Page:The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 02.djvu/127

39 Ae bit I canno eat, sister,
 Nor ae drop can I drink,
Until I see my dear husband,
 For lang for him I think.'

40 O where are all my rangers bold
 That I pay meat and fee,
To search the forest far an wide,
 And bring Akin to me?'

41 Out it speaks the little wee boy:
 Na, na, this maunna be;
Without ye grant a free pardon,
 I hope ye'll nae him see.

42 O here I grant a free pardon,
 Well seald by my own han;
Ye may make search for Young Akin,
 As soon as ever you can.'

43 They searchd the country wide and braid,
 The forests far and near,
And found him into Elmond's wood,
 Tearing his yellow hair.

44 'Win up, win up now, Young Akin,
 Win up, and boun wi me;
We're messengers come from the court,
 The king wants you to see.'

45 'O lat him take frae me my head,
 Or hang me on a tree;
For since I've lost my dear lady,
 Life's no pleasure to me.'

46 'Your head will nae be touchd, Akin,
 Nor hangd upon a tree;
Your lady's in her father's court,
 And all he wants is thee.'

47 When he came in before the king,
 Fell low down on his knee;
'Win up, win up now, Young Akin,
This day ye'se dine wi me.'

48 But as they were at dinner set,
 The boy asked a boun:
'I wish we were in the good church,
 For to get christendoun.

49 We hae lived in guid green wood
 This seven years and ane;
But a' this time, since eer I mind,
 Was never a church within.'

50 'Your asking 's nae sae great, my boy,
 But granted it shall be;
This day to guid church ye shall gang,
 And your mither shall gang you wi.'

51 When unto the guid church she came,
 She at the door did stan;
She was sae sair sunk down wi shame,
 She coudna come farer ben.

52 Then out it speaks the parish priest,
 And a sweet smile gae he:
Come ben, come ben, my lily flower,
 Present your babes to me.'

53 << Charles, Vincent, Sam and Dick,
 And likewise James and John;
They calld the eldest Young Akin,
 Which was his father's name.

54 << Then they staid in the royal court,
 And livd wi mirth and glee,
And when her father was deceasd,
 Heir of the crown was she.

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B

Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 228.

1 May Margret stood in her bouer door,
 Kaiming doun her yellow hair;
She spied some nuts growin in the wud,
 And wishd that she was there.

2 She has plaited her yellow locks
 A little abune her bree,
And she has kilted her petticoats
 A little below her knee,
And she's aff to Mulberry wud,
 As fast as she could gae.

3 She had na pu'd a nut, a nut,
 A nut but barely ane,
Till up started the Hynde Etin,
 Says, Lady, let thae alane!