The English and Scottish Popular Ballads :: :: University of Virginia Library

Though Skene has rendered this ballad with reasonable fidelity, for an editor, it shall, on account of its interest, be given as it stands in the old lady's MS., where it is No 2.

1

‘I was bat seven year alld
Fan my mider she did dee,
My father marrëd the ae warst woman
The wardle did ever see.

2

‘For she has made me the lailly worm
That lays att the fitt of the tree,
An o my sister Meassry
The machrel of the sea.

3

‘An every Saterday att noon
The machrl comes ea to me,
An she takes my laylë head,
An lays it on her knee,
An keames it we a silver kemm,
An washes it in the sea.

4

‘Seven knights ha I slain
Sane I lay att the fitt of the tree;
An ye war na my ain father,
The eight an ye sud be.’

5

‘Sing on your song, ye l[a]ily worm,
That ye sung to me;’
‘I never sung that song
But fatt I wad sing to ye.

6

‘I was but seven year aull
Fan my mider she [did] dee,
My father marrëd the a warst woman
The wardle did ever see.

7

‘She changed me to the layel[y] worm
That layes att the fitt of the tree,
An my sister Messry
[To] the makrell of the sea.

8

‘And every Saterday att noon
The machrell comes to me,
An she takes my layly head,
An layes it on her knee,
An kames it weth a siller kame,
An washes it in the sea.

9

‘Seven knights ha I slain
San I lay att the fitt of the tree;
An ye war na my ain father,
The eight ye sud be.’

10

He sent for his lady
As fast as sen cod he:
‘Far is my son,
That ye sent fra me,
And my daughter,
Lady Messry?’

11

‘Yer son is att our king's court,
Sarving for meatt an fee,
And yer doughter is att our quin's court,
A mary suit an free.’

12

‘Ye lee, ye ill woman,
Sa loud as I hear ye lea,
For my son is the layelly worm
That lays at the fitt of the tree,
An my daughter Messry
The machrell of the sea.’

13

She has tain a silver wan
An gine him stroks three,
An he started up the bravest knight
Your eyes did ever see.

14

She has tane a small horn
An loud an shill blue she,
An a' the came her tell but the proud machrell,
An she stood by the sea:
‘Ye shaped me ance an unshemly shape,
An ye's never mare shape me.’

15

He has sent to the wood
For hathorn an fun,
An he has tane that gay lady,
An ther he did her burne.

The Hagg Worm

THE LAILY WORM AND THE MACHREL OF THE SEA—B

[_]

Obtained from an old woman by Captain E. Grow.

1

Bambrough Castle's a bonny place,
Built on a marble stone,
But long, long did the lady look
Eer her father came home.

2

She knotted the keys upon a string,
And with her she has them taen;
She cast them oer her left shoulder,
And to the gates she is gaen.

3

It fell out on a day the king
Brought his new lady home,
And all the lordling[s] in his realm
To welcome them did come.

4

‘You'r welcome, father,’ the lady cries,
‘To your halls and your towers,
And so are you, good queen,’ said she,
‘For all that's here is yours.’

5

‘O who is this,’ said the queen,
‘That welcomes me so high?’
Up then spake a greyhaird man,
An ill dead may he dee!
'Tis the kinges aie daughter,
The flower of the North Country.

6

‘O woe betyde the[e], greyhaired man,
An ill dead may thou dee!
Had she been fairer then she is,
You might have excepted me.

7

‘I'll liken her to a laidley worm,
That warps about the stone,
And not till Child of Wynd comes back
Shall she again be wonne.’

8

The lady stood at her bower-door,
A loud laughter took she:
‘I hope your prayers will have no pith;
You took not God with ye.’

9

She calld on her waiting-maid—
They calld her Dorothy—
‘The coffer that my gold lies in,
I leave to thee the key.

10

‘Her hellish spells seize on my heart,
And quick will alter me;
For eer the seting sun is down
A laidler worm I'll be.’

11

Word's gone east, and word's gone west,
And word's gone oer the sea,
There's a laidler worm in Spindlestone Heughs
Will destroy the North Countree.

12

For seven miles east and seven miles west,
And seven miles north and south,
Nea blade of grass or corn will grow,
For the venom of her mouth.

13

To this day may be seen the cave
This monsterous worm embowered,
And the stone trough where seven cows' milk
She every day devoured.

14

Word's gone east and word's gone west,
Word oer the sea did go;

The Child of Wynd got wit of it,
Which filld his heart with woe.

15

‘I have no sister but barely one,
I fear fair Margery!
I wish I was at Spindlestone Heughs,
This laidler worm to see.’

16

Up then spoke his eldest brother,
An angry man was he:
O thou art young, far over young,
To sail the stormy sea.

17

‘Peace, brother,’ said the Child of Wynd,
‘Dear brother, let me be;
For when we come to danger dire,
I must fight when you will flee.

18

‘O let us build a bonny ship,
And set her in the sea;
The sails shall be of silken twine,
The masts of rowon-tree.’

19

They built a ship, the wind and tyde
Drave them along the deep;
At last they saw a stately tower,
On the rock high and steep.

20

The sea was smooth, the sky was clear;
As they approached nigher,
King Ida's castle well they knew,
And the banks of Balmburghshire.

21

The queen lookd thro her bower-window,
To see what she coud see,
And she espied a gallant ship
Come sailing along the sea.

22

She calld on her witch-women
To sink them in the main;
They hoisted up their silken sails,
And to Warren bridge they gane.

23

The worm lept up, the worm lept down,
She plaited round the stane,
And as the ship came to the land
She banged them off again.

24

The Child leapd in the shallow water
That flows oer Budle sand,
And when he drew his berry-brown sword
She suffered them to land.

25

When they came to Bamburg castle
They tirled at the ring;
‘Who's that,’ said the proud porter,
‘That woud so fain be in?’

26

‘'Tis the king's son and Child of Wynd,
Who have long been oer the sea;
We come to see our sister dear,
The peirless Margery.’

27

‘Heigh a ween, and Oh a ween!
A ween, a woe-ses me!
She's a laidler worm at Spindlestone Heughs,
These seven years and three.’

28

They highed them stright to Spindleston Heughs—
Grief added to their speed—
Where out she came a laidler worm,
And strack their hearts with dread.

29

The Child drew out his berry-brown sword,
And waved it oer her head,
And cried, If thou [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]

30

‘O quit thy sword, and bend thy bow,
And give me kisses three;
For if I am not wonne eer the sun goes down,
Wonne will I never be.’

31

He quit his sword, he bent his bow,
He gave her kisses three;
She threw out her fireballs,
And fiercely made them flee.

32

In she went, and out she came,
A laidley ask was she:
‘Oh, tho I am a laidley ask,
No harm I'll do to thee.

33

‘Oh quit thy sword, and bend thy bow,
And give me kisses three;
For if I am not wonne eer the sun goes down,
Wonne will I never be.’

34

He quit his sword, he bent his bow,
And gave her kisses three;
But she threw out her fireballs,
And fiercely made them flee.

35

In she went, and out she came,
A laidley adder was she;
[‘Oh, tho I am a laidley adder,
No harm I'll do to thee.]

36

‘Oh quit thy sword, and bend thy bow,
And give me kisses three;
[For if I am not wonne eer the sun goes down,
Wonne will I never be.’]

37

He quit his sword, he bent his bow,
He gave her kisses three;
She crept into the cave a snake,
But stept out a lady.

38

‘O quit thy sword, unbend thy bow,
And give me kisses three;
For tho I am a lady fair,
I am [OMITTED] to modesty.’

39

He took his mantle from his back,
And wrapd his sister in,
And thei'r away to Bamburg Castle,
As fast as they coud winne.

40

His absence and her reptile form
The king had long deplored,
But now rejoiced to see them both
Again to him restored.

41

The queen he sought, who when he found
All quailed and sore affraid,
Because she knew her power must yield
To Child of Wynd, who said:

42

‘O woe be to the[e], wicked woman,
An ill deed may thou dee!
As thou my sister likened,
So likened thou shalt be.

43

‘I change thy body to a toad,
That on the earth doth wend,
And wonne, wonne shalt thou never be
Untill the world doth end!’

44

Now on the ground, near Ida's tower,
She crawls a loathsome toad,
And venom spits on every maid
She meets upon the road.