{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch044.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch044.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch044.htm","text":"44.1 THE lady stands in her bower door,\nAs straight as willow wand;\nThe blacksmith stood a little forebye,\nWi hammer in his hand.\n44.2 \u2018Weel may ye dress ye, lady fair,\nInto your robes o red;\nBefore the morn at this same time,\nI\u2019ll gain your maidenhead.\u2019\n44.3 \u2018Awa, awa, ye coal-black smith,\nWoud ye do me the wrang\nTo think to gain my maidenhead,\nThat I hae kept sae lang!\u2019\n44.4 Then she has hadden up her hand,\nAnd she sware by the mold,\n\u2018I wudna be a blacksmith\u2019s wife\nFor the full o a chest o gold.\n44.5 \u2018I\u2019d rather I were dead and gone,\nAnd my body laid in grave,\nEre a rusty stock o coal-black smith\nMy maidenhead shoud have.\u2019\n44.6 But he has hadden up his hand,\nAnd he sware by the mass,\n\u2018I\u2019ll cause ye be my light leman\nFor the hauf o that and less.\u2019\n44.6b O bide, lady, bide,\nAnd aye he bade her bide;\nThe rusty smith your leman shall be,\nFor a\u2019 your muckle pride.\n44.7 Then she became a turtle dow,\nTo fly up in the air,\nAnd he became another dow,\nAnd they flew pair and pair.\n44.7b O bide, lady, bide, \u2019C..\n44.8 She turnd hersell into an eel,\nTo swim into yon burn,\nAnd he became a speckled trout,\nTo gie the eel a turn.\n44.8b O bide, lady, bide, \u2019C..\n44.9 Then she became a duck, a duck,\nTo puddle in a peel,\nAnd he became a rose-kaimd drake,\nTo gie the duck a dreel.\n44.9b O bide, lady, bide, \u2019C..\n44.10 She turnd hersell into a hare,\nTo rin upon yon hill,\nAnd he became a gude grey-hound,\nAnd boldly he did fill.\n44.10b O bide, lady, bide, \u2019C..\n44.11 Then she became a gay grey mare,\nAnd stood in yonder slack,\nAnd he became a gilt saddle,\nAnd sat upon her back.\n44.11b Was she wae, he held her sae,\nAnd still he bade her bide;\nThe rusty smith her leman was,\nFor a\u2019 her muckle pride.\n44.12 Then she became a het girdle,\nAnd he became a cake,\nAnd a\u2019 the ways she turnd hersell,\nThe blacksmith was her make.\n44.12b Was she wae, etc.\n44.13 She turnd hersell into a ship,\nTo sail out ower the flood;\nHe ca\u2019ed a nail intill her tail,\nAnd syne the ship she stood.\n44.13b Was she wae, etc.\n44.14 Then she became a silken plaid,\nAnd stretchd upon a bed,\nAnd he became a green covering,\nAnd gaind her maidenhead.\n44.14b Was she wae, etc.","title":"The Child Ballads: 44. The Two Magicians","type":"page"}