The Jolly Beggar
No: 279; variant: 279B
- THERE was a jolly beggar, and a begging he was bound,
And he took up his quarters into a landart town.
Fa la la, etc.
- He wad neither ly in barn, nor yet wad he in byre,
But in ahint the ha-door, or else afore the fire.
- The beggar's bed was made at een wi good clean straw and hay,
And in ahint the ha-door, and there the beggar lay.
- Up raise the goodman's dochter, and for to bar the door,
And there she saw the beggar standin i the floor.
- He took the lassie in his arms and to the bed he ran,
'O hooly, hooly wi me, sir! ye'll waken our goodman.'
- The beggar was a cunnin loon, and neer a word he spake
Until he got his turn done, syne he began to crack.
- 'Is there ony dogs into this town? maiden, tell me true.'
'And what wad ye do wi them, my hinny and my dow?'
- 'They'll rive a' my mealpocks, and do me meikle wrang.'
'O dool for the doing o't! are ye the poor man?'
- Then she took up the mealpocks and flang them oer the wa:
'The d--l gae wi the mealpocks, my maidenhead and a'!
- 'I took ye for some gentleman, at least the Larid of Brodie;
O dool for the doing o't! are ye the poor bodie?'
- He took the lassie in his arms and gae her kisses three,
And four-and-twenty hunder merk to pay the nurice-fee.
- He took a horn frae his side and blew baith loud and shrill,
And four-and-twenty belted knights came skipping oer the hill.
- And he took out his little knife, loot a' his duddies fa,
And he was the brawest gentleman that was amang them a'.
- The beggar was a cliver loon and he lap shoulder height:
'O ay for sicken quarters as I gat yesternight!'