Original

Lat never a man a wooing wend,

That lacketh thingÉs three;

A routh o' gold, an open heart,

And fu' o' courtesy.

As this was seen o' King Henry,

For he lay burd-alane;

And he has ta'en him to a haunted hunt's ha',

Was seven miles frae a town.

(routh, plenty. burd-alane, alone, without a burd or maiden.)

hunt's ha', hunting-lodge.

He's chas'd the dun deer thro' the wood,

And the roe down by the den,

Till the fattest buck in a' the herd

King Henry he has slain.

He's ta'en him to his hunting ha',

For to make bierly cheer;

When loud the wind was heard to sound,

And an earthquake rocked the floor.

And darkness covered a' the hall

Where they sat at their meat;

The gray dogs, youling, left their food

And crept to Henry's feet.

And louder howled the rising wind,

And burst the fastened door;

And in there came a grisly ghost,

Stood stamping on the floor.

Her head hit the roof-tree o' the house,

Her middle ye mot weel span;—

Each frightened huntsman fled the ha';

And left the king alone."

Her teeth was a' like tether stakes,

Her nose like club or mell;

And I ken naething she 'pear'd to be,

But the fiend that wons in hell.

(bierly, proper. mell, mallet. wons, dwells.)

"Some meat, some meat, ye King Henry;

Some meat ye gie to me."

"And what meats in this house, Lady?

That ye're nae welcome tae?"

"O ye's gae kill your berry-brown steed,

And serve him up to me."

O when he slew his berry-brown steed,

Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate him a' up, skin and bane,

Left naething but hide and hair.

"Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry,

Mair meat ye gie to me."

"And what meats in this house, Lady?

That yere nae welcome tae?"

"O ye do kill your good grey-hounds,

And ye bring them a to me."

O when he slew his good grey hounds,

Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate them a' up, ane by ane,

Left naething but hide and hair.

"Mair meat, mair meat, ye King Henry,

Mair meat ye bring to me."

"And what meat's in this house, Lady?

That I hae left to gie?"

"O ye do fell your gay gosshawks,

And ye bring them a' to me."

O when he felled his gay gosshawks,

Wow but his heart was sair!

She ate them a' up, bane by bane,

Left naething but feathers bare.

"Some drink, some drink, now, King Henry;

Some drink ye bring to me."

"O what drink's in this house, Lady,

That ye're nae welcome tae?"

"O ye sew up your horse's hide,

And bring in a drink to me."

And he's sewed up the bloody hide,

And put in a pipe o' wine;

She drank it a' up at ae draught,

Left na ae drap therein.

"A bed, a bed, now, King Henry,

A bed ye mak to me."

"And what's the bed i' this house, Lady,

That ye're nae welcome tae?"

"O ye maun pu' the green heather,

And mak a bed to me."

And pu'd has he the heather green,

And made to her a bed;

And up he's ta en his gay mantle,

And o'er it has he spread.

"Now swear, now swear, ye King Henry,

To take me for your bride,"

"O God forbid," says King Henry,

'"That ever the like betide;

That ever the fiend that wons in hell,

Should streak down by my side."

When day was come, and night was gane,

And the sun shone thro' the ha,

The fairest lady that ever was seen

Lay atween him and the wa'.

"O weel is me!" says King Henry;

"How lang'll this last wi' me?"

And out and spake that lady fair,—

"E en till the day you die.

"For I was witched to a ghastly shape,

All by my stepdame's skill,

Till I should meet wi' a curteous knight,

Would gie me a' my will."

(streak, stretch, lie.)