{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch246.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch246.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch246.htm","text":"246A.1 WHEN Reedisdale and Wise William\nWere drinking at the wine,\nThere fell a roosing them amang,\nOn an unruly time.\n246A.2 For some o them hae roosd their hawks,\nAnd other some their hounds,\nAnd other some their ladies fair,\nAnd their bowers whare they walkd in.\n246A.3 When out it spake him Reedisdale,\nAnd a rash word spake he;\nSays, There is not a lady fair,\nIn bower wherever she be,\nBut I could aye her favour win\nWi ae blink o my ee.\n246A.4 Then out it spake him Wise William,\nAnd a rash word spake he;\nSays, I have a sister of my own,\nIn bower wherever she be,\nAnd ye will not her favour win\nWith three blinks of your ee.\n246A.5 \u2018What will ye wager, Wise William?\nMy lands I\u2019ll wad with thee;\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019ll wad my head against your land,\nTill I get more monie.\u2019\n246A.6 Then Reedisdale took Wise William,\nLaid him in prison strang,\nThat he might neither gang nor ride,\nNor ae word to her send.\n246A.7 But he has written a braid letter,\nBetween the night and day,\nAnd sent it to his own sister\nBy dun feather and gray.\n246A.8 When she had read Wise William\u2019s letter,\nShe smil d and she leugh;\nSaid, Very well, my dear brother,\nOf this I have eneuch.\n246A.9 She looked out at her west window\nTo see what she could see,\nAnd there she spied him Reedisdale\nCome riding ower the lea.\n246A.10 Says, Come to me, my maidens all,\nCome hitherward to me;\nFor here it comes him Reedisdale,\nWho comes a-courting me.\n246A.11 \u2018Come down, come down, my lady fair,\nA sight of you give me;\u2019\n\u2018Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,\nFor me you will not see.\u2019\n246A.12 \u2018Come down, come down, my lady fair,\nA sight of you give me;\nAnd bonny are the gowns of silk\nThat I will give to thee.\u2019\n246A.13 \u2018If you have bonny gowns of silk,\nO mine is bonny tee;\nGo from my yetts now, Reedisdale,\nFor me you shall not see.\u2019\n246A.14 \u2018Come down, come dow, my lady fair,\nA sight of you I\u2019ll see;\nAnd bonny jewels, brooches and rings\nI will give unto thee.\u2019\n246A.15 \u2018If you have bonny brooches and rings,\nO mine are bonny tee;\nGo from my yetts now, Reedisdale,\nFor me you shall not see.\u2019\n246A.16 \u2018Come down, come down, my lady fair,\nOne sight of you I\u2019ll see;\nAnd bonny are the ha\u2019s and bowers\nThat I will give to thee.\u2019\n246A.17 \u2018If you have bonny ha\u2019s and bowers,\nO mine are bonny tee;\nGo from my yetts now, Reedisdale,\nFor me you shall not see.\u2019\n246A.18 \u2018Come down, come down, my lady fair,\nA sight of you I\u2019ll see;\nAnd bonny are my lands so broad\nThat I will give to thee.\u2019\n246A.19 \u2018If you have bonny lands so broad,\nO mine are bonny tee;\nGo from my yetts now, Reedisdale,\nFor me ye will not see.\u2019\n246A.20 \u2018Come down, come down, my lady fair,\nA sight of you I\u2019ll see;\nAnd bonny are the bags of gold\nThat I will give to thee.\u2019\n246A.21 \u2018If you have bonny bags of gold,\nI have bags of the same;\nGo from my yetts now, Reedisdale,\nFor down I will not come.\u2019\n246A.22 \u2018Come down, come down, my lady fair,\nOne sight of you I\u2019ll see;\nOr else I\u2019ll set your house on fire,\nIf better cannot be.\u2019\n246A.23 Then he has set the house on fire,\nAnd all the rest it tuke;\nHe turned his wight horse head about,\nSaid, Alas, they\u2019ll ne\u2019er get out!\n246A.24 \u2018Look out, look out, my maidens fair,\nAnd see what I do see,\nHow Reedisdale has fired our house,\nAnd now rides oer the lea.