He stripped the sheet from aff her face

A little below the chin;

The lady then she open'd her eyes,

And looked full on him.

"O give me a shive o' your bread, love,

O give me a cup o' your wine! Long have I fasted for your sake,

And now I fain would dine.

"Gae hame, gae hame, my seven brothers,
Gae hame and blaw the horn!

And ye may say that ye sought my skaith,
And that I hae gi'en you the scorn.

Tales

of the

Olden

Time

Tales of the Olden

Time

Earl Mar's Daughter

It was intill a pleasant time,
Upon a simmer's day,

The noble Earl of Mar's daughter
Went forth to sport and play.

And as she played and sported
Below a green aik tree,
There she saw a sprightly doo
Set on a branch sae hie.

"O Coo-my-doo, my love sae true,
If ye'll come doun to me,
Ye'se hae a cage o' gude red goud
Instead o' simple tree.

"I'll tak' ye hame and pet ye weel,

Within my bower and ha';

I'll gar ye shine as fair a bird

As ony o' them a'!"

And she had nae these words weel spoke,
Nor yet these words weel said,

Till Coo-my-doo flew frae the branch,

And lighted on her head.

Then she has brought this pretty bird

Hame to her bower and ha',

And made him shine as fair a bird

As ony o' them a’.

When day was gane, and night was come,

About the evening-tide,

This lady spied a bonny youth

66

Stand straight up by her side.

Now whence come ye, young man," she said, "To put me into fear?

My door was bolted right secure,

And what way cam' ye here?"

"O haud your tongue, my lady fair,
Lat a' your folly be;
Mind ye not o' your turtle-doo

Ye coax'd from aff the tree?"

"O wha are ye, young man?" she said,
"What country come ye frae?"
66
"I flew across the sea," he said,
""Twas but this verra day.

"My mither is a queen," he says, Likewise of magic skill;

"Twas she that turned me in a doo, To fly where'er I will.

"And it was but this verra day

That I cam' ower the sea:

I loved you at a single look;
With you I'll live and dee."

Tales

of the

Olden

Time

Tales of the Olden

Time

66

"O Coo-my-doo, my love sac true,
Nae mair frae me ye'se gae."
"That's never my intent, my love;
As ye said, it shall be sac."

There he has lived in bower wi' her,
For six lang years and ane;

Till sax young sons to him she bare,
And the seventh she's brought hame.

But aye, as soon's a child was born,
He carried them away,

And brought them to his mither's care,
As fast as he could fly.

Thus he has stay'd in bower wi' her
For seven lang years and mair;
Till there cam' a lord o' hie renown
To court that lady fair.

But still his proffer she refused,
And a' his presents too;
Says, "I'm content to live alane

Wi' my bird Coo-my-doo!"

Her father sware an angry oath,
He sware it wi' ill-will:
"To-morrow, ere I eat or drink,

That bird I'll surely kill."

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."

"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