Bondsey and Maisry
YOUNG BENJIE—B
[_]
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 265.
1
‘O come along wi me, brother,
Now come along wi me;
And we'll gae seek our sister Maisry,
Into the water o Dee.’
2
The eldest brother he stepped in,
He stepped to the knee;
Then out he jumpd upo the bank,
Says, This water's nae for me.
3
The second brother he stepped in,
He stepped to the quit;
Then out he jumpd upo the bank,
Says, This water's wondrous deep.
4
When the third brother stepped in,
He stepped to the chin;
Out he got, and forward wade,
For fear o drowning him.
5
The youngest brother he stepped in,
Took's sister by the hand;
Said, Here she is, my sister Maisry,
Wi the hinny-draps on her chin.
6
‘O if I were in some bonny ship,
And in some strange countrie,
For to find out some conjurer,
To gar Maisry speak to me!’
7
Then out it speaks an auld woman,
As she was passing by:
‘Ask of your sister what you want,
And she will speak to thee.’
8
‘O sister, tell me who is the man
That did your body win?
And who is the wretch, tell me, likewise,
That threw you in the lin?’
9
‘O Bondsey was the only man
That did my body win;
And likewise Bondsey was the man
That threw me in the lin.’
10
‘O will we Bondsey head, sister?
Or will we Bondsey hang?
Or will we set him at our bow-end,
Lat arrows at him gang?’
11
‘Ye winna Bondsey head, brothers,
Nor will ye Bondsey hang;
But ye'll take out his twa grey een,
Make Bondsey blind to gang.
12
‘Ye'll put to the gate a chain o gold,
A rose garland gar make,
And ye'll put that in Bondsey's head,
A' for your sister's sake.’
