Classic Poem

O Alison Gross, that lives in yon tower,
The ugliest witch in the north countrie,
His trysted me ae day up till her bower,
And mony fair speech she made to me.

She straiked my head, and she kembed my hair,
And she set me down saftly on her knee,
Says, Gin ye will be my lemman sae true,
Sae mony braw things as I would you gi'e.

She shaw'd me a mantle o' red scarlet,
Wi' gouden flowers and fringes fine,
Says, Gin ye will be my lemman sae true,
This goodly gift it sall be thine.

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa, and lat me be;
I never will be your lemman sae true,
And I wish I were out of your company.

She neist brocht a sark o' the saftest silk,
Weel wrought wi' pearls about the band;
Says, Gin ye will be my ain true love,
This goodly gift ye sall command.

She shaw'd me a cup o' the good red goud,
Weel set wi' jewels sae fair to see;
Says, Gin ye will be my lemman sae true,
This goodly gift I will you gie.

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch!
Haud for awa, and lat me be;
For I wadna ance kiss your ugly mouth
For a' the gifts that ye cou'd gie.

She 's turned 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.

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

She's turn'd me into an ugly worm,
And gar'd me toddle about the tree;
And ay, on ilka Saturday's night,
My sister Maisry came to me,

Wi' silver bason, and silver kemb,
To kemb my headie upon her knee;
But or I had kiss'd her ugly mouth,
I'd rather hae toddled about the tree.

But as it fell out on last Hallowe'en,
When the SEELY COURT was ridin' by,
The queen lighted down on a gowan bank,
Nae far frae the tree whare I wont to lye.

She took me up in her milk-white hand,
And she straiked me three times o'er her knee;
She changed me again to my ain proper shape,
And I nae mair maun toddle about the tree.