Her breath grew strang, her hair grew lang,
And twisted thrice about the tree,
And all the people, far and near,

Thought that a savage beast was she.

These news did come to Kemp Owyne,
Where he lived, far beyond the sea;
He hasted him to Craigy's sea,

And on the savage beast looked he.

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, And twisted thrice about the tree,

And with a swing she came about:

"Come to Craigy's sea, an' kiss with me.

"Here is a royal belt," she cried,

"That I have found in the green sea;

And while your body it is on,

Drawn shall your blood never be; But if you touch me, tail or fin,

I vow my belt your death shall be."

He's louted him o'er the Eastmuir craig, As out she swang and about the tree; He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal belt he brought him wi'.

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang, And twisted twice about the tree,

And with a swing she came about:

"Come to Craigy's sea, an' kiss with me.

"Here is a royal ring," she said,

"That I have found in the green sea;

And while your finger it is on,
Drawn shall your blood never be;
But if you touch me tail or fin,

I swear my ring your death shall be."

He's louted him o'er the Eastmuir craig,

As out she swang and about the tree;

He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal ring he brought him wi'.

Her breath was strang, her hair was lang,
And twisted ance about the tree,
And with a swing she came about:

"Come to Craigy's sea, an' kiss with me.

"Here is a royal brand," she said,
"That I have found in the green sea;
And while your body it is on,

Drawn shall your blood never be;
But if you touch me, tail or fin,

I swear my brand your death shall be."

He's louted him o'er the Eastmuir craig,
As out she swang and about the tree;
He stepped in, gave her a kiss,

The royal brand he brought him wi'.

Her breath was sweet, her hair grew short,
And twisted nane about the tree,

And smilingly she came about,

As fair a woman as fair could be.

EARL MAR'S DAUGHTER

It was intill a pleasant time,
Upon a simmer's day,
The noble Earl Mar's daughter
Went forth to sport and play.

And as she played and sported
Below a green aik tree,
There she saw a sprightly doo
Set on a branch sae hie.

"O Coo-my-doo, my love sae true,
If ye'll come doun to me,
Ye'se hae a cage o' gude red gowd
Instead o' simple tree.

Unknown

"I'll tak' ye hame and pet ye weel, Within my bower and ha';

I'll gar ye shine as fair a bird

And she had nae these words weel spoke,
Nor yet these words weel said,
Till Coo-my-doo flew frae the branch,
And lighted on her head.

Then she has brought this pretty bird
Hame to her bower and ha',
And made him shine as fair a bird
As ony o' them a'.

When day was gane, and night was come,

About the evening-tide,

This lady spied a bonny youth

Stand straight up by her side.

"Now whence come ye, young man," she said,

"To put me into fear?

My door was bolted right secure,
And what way cam' ye here?"

"O haud your tongue, my lady fair, Lat a' your folly be;

Mind ye not o' your turtle-doo

Ye wiled from aff the tree?"

"O wha are ye, young man?" she said,

"What country come ye frae?"

"I flew across the sea," he said, “'Twas but this verra day.

"My mither is a queen," he says, "Likewise of magic skill;

'Twas she that turned me in a doo, To fly where'er I will.

"And it was but this verra day
• That I cam' owre the sea:
I loved you at a single look;
With you I'll live and dee."

"O Coo-my-doo, my love sae true,
Nae mair frae me ye'se gae."
"That's never my intent, my love;
As ye said, it sall be sae.”

There he has lived in bower wi' her,
For six lang years and ane;

Till sax young sons to him she bare,
And the seventh she's brought hame.

But aye, as soon's a child was barn,
He carried them away,

And brought them to his mither's care,
As fast as he could fly.

When he had stayed in bower wi' her
For seven lang years an' mair;
There cam' a lord o' hie renown
To court that lady fair.

But still his proffer she refused,
And a' his presents too;
Says, "I'm content to live alane
Wi' my bird Coo-my-doo!"

Her father sware a michty oath,
He sware it wi' ill-will:
"To-morrow, ere I eat or drink,
That bird I'll surely kill."

The bird was sitting in his cage,
And heard what he did say;

He jumped upon the window-sill:
""Tis time I was away."

Then Coo-my-doo took flight and flew
Beyond the raging sea,

And lichted at his mither's castle,
Upon a tower sae hie.

The Queen his mither was walking out,

To see what she could see,

And there she saw her darling son

Set on the tower sae hie.

"Get dancers here to dance," she said, "And minstrels for to play;

For here's my dear son Florentine
Come back wi' me to stay."

"Get nae dancers to dance, mither,
Nor minstrels for to play;
For the mither o' my seven sons,
The morn's her wedding day."

"Now tell me, dear son Florentine,
O tell, and tell me true;
Tell me this day, without delay,
What sall I do for you?"

"Instead of dancers to dance, mither,

Or minstrels for to play,

Turn four-and-twenty well-wight men, Like storks, in feathers gray;

"My seven sons in seven swans, Aboon their heads to flee; And I mysel' a gay gos-hawk,

A bird o' high degree.”

Then, sighing, said the Queen to hersel',

"That thing's too high for me!" But she applied to an auld woman,

Wha had mair skill than she.