The Twa Sisters
No: 10; variant: 10R
- THERE was a king of the north countree,
Bow down, bow down, bow down
There was a king of the north countree,
And he had daughters one, two, three.
I'll be true to my love, and my love'll be true to me
- To the eldest he gave a beaver hat,
And the youngest she thought much of that.
- To the youngest he gave a gay gold chain,
And the eldest she thought much of the same.
- These sisters were walking on the bryn,
And the elder pushed the younger in.
- 'Oh sister, oh sister, oh lend me your hand,
And I will give you both houses and land.'
- 'I'll neither give you my hand nor glove,
Unless you give me your true love.'
- Away she sank, away she swam,
Until she came to a miller's dam.
- The miller and daughter stood at the door,
And watched her floating down the shore.
- 'Oh father, oh father, I see a white swan,
Or else it is a fair woman.'
- The miller he took up his long crook,
And the maiden up from the stream he took.
- 'I'll give to thee this gay gold chain,
If you'll take me back to my father again.'
- The miller he took the gay gold chain,
And he pushed her into the water again.
- The miller was hanged on his high gate
For drowning our poor sister Kate.
- The cat's behind the buttery shelf,
If you want any more, you may sing it yourself.