Then Coo-my-doo took flight and flew

Beyond the raging sea,

And lighted at his mither's castle,
Upon a tower sae hie.

The Queen his mither was walking out,
To see what she could see,

And there she saw her darling son
Set on the tower sae hie.

"Get dancers here to dance," she said,
"And minstrels for to play;

For here's my dear son Florentine
Come back wi' me to stay."

"Get nae dancers to dance, mither,
Nor minstrels for to play;

For the mither o' my seven sons,
The morn's her wedding day."

66

"Now tell me, dear son Florentine, O tell, and tell me true;

Tell me this day, without delay,

What sall I do for you?"

Tales of the Olden

Time

Tales of the Olden Time

"Instead of dancers to dance, mither,
Or minstrels for to play,

Turn four-and-twenty well-wight men,
Like storks, in feathers gray;

Then, sighing, said the Queen to hersell,
"That thing's too high for me!"
But she applied to an auld woman,
Who had mair skill than she.

Instead o' dancers to dance a dance,
Or minstrels for to play,

Were four-and-twenty well-wight men
Turn'd birds o' feathers gray;

Her seven sons in seven swans,
Aboon their heads to flee;
And he himsell a gay gos-hawk,
A bird o' high degree.

This flock o' birds took flight and flew

Beyond the raging sea;

They landed near the Earl Mar's castle,

Took shelter in every tree.

They were a flock o' pretty birds,
Right wondrous to be seen;

The weddin'eers they looked at them
Whilst walking on the green.

These birds flew up frae bush and tree,

And, lighted on the ha';

And, when the wedding-train cam' forth,
Flew down amang them a’.

The storks they seized the boldest men,
That they could not fight or flee;
The swans they bound the bridegroom fast
Unto a green aik tree.

They flew around the bride-maidens,
Around the bride's own head;

And, wi' the twinkling o' an ee,

The bride and they were fled.

There's ancient men at weddings been
For eighty years or more;
But siccan a curious wedding-day
They never saw before.

For naething could the company do,
Nor naething could they say;
But they saw a flock o' pretty birds

That took their bride away.

OLD BALLAD.

Tales

of the Olden

Time

Tales of the Olden Time

Chevy-Chace

God prosper long our noble king,

Our lives and safeties all;

A woful hunting once there did
In Chevy-Chace befall.

To drive the deer with hound and horn

Earl Percy took his way;

The child may rue that is unborn
The hunting of that day.

The stout Earl of Northumberland
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three summer days to take,—

The chiefest harts in Chevy-Chace
To kill and bear away.

These tidings to Earl Douglas came,
In Scotland where he lay;

Who sent Earl Percy present word
He would prevent his sport.
The English earl, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort

With fifteen hundred bowmen bold,
All chosen men of might,

Who knew full well in time of need

To aim their shafts aright.

The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran

To chase the fallow deer;

On Monday they began to hunt

Ere daylight did appear;

And long before high noon they had

A hundred fat bucks slain;

Then having dined, the drovers went
To rouse the deer again.

The bowmen mustered on the hills,

Well able to endure;

And all their rear, with special care,

That day was guarded sure.

The hounds ran swiftly through the woods,
The nimble deer to take,

That with their cries the hills and dales
An echo shrill did make.

Lord Percy to the quarry went,
To view the slaughtered deer;
Quoth he, "Earl Douglas promised
This day to meet me here;

"But if I thought he would not come,

No longer would I stay;"

With that a brave young gentleman

Thus to the Earl did say:

Tales

of the Olden

Time