Alison Gross

2. She straik'd my head, and she kaim'd my hair,
And she set me down saftly on her knee;
Says - "If ye will be my leman sae true,
Sae mony braw things as I will you gi'e."

3. She shaw'd me a mantle of red scarlet,
With gowden flowers and fringes fine;
Says - "If ye will be my leman sae true,
This goodly gift it shall be thine."

4. "Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Hand far awa, and let me be;
I never will be your leman sae true,
And I wish I were out of your company."

5. She neist brocht a sark of the saftest silk,
Weel wrought with pearls about the band;
Says - "If ye will be my ain true love,
This goodly gift ye shall command."

6. She show'd me a cup of the good red gowd,
Weel set with jewels sae fair to see;
Says - "If ye will be my leman sae true,
This goodly gift I will you gi'e."

8. She's turn'd her richt and round about,
And thrice she blew on a grass-green horn;
And she sware by the moon and the stars aboon,
That she'd gar me rue the day I was born.

9. Then out has she ta'en a silver wand,
And she turn'd her three times round and round;
She mutter'd sic words, that my strength it fail'd,
And I fell down senseless on the ground.

10. She turn'd me into an ugly worm,
And gar'd me toddle about the tree;
And aye on ilka Saturday night,
Auld Alison Gross she came to me,

11. With silver basin, and silver kame,
To kame my headie upon her knee;
But rather than kiss her ugly mouth,
I'd ha'e toddled for ever about the tree.

12. But as it fell out on last Hallow-e'en,
When the seely court was ridin' by,
The queen lighted down on a gowan bank,
Near by the tree where I wont to lye.