The English and Scottish Popular Ballads/Part 2/Chapter 44

The Two Magicians
THE lady stands in her bower door, As straight as willow wand; The blacksmith stood a little forebye, Wi hammer in his hand. ‘Weel may ye dress ye, lady fair, Into your robes o red; Before the morn at this same time, I’ll gain your maidenhead.’ ‘Awa, awa, ye coal-black smith, Woud ye do me the wrang To think to gain my maidenhead, That I hae kept sae lang!’ Then she has hadden up her hand, And she sware by the mold, ‘I wudna be a blacksmith’s wife For the full o a chest o gold. ‘I’d rather I were dead and gone, And my body laid in grave, Ere a rusty stock o coal-black smith My maidenhead shoud have.’ But he has hadden up his hand, And he sware by the mass, ‘I’ll cause ye be my light leman For the hauf o that and less.’ O bide, lady, bide, And aye he bade her bide; The rusty smith your leman shall be, For a’ your muckle pride. Then she became a turtle dow, To fly up in the air, And he became another dow, And they flew pair and pair. O bide, lady, bide, ’C.. She turnd hersell into an eel, To swim into yon burn, And he became a speckled trout, To gie the eel a turn. O bide, lady, bide, ’C.. Then she became a duck, a duck, To puddle in a peel, And he became a rose-kaimd drake, To gie the duck a dreel. O bide, lady, bide, ’C.. She turnd hersell into a hare, To rin upon yon hill, And he became a gude grey-hound, And boldly he did fill. O bide, lady, bide, ’C.. Then she became a gay grey mare, And stood in yonder slack, And he became a gilt saddle, And sat upon her back. Was she wae, he held her sae, And still he bade her bide; The rusty smith her leman was, For a’ her muckle pride. Then she became a het girdle, And he became a cake, And a’ the ways she turnd hersell, The blacksmith was her make. Was she wae, etc. She turnd hersell into a ship, To sail out ower the flood; He ca’ed a nail intill her tail, And syne the ship she stood. Was she wae, etc. Then she became a silken plaid, And stretchd upon a bed, And he became a green covering, And gaind her maidenhead. Was she wae, etc.