Oh, Allison Gross, that lives in yon tower,
The ugliest witch in the north country,
Has trysted me one day up in her bower
And many the fair speech she made to me.
She stroked my head and she combed my hair
And she set me down softly on her knee,
Says, "Gin ye will be my leman so true,
Sae many braw things as I would gi' ye".
She showed me a mantle of red scarlet
With golden flowers and fringes fine,
Says, "Gin ye will be my leman so true,
This goodly gift it shall be thine."
"Away, away, you ugly witch
Hold far away and let me be
I never will be your leman so true
And I wish I were out of your company"
She next brought me a sark of the softest silk
Well wrought with pearls about the band,
Says, "Gin ye will be my ain true love,
This goodly gift you shall command".
She showed me a cup of the good red gold
Well set with jewels so fair to see,
Says, "Gin ye will be my leman sae true,
This goodly gift I will gi' ye".
"Away, away, you ugly witch,
Hold far away and let me be,
For I wouldna aince kiss your ugly mouth
For all the gifts that you could gi'".
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She's turned her right and round about
And thrice she blew on a grass-green horn
And she swore by the moon and the stars up above
That she would make me rue the day I was born.
Then out she has taken a silver wand
And she's turned her three times round and round
She's muttered such words till my strength it did fail
And I fell down senseless upon the ground.
She's turned me into an ugly worm
And made me toddle around the tree
And aye, on many a Saturday night
My sister Maisry came to me.
With silver basin and silver comb
To comb my head upon her knee
Before I had kissed her ugly mouth
I'd rather have toddled about the tree.
But as it fell out on last Halloween
When the seely court was riding by,
The queen lighted down on a rowan bank
Not far frae the tree where I wont to lie.
She took me up in her milk white hand
And she's stroked me three times on her knee
She changed me again to my ain proper shape
And I nae more maun toddle about the tree.
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