A
Herd’s MSS, I, 140.
1
Hame came our goodman,
And hame came he,
And then he saw a saddle-horse,
Where nae horse should be.
2
‘What’s this now, goodwife?
What’s this I see?
How came this horse here,
Without the leave o me?’
Recitative. ‘A horse?’ quo she.
‘Ay, a horse,’ quo he.
3
‘Shame fa your cuckold face,
Ill mat ye see!
’Tis naething but a broad sow,
My minnie sent to me.’
‘A broad sow?’ quo he.
‘Ay, a sow,’ quo shee.
4
‘Far hae I ridden,
And farer hae I gane,
But a sadle on a sow’s back
I never saw nane.’
5
Hame came our goodman,
And hame came he;
He spy’d a pair of jack-boots,
Where nae boots should be.
6
‘What’s this now, goodwife?
What’s this I see?
How came these boots here,
Without the leave o me?’
‘Boots?’ quo she.
‘Ay, boots,’ quo he.
7
‘Shame fa your cuckold face,
And ill mat ye see!
It’s but a pair of water-stoups,
My minnie sent to me.’
‘Water-stoups?’ quo he.
‘Ay, water-stoups,’ quo she.
8
‘Far hae I ridden,
And farer hae I gane,
But siller spurs on water-stoups
I saw never nane.’
9
Hame came our goodman,
And hame came he,
And he saw a sword,
Whare a sword should na be.
10
‘What’s this now, goodwife?
What’s this I see?
How came this sword here,
Without the leave o me?’
‘A sword?’ quo she.
‘Ay, a sword,’ quo he.
11
‘Shame fa your cuckold face,
Ill mat ye see!
It’s but a porridge-spurtle,
My minnie sent to me.’
‘A spurtle?’ quo he.
‘Ay, a spurtle,’ quo she.
12
‘Far hae I ridden,
And farer hae I gane,
But siller-handed spurtles
I saw never nane.’
13
Hame came our goodman,
And hame came he;
There he spy’d a powderd wig,
Where nae wig shoud be.
14
‘What’s this now, goodwife?
What’s this I see?
How came this wig here,
Without the leave o me?’
‘A wig?’ quo she.
‘Ay, a wig,’ quo he.
15
‘Shame fa your cuckold face,
And ill mat you see!
’Tis naething but a clocken-hen,
My minnie sent to me.’
‘Clocken hen?’ quo he.
‘Ay, clocken hen,’ quo she.
16
‘Far hae I ridden,
And farer hae I gane,
But powder on a clocken-hen
I saw never nane.’
17
Hame came our goodman,
And hame came he,
And there he saw a muckle coat,
Where nae coat shoud be.
18
‘What’s this now, goodwife?
What’s this I see?
How came this coat here,
Without the leave o me?’
‘A coat?’ quo she.
‘Ay, a coat,’ quo he.
19
‘Shame fa your cuckold face,
Ill mat ye see!
It’s but a pair o blankets,
My minnie sent to me.’
‘Blankets?’ quo he.
‘Ay, blankets,’ quo she.
20
‘Far hae I ridden,
And farer hae I gane,
But buttons upon blankets
I saw never nane.’
21
Ben went our goodman,
And ben went he,
And there he spy’d a sturdy man,
Where nae man shoud be.
22
‘What’s this now, goodwife?
What’s this I see?
How came this man here,
Without the leave o me?’
‘A man?’ quo she.
‘Ay, a man,’ quo he.
23
‘Poor blind body,
And blinder mat ye be!
It’s a new milking-maid,
My mither sent to me.’
‘A maid?’ quo he.
‘Ay, a maid,’ quo she.
24
‘Far hae I ridden,
And farer hae I gane,
But lang-bearded maidens
I saw never nane.’