{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch277.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch277.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch277.htm","text":"277A.1 SHE wadna bake, she wadna brew,\nHollin, green hollin\nFor spoiling o her comely hue.\nBend your bow, Robin\n277A.2 She wadna wash, she wadna wring,\nFor spoiling o her gay goud ring.\n277A.3 Robin he\u2019s gane to the fald\nAnd catched a weather by the spauld.\n277A.4 And he has killed his weather black\nAnd laid the skin upon her back.\n277A.5 \u2018I darena pay you, for your kin,\nBut I can pay my weather\u2019s skin.\n277A.6 \u2018I darena pay my lady\u2019s back,\nBut I can pay my weather black.\u2019\n277A.7 \u2018O Robin, Robin, lat me be,\nAnd I\u2019ll a good wife be to thee.\n277A.8 \u2018It\u2019s I will wash, and I will wring,\nAnd never mind my gay goud ring.\n277A.9 \u2018It\u2019s I will bake, and I will brew,\nAnd never mind my comely hue.\n277A.10 \u2018And gin ye thinkna that eneugh,\nI\u2019se tak the goad and I\u2019se ca the pleugh.\n277A.11 \u2018Gin ye ca for mair whan that is doon,\nI\u2019ll sit i the neuk and I\u2019ll dight your shoon.\u2019\n277B: The Wife Wrapt in Wether\u2019s Skin\n277B.1 ROBIN he\u2019s gane to the wast,\nHollin, green hollin\nHe\u2019s waled a wife amang the warst.\nBend your bows, Robin\n277B.2 She could neither bake nor brew,\nFor spoilin o her bonnie hue.\n277B.3 She could nether spin nor caird,\nBut fill the cup, an sair the laird.\n277B.4 She could nether wash nor wring,\nFor spoilin o her gay goud ring.\n277B.5 Robin\u2019s sworn by the rude\nThat he wald mak an ill wife gude.\n277B.6 Robin he\u2019s gaun to the fauld,\nAn taen his blaik [wither] by the spauld.\n277B.7 He\u2019s taen aff his wither\u2019s skin\nAn he has preened his ain wife in.\n277B.8 \u2018I daurna beat my wife, for a\u2019 her kin,\nBut I may beat my wither\u2019s skin.\u2019\n277B.9 \u2018I can baith bake an brew;\nWhat care I for my bonnie hue?\n277B.10 \u2018I can baith wash an wring;\nWhat care I for my gay gowd ring?\n277B.11 \u2018I can baith spin an caird;\nLat onybodie sair the laird.\u2019\n277B.12 Robin\u2019s sworn by the rude\nThat he has made an ill wife gude.\n277C: The Wife Wrapt in Wether\u2019s Skin\n277C.1 THERE was a wee cooper who lived in Fife,\nNickity, nackity, noo, noo, noo\nAnd he has gotten a gentle wife.\nHey Willie Wallacky, how John Dougall,\nAlane, quo Rushety, roue, roue, roue\n277C.2 She wadna bake, nor she wadna brew,\nFor the spoiling o her comely hue.\n277C.3 She wadna card, nor she wadna spin,\nFor the shaming o her gentle kin.\n277C.4 She wadna wash, nor she wadna wring,\nFor the spoiling o her gouden ring.\n277C.5 The cooper\u2019s awa to his woo-pack\nAnd has laid a sheep-skin on his wife\u2019s back.\n277C.6 \u2018It\u2019s I\u2019ll no thrash ye, for your proud kin,\nBut I will thrash my ain sheep-skin.\u2019\n277C.7 \u2018Of, I will bake, and I will brew,\nAnd never mair think on my comely hue.\n277C.8 \u2018Oh, I will card, and I will spin,\nAnd never mair think on my gentle kin.\n277C.9 \u2018Oh, I will wash, and I will wring,\nAnd never mair think on my gouden ring.\u2019\n277C.10 A\u2019 ye wha hae gotten a gentle wife\nSend ye for the wee cooper o Fife.\n277D: The Wife Wrapt in Wether\u2019s Skin\n277D.1 THERE livd a laird down into Fife,\nRiftly, raftly, now, now, now\nAn he has married a bonny young wife.\nHey Jock Simpleton, Jenny[\u2019s] white petticoat,\nRobin a Rashes, now, now, now\n277D.2 He courted her and he brought her hame,\nAn thought she would prove a thrifty dame.\n277D.3 She could nether spin nor caird,\nBut sit in her chair and dawt the laird.\n277D.4 She wadna bake and she wadna brew,\nAn a\u2019 was for spoiling her delicate hue.\n277D.5 She wadna wash nor wad she wring,\nFor spoiling o her gay goud ring.\n277D.6 But he has taen him to his sheep-fauld,\nAn taen the best weather by the spauld.\n277D.7 Aff o the weather he took the skin,\nAn rowt his bonny lady in.\n277D.8 \u2018I dare na thump you, for your proud kin,\nBut well sall I lay to my ain weather\u2019s skin.\u2019\n* * * * *\n277E: The Wife Wrapt in Wether\u2019s Skin\n277E.1 THERE lives a landart laird in Fife,\nAnd he has married a dandily wife.\n277E.2 She wadna shape, nor yet wad she sew,\nBut sit wi her cummers and fill hersell fu.\n277E.3 She wadna spin, nor yet wad she card,\nBut she wad sit and crack wit the laird.\n277E.4 He is down to his sheep-fald\nAnd cleekit a weather by the back-spald.\n277E.5 He\u2019s whirpled aff the gude weather\u2019s-skin\nAnd wrappit the dandily lady therein.\n277E.6 \u2018I darena pay you, for your gentle kin,\nBut weel I may skelp my weather\u2019s-skin.\u2019\n* * * * *","title":"The Child Ballads: 277. The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin","type":"page"}