\n246A.25 \u2018Come hitherwards, my maidens fair,\nCome hither unto me;\nFor thro this reek, and thro this smeek,\nO thro it we must be!\u2019\n246A.26 They took wet mantles them about,\nTheir coffers by the band,\nAnd thro the reek, and thro the flame,\nAlive they all have wan.\n246A.27 When they had got out thro the fire,\nAnd able all to stand,\nShe sent a maid to Wise William,\nTo bruik Reedisdale\u2019s land.\n246A.28 \u2018Your lands is mine now, Reedisdale,\nFor I have won them free;\u2019\n\u2018If there is a gude woman in the world,\nYour one sister is she.\u2019\n246B: Redesdale and Wise William\n246B.1 ROUDESDALES an Clerk William\nSat birlin at the wine,\nAn a\u2019 the talk was them atween\nWas aboot the ladies fine, fine,\nWas aboot the ladies fine.\n246B.2 Says Roudesdales to Clerk William,\nI\u2019ll wad my lands wi thee,\nI\u2019ll wad my lands against thy head,\nAn that is what I\u2019ll dee,\n246B.3 \u2018That there\u2019s no a leddy in a\u2019 the land,\nThat\u2019s fair, baith ee an bree,\nThat I winna wed withoot courtin,\nWi ae blink o my ee.\u2019\n246B.4 Says William, I\u2019ve an ae sister,\nShe\u2019s fair, baith ee an bree;\nAn you\u2019ll no wed her withoot courtin,\nWi ae blink o your ee.\u2019\n246B.5 He has wrote a broad letter,\nBetween the nicht an the day,\nAn sent it to his ae sister\nWi the white feather an the gray.\n246B.6 The firsten line she luekit on,\nA licht lauchter gae she;\nBut eer she read it to the end\nThe tear blindit her ee.\n246B.7 \u2018Oh wae betide my ae brither,\nWald wad his head for me,\n. . .\n. . . \u2019\n246B.8 Roudesdales to her bour has gane,\nAn rade it round aboot,\nAn there he saw that fair ladie,\nAt a window lookin oot.\n246B.9 \u2018Come doon, come doon, you fair ladie,\nAe sicht o you to sed;\nFor the rings are o the goud sae ried\nThat I will gie to thee.\u2019\n246B.10 \u2018If yours are o the goud sae ried,\nMine\u2019s o the silver clear;\nSo get you gone, you Roudesdales,\nFor you sall no be here.\u2019\n246B.11 \u2018Come doon, come doon, you lady fair,\nAe sicht o you to see;\nFor the gouns are o the silk sae fine\nThat I will gie to thee.\u2019\n246B.12 \u2018If yours are o the silk sae fine,\nMone\u2019s o the bonnie broun;\nSa get you gone, you Roudesdales,\nFor I will no come doon.\u2019\n246B.13 \u2018Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,\nAe sicht o you to see;\nFor the steeds are o the milk sae white\nThat I will gie to thee.\u2019\n246B.14 \u2018If yours are o the milk sae white,\nMine\u2019s o the bonnie broun;\nSae get you gone, you Roudesdales,\nFor I will no come doon.\u2019\n246B.15 \u2018Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,\nAe sicht o you to see;\nOr I will set your bour on fire\nAtween your nurse an thee.\u2019\n246B.16 \u2018You may set my bowr on fire,\nAs I doubt na you will dee,\nBut there\u2019ll come a sharp shour frae the wast\nWill slocken \u2019t speedilie.\u2019\n246B.17 He has set her bour on fire,\nAn quickly it did flame;\nBut there cam a sharp shour frae the wast\nThat put it oot again.\n246B.18 Oot amang the fire an smoke\nThat bonnie lady cam,\nWi as muckle goud aboon her bree\nAs wald bocht an earldom.\n246B.19 \u2018Oh wae betide you, ill woman,\nAn ill, ill died may you dee!\nFor ye hae won your brither\u2019s head,\nAn I go landless free.\u2019\n246C: Redesdale and Wise William\n246C.1 REDESDALE and Clerk William\nSat drinking at the wine;\nThey hae fawn a wagering them atween\nAt a wanhappy time.\n246C.2 \u2018What will ye wad,\u2019 says Redesdale,\n\u2018O what will ye wad wi me\nThat there\u2019s na a lady in a\u2019 the land\nBut I wad win wi ae blink o my ee?\u2019","title":"The Child Ballads: 246. Redesdale and Wise William","type":"page"}