But first he gaed to his gude wyfe,5
Wi' a the haste that he could thole—
"This wark," quo' he, "will ne'er gae weel,
Without a mare that has a foal."
Quo' she—"Thou hast a gude gray mare,
That can baith lance o'er laigh and hie;10
Sae set thee on the gray mare's back,
And leave the foal at hame wi' me."
So he is up to England gane,
And even as fast as he may drie;
And when he cam to Carlisle gate,15
O whae was there but the Warden hie?
"Come into my hall, thou silly blind Harper,
And of thy harping let me hear!"
"O, by my sooth," quo' the silly blind Harper,
"I wad rather hae stabling for my mare."20
The Warden look'd ower his left shoulder,
And said unto his stable groom—
"Gae take the silly blind Harper's mare,
And tie her beside my Wanton Brown."
Then aye he harped, and aye he carped,25
Till a' the lordlings footed the floor;
But an the music was sae sweet,
The groom had nae mind o' the stable door.
And aye he harped, and aye he carped,
Till a' the nobles were fast asleep;30
Then quickly he took aff his shoon,
And saftly down the stair did creep.
Syne to the stable door he hied,
Wi' tread as light as light could be;
And when he open'd and gaed in,35
There he fand thirty steeds and three.
He took a cowt halter frae his hose,
And o' his purpose he didna fail;
He slipt it ower the Wanton's nose,