Held aff the sunbeams frae a bonny how: 1 Here she resolves to rest, and may be die, And lean'd her head unto the kindly tree. Her hand she had upon her haffat 2 laid, And fain, fain was she of the coolriff shade. Short while she in this calour 3 posture lay. When welcome sleep beguiled her o' her wae. To catch the lover, or to beet the flame. Plain was her gown, the hue was o' the ewe, 2 And growing scrimp, as she was i' the grow. 'Tis true, her head had been made up fu' sleek The day before, and well prin'd on her keek:3 But a' her braws 4 were out o' order now; Three hours that bliss to her was leng- Her hair in taits 5 hung down upon her then'd out, When, by odd chance, a hunter came about; A gallant youth, and, oh, so finely clad. In his right hand a bow unbent he had : A bonny page behind, hard at his heel, Carried a sheaf of arrows shod with steel, And knapsack clean compactly made and feat, Slung o'er his head, well lined with gentle meat. brow. To her left shoulder, too, her keek was worn, Her gartens tint," her shoon a' skelt 7 and torn: And yet she makes a conquest as she lies, Nor had a glance been shot yet frae her eyes. Some fright he judged the beauty might have got, Or met with something hapless in her lot, As this young squire on haste is stending And thought that she ev'n by hersell 8 by, Wi' a side look he sees a woman lie; Jumps in the gate; but whan he saw her face, Sae sweet, sae angel-like, and fu' of grace; He durst na budge, nor speak, nor gang awa, But stood stane-still, like picture on the wa': might be, And if awaken'd fiercelins, aff might flee: For she afttimes was starting through her sleep, And fumpering, as gin she made to weep, Still he looks on; at length hersell she raised. And round about with consternation gazed. Upon the squire as soon's she set her eyes, Though bluddert 5 now with strypes of Up till her foot she bangs with great sur wrang, Be what it list; and Ise no hadd you lang." "My wrang, my wrang, gryte is my wrang," she says; "Gin e'er ye heard of Flaviana's Braes, Frae them am I, 'tis there my wrang is wrought, Wrang unforsain'd,3 and that we never Rank Kettrin were they that did us the ill, store did fill : And mair than that, I reed our herds are ta'en, And it's sair borne o' me that they are slain : "I mind to hear of Flaviana's Braes : And fat wad 4 I, but they belong'd to you: ing says, "There was a sang ca'd Flaviana's Braes; The fouks intil't belonging were to me, And tho' I say't, they could not sibber5 be: But sad's the sang that we may a' sing now! Of fouks and gear we're rich alike, I trow." "Fear no, sweet lassie, fear no," he replies, ""Tis nae a' hopeless that in peril lies; Tak ye gueed heartning, and lay down your fears, Come to this strype 7 and wash awa your tears; Ise mak you right enough." The kindly To gang and wash, wi' Nory did prevail. For they great docker 5 made, and tulyied Gin he afore was o'er the lugs in love, strang, Ere they wad yield and let the cattle gang." And pinked o'er her chin upon her keek. Out o'er the head he now was, and above. BYDBY'S DREAM. Then sat she down aneth a birken shade, her head, Couthy and warm, and gowany the green, And them pay deep and dear, that had Had it, instead of night, the day-time been; the blame. Then with a smile he to the maiden says, Fetched. 2 Lost the power of speech. 3 Undeserved. But grim and gousty, and pit-mark with fright, When. 2 Nurse's. 4 Emptied. 5 Struggle. 6 Strove, fought. 7 Cause the goods. 4 What know I? 3 Praised. 5 Nearer related, 6 Good courage. All things appear'd upon the dead of night: For fear, she cower'd like maukin in the seat, And dunt for dunt her heart began to beat; Amidst this horror, sleep began to steal, And for a wee her flightring breast to heal. As she hauf-sleeping, and hauf-waking lay, An unco din she hears of fouk and play. The sough they made gar'd her lift up her Another said, Oh, gin she had but milk, Then should she gae frae heed to foot in silk, With castings1 rare, and a gueed nouricefee, To nurse the King of Elfin's heir, Fizzee. Syne ere she wist, like house aboon her head, Great candles burning, and braw tables spread; Braw dishes reeking, and just at her hand, Trig greencoats sairing, a'upon command. And, oh, the gathering that was on the To cut they fa', and she among the lave; 3 eyn, The mair she ate, the mair her hunger grew, Eat what she like, and she could ne'er be fu'; The knible4 Elves about her ate ding-dang, Syne to the play they up, and danc'd and flang; Drink in braw cups was caw'd about gelore;5 Some fell asleep, and loud began to snore. Syne in a clap, the Fairies a' sat down, And fell to crack about the table round. Ane at another speer'd, Fat tricks play'd ye, Fear's like to fell her, reed that they Whan in a riddle ye sail'd o'er the sea? should fa' Tam got the wyte, and I gae the tehee! Another said, I couped4 Mungo's ale, Clean heels o'er head, fan it was ripe and stale, Just when the tapster the first chapin5 drew; Then bad her lick the pale, and aff I flew. Had ye but seen how blate the lassie looked, Whan she was blam'd, how she the drink miscooked. Says a gnib7 elf, As an auld carle was sitting Among his bags, and loosing ilka knitting, To air his rousty coin, I loot a claught,8 And took a hundred dollars at a fraught. Whan with the sight the carle had pleas'd himsell, Then he began the glancing heap to tell; As soon's he miss'd it, he rampag'd redwood, 9 And lap and danc'd, and was in unco mood; Ran out and in, and up and down; at And frae her dream she waken'd wi' a start: She thought she could na scape o' being smor'd, And at the fancy loudly cry'd and roar'd. Syne frae the tree she lifted up her head, And fand for a' the din she was na dead ; But sitting body-like, as she sat down, But ony alteration, on the ground. THE ROCK AND THE WEE PICKLE TOW. PART I. THERE was an auld wife and a wee pickle tow, And she wad gae try the spinning o't; She louted 3 her down, and her rock took a low, 4 And that was a bad beginning o't. She sat and she grat, and she flet and she flang, And she threw and she blew, and she wriggled and wrang, I hae keeped my house for these three- Let them seek out a lyth1 in the heat of the sun, And there venture on the beginning o't. But to do as I did, alas and awow! To busk up a rock at the cheek o' the low, Says, that I had but little wit in my pow, And as little ado wi' the spinning o't. But yet, after a', there is ae thing that grieves My heart to think o' the beginning o't; Had I won the length but of ae pair o' sleeves, Then there had been word o'the spinning o't. This I wad hae washen an' bleach'd like the snaw, And on my twa gardies like moggans 3 wad draw, And then fouk wad say, that auld Girzy was braw, And a' was upon her ain spinning o't. But gin I could shog 4 about 'till a new spring, I should yet hae a bout 5 of the spinning o't; Amutchkin o' lintseed I'd in the yerd fling, For a' the wanchancy beginning o't. I'll gar my ain Tammie gae down to the how, 6 |