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The Wife of Usher’s Well

No: 79; variant: 79B

  1. THE hallow day o Yule are come, The nights are lang an dark, An in an cam her ain twa sons, Wi their hats made o the bark.
  2. 'O eat an drink, my merry men a', The better shall ye fare, For my twa sons the are come hame To me for evermair.'
  3. She has gaen an made their bed, An she's made it saft an fine, An she's happit them wi her gay mantel, Because they were her ain.
  4. O the young cock crew i the merry Linkeum, An the wild fowl chirpd for day; The aulder to the younger did say, Dear brother, we maun away.
  5. 'Lie still, lie still a little wee while, Lie still but if we may; For gin my mother miss us away She'll gae mad or it be day.'
  6. O it's they've taen up their mother's mantel, An they've hangd it on the pin: 'O lang may ye hing, my mother's mantel, Or ye hap us again!'