Blancheflour and Jellyflorice
No: 300; variant: 300A
- THERE was a maid, richly arrayd,
In robes were rare to see,
For seven years and something mair
She servd a gay ladie.
- But being fond o a higher place,
In service she thought lang;
She took her mantle her about,
Her coffer by the band.
- And as she walkd by the shore-side,
As blythe's a bird on tree,
Yet still she gaz'd her round about,
To see what she could see.
- At last she spied a little castle,
That stood near by the sea;
She spied it far and drew it near,
To that castle went she.
- And when she came to that castle
She tirled at the pin,
And ready stood a little wee boy
To lat this fair maid in.
- 'O who's the owner of this place,
O porter-boy, tell me;'
'This place belongs unto a queen
O birth and high degree.'
- She put her hand in her pocket,
And gae him shillings three:
'O porter, bear my message well
Unto the queen frae me.'
- The porter's gane before the queen,
Fell low down on his knee:
'Win up, win up, my porter-boy,
What makes this courtesie?'
- 'I hae been porter at your yetts,
My dame, these years full three,
But see a ladie at your yetts
The fairest my eyes did see.'
- 'Cast up my yetts baith wide and braid,
Lat her come in to me,
And I'll know by her courtesie
Lord's daughter if she be.'
- When she came in before the queen,
Fell low down on her knee:
'Service frae you, my dame the queen,
I pray you grant it me.'
- 'If that service ye now do want,
What station will ye be?
Can ye card wool, or spin, fair maid,
Or milk the cows to me?'
- 'No, I can neither card nor spin,
Nor cows I canno milk,
But sit into a lady's bower
And sew the seams o silk.'
- 'What is your name, ye comely dame?
Pray tell this unto me:'
'O Blancheflour, that is my name,
Born in a strange countrie.'
- 'O keep ye well frae Jellyflorice----
My ain dear son is he----
When other ladies get a gift,
O that ye shall get three.'
- It wasna tald into the bower
Till it went thro the ha,
That Jellyflorice and Blancheflour
Were grown ower great witha.
- When the queen's maids their visits paid,
Upo the gude Yule-day,
When other ladies got horse to ride,
She boud take foot and gae.
- The queen she calld her stable-groom,
To come to her right seen;
Says, Ye'll take out yon wild waith steed
And bring him to the green.
- 'Ye'll take the bridle frae his head,
The lighters frae his een;
Ere she ride three times roun the cross,
Her weel-days will be dune.'
- Jellyflorice his true-love spy'd
As she rade roun the cross,
And thrice he kissd her lovely lips,
And took her frae her horse.
- 'Gang to your bower, my lily-flower,
For a' my mother's spite;
There's nae other amang her maids,
In whom I take delight.
- 'Ye are my jewel, and only ane,
Nane 's do you injury;
For ere this-day-month come and gang
My wedded wife ye'se be.'