Fine Flowers in the Valley
THE CRUEL MOTHER—L
[_]
Smith's Scottish Minstrel, iv, 33, 2d ed.
1
A lady lookd out at a castle wa,
Fine flowers in the valley
She saw twa bonnie babes playing at the ba.
And the green leaves they grow rarely
2
‘O my bonnie babes, an ye were mine,
I would cleed ye i the scarlet sae fine.
3
‘I'd lay ye saft in beds o down,
And watch ye morning, night and noon.’
4
‘O mither dear, when we were thine,
Ye didna cleed us i the scarlet sae fine.
5
‘But ye took out yere little pen-knife,
And parted us frae our sweet life.
6
‘Ye howkit a hole aneath the moon,
And there ye laid our bodies down.
7
‘Ye happit the hole wi mossy stanes,
And there ye left our wee bit banes.
8
‘But ye ken weel, O mither dear,
Ye never cam that gate for fear.’
[OMITTED]
9
‘Seven lang years ye'll ring the bell,
And see sic sights as ye darna tell.’
