Ancient Scottish ballads, recovered from tradition, and never before ...

181
" My hounds will eat o' the bread o' wheat,
And ye of the bread of bran;
And then you will sit and sigh,
That e'er ye loed a man."
The first water that they cam to,
I think they call it Clyde,
He saftly unto her did say,
—
"Lady Marg'ret, will ye ride?"
The first step that she steppit in,
She steppit to the knee;
Says, "Wae be to ye, waefu' water,
For through ye I maun be."
The second step that she steppit in,
She steppit. to the middle,
And sigh'd, and said, Lady Margaret,—
" I've stain'd my gowden girdle."
The third step that she steppit in,
She steppit to the neck;
The pretty babe within her sides,
The cauld it garr'd it squake.*
* Squuke— cry.