The Keach I the Creel
No: 281; variant: 281C
- As I gaed down to Collistown,
Some white-fish for to buy, buy,
The cunning clerk he followed me,
And he followed me speedily, ly,
And he followed me speedily.
- Says, Faur ye gaun, my dearest dear?
O faur ye gaun, my dow?
There's naebody comes to my bedside,
And naebody wins to you.
- 'Your brother is a gallant square-wright,
A gallant square-wright is he;
Ye'll gar him make a lang ladder,
Wi thirty steps and three.
- 'And gar him big a deep, deep creel,
A deep creel and a string,
And ye'll come up to my bedside,
And come bonnily linken in.'
- The auld gudemand and auld gudewife,
To bed they went, to sleep;
But wae mat worth the auld gudewife!
A wink she coudna get.
- 'I dreamd a dreary dream this night,
I wish it binna true,
That the rottens had come thro the wa,
And cutted the coverin blue.'
- Then up it raise the auld gudeman,
To see gin it was true;
And he's gane to his daughter dear,
Says, What are ye doing, my dow?
- 'What are ye doing, my daughter dear?
What are ye doing, my dow?'
'The prayer book's in my hand, father,
Praying for my auld minnie and you.'
- The auld gudeman and auld gudewife,
To bed they went, to sleep;
But wae mat worth the auld gudewife!
But aye she wakend yet.
- 'I dreamd a dreary dream this night,
I wish it binna true,
That the cunning clerk and your ae daughter
Were aneath the coverin blue'
- 'O rise yoursell, gudewife,' he says,
'The diel may had you fast!
Atween you and your ae daughter
I canno get ae night's rest.'
- Up then raise the auld gudewife,
To see gin it was true,
And she feel arselins in the creel,
And up the string they drew.
- 'Win up, win up, gudeman,' she says,
'Win up and help me now!
For he that ye gae me to last night,
I think he's catchd me now.'
- 'Gin Auld Nick he has catchd you now,
I wish he may had you fast;
As for you and your ae daughter,
I never get kindly rest.'
- They howded her, and they showded her,
Till the auld wife gat a fa,
And three ribs o the auld wife's side
Gaed knip-knap ower in twa.