Young Benjie
No: 86; variant: 86B
- 'O COME along wi me, brother,
Now come along wi me;
O COME along wi me, brother,
Now come along wi me;
And we'll gae seek our sister Maisry,
Into the water o Dee.'
- The eldest brother he stepped in,
He stepped to the knee;
Then out he jumpd upo the bank,
Says, This water's nae for me.
- The second brother he stepped in,
He stepped to the quit;
Then out he jumpd upo the bank,
Says, This water's wondrous deep.
- When the third brother stepped in,
He stepped to the chin;
Out he got, and forward wade,
For fear o drowning him.
- The younges brother he stepped in,
Took's sister by the hand;
Said, Here she is, my sister Maisry,
Wi the hinny-draps on her chin.
- 'O if I were in some bonny ship,
And in some strange countrie,
For to find out some conjurer,
To gar Maisry speak to me!'
- Then out it speaks an auld woman,
As she was passing by:
'Ask of your sister what you want,
And she will speak to thee.'
- 'O sister, tell me who is the man
That did your body win?
And who is the wretch, tell me, likewise,
That threw you in the lin?'
- 'O Bondsey was the only man
That did my body win;
And likewise Bondsey was the man
That threw me in the lin.'
- 'O will we Bondsey head, sister?
Or will we Bondsey hang?
Or will we set him at our bow-end,
Lat arrows at him gang?'
- 'Ye winna Bondsey head, brothers,
Nor will ye Bondsey hang;
But ye'll take out his twa grey een,
Make Bondsey blind to gang.
- 'Ye'll put to the gate a chain o gold,
A rose garland gar make,
And ye'll put that in Bondsey's head,
A' for your sister's sake.'