'Herr Peder og hans Söster,' an unpublished Danish ballad, of which Grundtvig obtained a single traditional version, has also a slight resemblance to 'Lizie Wan.' Kirsten invites Sir Peter to her bed. He declines for various reasons, which she refutes. She discovers him to be her brother by her needle-work in his shirt. He draws his knife and stabs her. "This was also a pitiful sight, the twin children playing in the mother's bosom." Compare Kristensen, II, No 74 A, D, E, at the end.
The conclusion, A 11-12, B 10-17, resembles that of '[The Twa Brothers],' No 49, but is poetically much inferior.
A.
Herd's MSS, I, 151; stanzas 1-6, II, p. 78. Herd's Scottish Songs, 1776, I, 91.
1
Lizie Wan sits at her father's bower-door,
Weeping and making a mane,
And by there came her father dear:
'What ails thee, Lizie Wan?'
2
'I ail, and I ail, dear father,' she said,
'And I'll tell you a reason for why;
There is a child between my twa sides,
Between my dear billy and I.'
3
Now Lizie Wan sits at her father's bower-door,
Sighing and making a mane,
And by there came her brother dear:
'What ails thee, Lizie Wan?'
4
'I ail, I ail, dear brither,' she said,
'And I'll tell you a reason for why;
There is a child between my twa sides,
Between you, dear billy, and I.'
5
'And hast thou tald father and mother o that?
And hast thou tald sae o me?'
And he has drawn his gude braid sword,
That hang down by his knee.