English and Scottish Ballads Volume II Part 46

"O what gat ye at your grandmother's, 5 My little wee croodlin doo?"

"I got a bonnie wee fis.h.i.+e; Mak my bed, mammie, noo."

"O whaur did she catch the fis.h.i.+e, My bonnie wee croodlin doo?" 10 "She catch'd it in the gutter-hole; Mak my bed, mammie, noo."

"And what did she do wi' the fish, My little wee croodlin doo?"

"She boiled it in a bra.s.s pan; 15 O mak my bed, mammie, noo."

"And what did ye do wi' the banes o't, My bonnie wee croodlin doo?"

"I gied them to my little dog; Mak my bed, mammie, noo," 20

"And what did your little doggie do, My bonnie wee croodlin doo?"

"He stretch'd out his head, his feet, and dee'd, And so will I, mammie, noo!"

II.

THE SNAKE-COOK.

From oral tradition, in Erk's _Deutscher Leiderhort_, p. 6. Our homely translation is, as far as possible, word for word. Other German versions are _The Stepmother_, at p. 5 of the same collection, (or Uhland, i. 272,) and _Grandmother Adder-cook_, at p.

7. The last is translated by Jamieson, _Ill.u.s.trations of Northern Antiquities_, p. 320.

"Where hast thou been away so long, Henry, my dearest son?"

"O I have been at my true-love's, Lady mother, ah me!

_My young life, 5 She has poisoned for me_."

"What gave she thee to eat, Henry, my dearest son?"

"She cooked me a speckled fish, Lady mother, ah me!" &c. 10

"And how many pieces cut she thee, Henry my dearest son?"

"She cut three little pieces from it, Lady mother, ah me!" &c.

"Where left she then the third piece, 15 Henry, my dearest son?"

"She gave it to her dark-brown dog, Lady mother, ah me!" &c.

"And what befell the dark-brown dog, Henry, my dearest son?" 20 "His belly burst in the midst in two, Lady mother, ah me!" &c.

"What wishest thou for thy father, Henry, my dearest son?"

"I wish him a thousandfold boon and blessing, 25 Lady mother, ah me!" &c.

"What wishest thou for thy mother, Henry, my dearest son?"

"I wish for her eternal bliss, Lady mother, ah me!" &c. 30

"What wishest thou for thy true-love, Henry, my dearest son?"

"I wish her eternal h.e.l.l and torment, Lady mother, ah me!" &c.

III.

THE CHILD'S LAST WILL.

_Den lillas Testamente: Svenska Folk-Visor_, iii. 13. Translated in _Literature and Romance of Northern Europe_, i. 265. See also Arwidsson's _Fornsnger_, ii. 90.

"So long where hast thou tarried, Little daughter dear?"

"I have tarried with my old nurse, Sweet step-mother mine."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 5

"What gave she thee for dinner, Little daughter dear?"

"A few small speckled fishes, Sweet step-mother mine."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 10

"What didst thou do with the fish-bones, Little daughter dear?"

"Gave them to the beagle, Sweet step-mother mine."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 15

"What wish leav'st thou thy father, Little daughter dear?"

"The blessedness of heaven, Sweet step-mother mine."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 20

"What wish leav'st thou thy mother, Little daughter dear?"

"All the joys of heaven, Sweet step-mother mine."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 25

"What wish leav'st thou thy brother, Little daughter dear?"

"A fleet s.h.i.+p on the waters, Sweet step-mother mine."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 30

"What wish leav'st thou thy sister, Little daughter dear?"

"Golden chests and caskets, Sweet step-mother mine."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 35

"What wish leav'st thou thy step-mother, Little daughter dear?"

"Of h.e.l.l the bitter sorrow Sweet step-mother mine."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 40

"What wish leav'st thou thy old nurse, Little daughter dear?"

"For her I wish the same pangs, Sweet step-mother mine.

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 45

"But now the time is over When I with you can stay; The little bells of heaven Are ringing me away."

_For ah, ah!--I am so ill--ah!_ 50