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Story-Telling Ballads

by Frances Jenkins Olcott

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Part II

When they came to Glenlion castle,
  They lighted at the yate,
And out it came his sisters three,
  Wha did them kindly greet.

O they’ve taen Baby by the hands
  And led her oer the green,
And ilka lady spake a word,
  But bonny Baby spake nane.

Then out it spake her bonny Jean,
  The youngest o the three,
“O lady, dinna look sae sad,
  But tell your grief to me.”

“O wherefore should I tell my grief,
  Since lax I canna find?
I’m stown frae a’ my kin and friends,
  And my love I left behind.

“But had I paper, pen, and ink,
  Before that it were day,
I yet might get a letter sent
  In time to Johny Hay.”

O she’s got paper, pen, and ink,
  And candle that she might see,
And she has written a broad letter
  To Johny at Dundee.

And she has gotten a bonny boy,
  That was baith swift and strang,
Wi philabeg and bonnet blue,
  Her errand for to gang.

“O boy, gin ye’d my blessing win
  And help me in my need,
Run wi this letter to my love,
  And bid him come wi speed.

“And here’s a chain of good red gowd,
  And gowdn guineas three,
And when you’ve well your errand done,
  You’ll get them for your fee.”

The boy he ran oer hill and dale,
  Fast as a bird coud flee,
And eer the sun was twa hours height
  The boy was at Dundee.

And when he came to Johny’s door
  He knocked loud and sair;
Then Johny to the window came,
  And loudly cry’d, “Wha’s there?”

“O here’s a letter I have brought,
  Which ye maun quickly read,
And, gin ye woud your lady save,
  Gang back wi me wi speed.”

O when he had the letter read,
  An angry man was he;
He says, “Glenlion, thou shalt rue
  This deed of villany!

“O saddle to me the black, the black,
  O saddle to me the brown,
O saddle to me the swiftest steed
  That eer rade frae the town.

“And arm ye well, my merry men a’,
  And follow me to the glen,
For I vow I’ll neither eat nor sleep
  Till I get my love again.”

He’s mounted on a milk-white steed,
  The boy upon a gray,
And they got to Glenlion’s castle
  About the close of day.

As Baby at her window stood,
  The west wind salt did bla;
She heard her Johny’s well-kent voice
  Beneath the castle wa.

“O Baby, haste, the window jump!
  I’ll kep you in my arm;
My merry men a’ are at the yate,
  To rescue you frae harm.”

She to the window fixt her sheets
  And slipped safely down,
And Johny catchd her in his arms,
  Neer loot her touch the ground.

When mounted on her Johny’s horse,
  Fou blithely did she say,
“Glenlion, you hae lost your bride!
  She’s aff wi Johny Hay.”

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