
In the water o Wearie's Well,
And I'll make you the eight o them,
And ring the common bell.’
11
‘Since I am standing here,’ she says,
‘This dowie death to die,
One kiss o your comely mouth
I'm sure wad comfort me.’
12
He louted him oer his saddle bow,
To kiss her cheek and chin;
She's taen him in her arms twa,
An thrown him headlong in.
13
‘Since seven king's daughters ye've drowned there,
In the water o Wearie's Well,
I'll make you bridegroom to them a',
An ring the bell mysell.’
14
And aye she warsled, and aye she swam,
And she swam to dry lan;
She thanked God most cheerfully
The dangers she oercame.
