The Three Sisters; or, Bodown; or, The Barkshire Tragedy
THE TWA SISTERS—R
[_]
a. Notes and Queries, 1st S., vi, 102, from Lancashire.
b. Written down for J. F. Campbell, Esq., Nov. 7, 1861, at
Wishaw House, Lancashire, by Lady Louisa Primrose. c.
‘The Scouring of the White Horse,’ p. 158, from Berkshire,
as heard by Mr Hughes from his father.
1
There was a king of the north countree,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
There was a king of the north countree,
And he had daughters one, two, three.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
2
To the eldest he gave a beaver hat,
And the youngest she thought much of that.
3
To the youngest he gave a gay gold chain,
And the eldest she thought much of the same.
4
These sisters were walking on the bryn,
And the elder pushed the younger in.
5
‘Oh sister, oh sister, oh lend me your hand,
And I will give you both houses and land.’
6
‘I'll neither give you my hand nor glove,
Unless you give me your true love.’
7
Away she sank, away she swam,
Until she came to a miller's dam.
8
The miller and daughter stood at the door,
And watched her floating down the shore.
9
‘Oh father, oh father, I see a white swan,
Or else it is a fair woman.’
10
The miller he took up his long crook,
And the maiden up from the stream he took.
11
‘I'll give to thee this gay gold chain,
If you'll take me back to my father again.’
12
The miller he took the gay gold chain,
And he pushed her into the water again.
13
The miller was hanged on his high gate
For drowning our poor sister Kate.
14
The cat's behind the buttery shelf,
If you want any more, you may sing it yourself.
