Now when he came before the king, The king he turn'd him round about, "Win up, win up, my bonnie boy! Ye look sae like my dear dauchter, "If I look like your dear dauchter, If I look like your dear dauchter, "Will ye tell me, my little wee boy, Where may my Margaret be?" "She's gist now standing at your yetts, And my six brothers her wi'." "O where are a' my porter boys, That I pay meat and fee, To open my yetts, baith wide and braid Let her come in to me?" When she came in before the king, She fell low on her knee; "Win up, win up, my dauchter dear, This day ye'll dine wi' me." "Ae bit I canna eat, father, Nor ae drap can I drink, Till I see my mither and sister dear, When she came in before the queen, "Win up, win up, my dauchter dear, "Ae bit I canna eat, mither, Nor ae drop can I drink, Until I see my dear sisterFor lang o' her I think." And when her sister dear cam in, They searched the country wide and braid— The forests far and near, Till they found him into Elmond wood, Tearing his yellow hair. "Win up, win up, now, Hynde Etin- We're messengers sent frae the court- "O let him tak frae me the head, Or hang me on a tree; For sin I'se lost my dear Margaret, Life's nae pleasure to me." "Your head will nae be touched, Etin, Nor hanged upon a tree; Your leddy's in her father's court, And all she wants is thee." When in he came before the king, "Win up, win up, now, Hynde Etin, This day ye'se dine wi' me." And if the house be foul, There we pinch their armes and thighes; But if the house be swept, For we use before we goe, Upon a mushroom's head The brains of nightingales, Is meat that's easily chew'd; The grasshopper, gnat, and fly And so the time beguile : And if the moone doth hide her head, On tops of dewie grasse So nimbly we do passe, The young and tender stalk Ne'er bends when we do walk; Yet in the morning may be seene Anonymous, about the year 1600. THE MERRY PRANKS OF ROBIN GOOD-FELLOW. From Oberon, in fairy land, The king of ghosts and shadowes there, Mad Robin, I, at his command, Am sent to viewe the night-sports here. Is kept about In every corner where I go, I will o'ersee And merrie be, And make good sport with ho, ho, ho! More swift than lightning can I flye About the aery welkin soone, And in a minute's space descrye Each thing that's done belowe the moone. There's not a hag Or ghost shall wag, Or cry 'ware goblins! where I go, But Robin, I, Their feates will spy, And send them home with ho, ho, ho! Whene'er such wanderers I meete, As from their night-sports they trudge home, With counterfeiting voice I greete, And call them on with me to roame. Thro' woods, thro' lakes, Thro' bogs, thro' brakes; Or else, unseene, with them I go, All in the nicke, To play some tricke, And frolick it with ho, ho, ho! |