The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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 | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads |  |
THE CRUEL MOTHER—K
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.’
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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.’
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.’
| The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | |