Page:Merry Muses of Caledonia.djvu/111

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( 105 )

THE COOPER O' DUNDEE.

Tune"Bonnie Dundee."

An old song.

Ye Coopers and Hoopers attend to my ditty,
I'll sing of a cooper who dwelt in Dundee,
This young man he was baith am'rous and witty,
He pleased the fair maids wi' the blink of his e'e.


He wasna a cooper, a common tub hooper,
The maist of his trade lay in pleasing the fair,
He hoop'd them, he coop'd them, he bor'd them, he plugg'd them,
And a' sent for Sandy when oot o' repair.


For a twelvemonth or so this youth was respected,
And he was as busy as weel he could be,
But business increas'd sae, that some were neglected,
Which ruined his trade in the town o' Dundee.


A bailie's fair daughter had wanted a coopin',
And Sandy was sent for, as ofttimes was he,
He yerk't her sae hard, that she sprung an end hoopin',
Which banish'd poor Sandy from bonny Dundee.




WHISTLE O'ER THE LAVE O'T.

A fragment of the old song on which Burns modelled his amended version.

My mither sent me to the well,
She had better gane hersel,
I got the thing I daur nae tell,
Whistle o'er the lave o't.


My mither sent me to the sea,
For to gather mussles three;
A sailor lad fell in wi' me,
Whistle o'er the lave o't.