Story-Telling Ballads Selected and Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Boys' and Girls' Own Reading

And when the moon went down the sky, Still rose, in dreams, his native plain, And oft he thought his love was by, And charmed him with some tender strain;

_The reavers of Eskdale were mounted for weir, And Annandale moss-troopers grasped the spear; And the blades that they bore in the sun glittered bright; And breast-plate and hel...

Quo’ Jock, as they bound fast his arms, And raised him from the lea, “If I had kenned ye were Belted Will’s men, The Devil might stopped ye for me!”

Sweet William had no company then With him at home but an old man; And when he saw the coast was clear, He took a lute which he had there.

Listen, now, both great and simple, Whilst I croon to you my song, Ere such another damsel ’pears, The world will cease to wag ere long: For she is the flower o’er all the bower...

But the King can write another brief, For all the first be stown; And once again the fellow rode, With the warrant from London town. Now out and alas! What can she do? _For the...

He mounted his steed of the water clear, And sat on his saddle of sea-weed sere; He held his bridle of strings of pearl, Dug out of the depths where the sea-snakes curl.

He lifted her up on his steed of grey, And they rode till morning away, away-- Over the mountain and over the moor, And over the rocks, to the dark sea-shore.

Says, “Lie you there, dove Isabel, And all my sorrows lie with thee; Till Kemp Owyne come ower the sea, And borrow you with kisses three, Let all the warld do what they will, Oh...

On either side the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye, That clothe the wold and meet the sky; And thro’ the field the road runs by To many-towered Camelot; And up and do...

There she weaves by night and day A magic web with colours gay. She has heard a whisper say, A curse is on her if she stay To look down to Camelot. She knows not what the curse...

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves, He rode between the barley-sheaves, The sun came dazzling thro’ the leaves, And flamed upon the brazen greaves Of bold Sir Lancelot. A Red-cross...

In the stormy east-wind straining, The pale yellow woods were waning, The broad stream in his banks complaining, Heavily the low sky raining Over towered Camelot; Down she came...

She has knotted the keys upon a string, And with her she has them taen, She has cast them o’er her left shoulder, And to the gate she is gane.

There was gorging Jack and guzzling Jimmy, And the youngest he was little Billee. Now when they got as far as the Equator They’d nothing left but one split pea.

_“O Mary, go and call the cattle home, And call the cattle home, And call the cattle home Across the sands of Dee;” The western wind was wild and dank wi’ foam, And all alone we...

“O there was a woman stood at the door, Wi a bairn intill her arms, But I woud na lat her within the bowr, For fear she had done you harm.”

Oh! heard ye yon pibroch sound sad in the gale, Where a band cometh slowly with weeping and wail? ’Tis the Chief of Glenara laments for his dear, And her sire and the people are...

Near the King’s Court was a young child born, _With a hey lillelu and a how lo lan_; And his name it was called Young Hynd Horn, _And the birk and the broom blooms bonnie_.

O so it fell, upon a day She heard young Beichan sadly sing: _My hounds they all go masterless; My hawks they flee from tree to tree; My younger brother will heir my land; Fair...

But long ere seven years had an end, She longd full sore her love to see; For ever a voice within her breast Said, “Beichan has broke his vow to thee.” So she’s set her foot on...

“For, ah! her gentle heart is broke, And in grave soon must she be, Sith her father hath chose her a new, new love, And forbid her to think of thee.

“Ah! well I wot, he never would rest, Nor his meat should do him no good, Till he had slain thee, Child of Elle, And seen thy dear heart’s blood!”.

_At eve last Midsummer, no sleep I sought, But to the field a bag of Hempseed brought; I scattered round the seed on every side, And three times in a trembling accent cried: “Th...

“Then I would never tire, Janet, In Elfish land to dwell; But aye, at every seven years, They pay the teind to hell; And I am sae fat and fair of flesh, I fear’t will be mysell.

Their oaten pipes blew wondrous shrill. The hemlock small blew clear; And louder notes from hemlock large, And bog-reed, struck the ear; But solemn sounds, or sober thoughts, Th...

Yet his plate-jack was braced, and his helmet was laced, And his vaunt-brace of proof he wore; At his saddle-gerthe was a good steel sperthe, Full ten pound weight and more.

He passed the court-gate, and he oped the tower-grate, And he mounted the narrow stair, To the bartizan seat, where, with maids that on her wait, He found his Lady fair.

“At our trysting-place, for a certain space, I must wander to and fro; But I had not had power to come to thy bower, Hadst thou not conjured me so.”--

There’s a fair Castle, bigged wi’ lime and stane; O gin it stands not pleasantlie! In the fore front o’ that Castle fair, Twa unicorns are bra’ to see; There’s the picture of a...

James Boyd took his leave o’ the noble King, To Ettrick Forest fair cam’ he; Down Birkendale Brae when that he cam’, He saw the fair forest wi’ his ee.

“There’s the dae, the rae, the hart, the hind, And of a’ wild beasts great plentie; There’s a pretty Castle of lime and stane, Oh! gin it stands not pleasantlie!

“Sicken like mercy sall ye have, On gallows ye sall hangit be!” “Over God’s forbode,” quoth the Outlaw then, “I hope your Grace will better be! Else, ere you come to Edinburgh p...

Up the streets of Aberdeen, By the kirk and college green, Rode the Laird of Ury; Close behind him, close beside, Foul of mouth and evil-eyed, Pressed the mob in fury.