20 'O if she be with child,' Johnnie said,
'As I trew well she be,
I will make it heir of all my land,
And her my gay ladie.'
21 'But if she be with child,' said the king,
'As I trew well she be,
Before the morn at ten o clock
High hanged thou shalt be.'
22 'O no, O no,' said good King James,
'Before such a thing shall be,
Before that Johnnie Scot be hanged,
We'll a' fight till we die.'
23 'But there is a Talliant in my court,
Of men he will fight five;
Go bring them out to the green wood,
See wha will gain the prize.'
24 Lords and ladies flocked all,
They flocked all amain,
They flocked all to the green wood,
To see poor Johnnie slain.
25 This Talliant he could find no way
To be poor Johnnie's dead,
But, like unto a swallow swift,
He jumped oer Johnnie's head.
26 But Johnnie was a clever man,
Cunning and crafty withal,
And up on the top of his braid sword
He made this Talliant fall.
27 'A priest, a priest,' then Johnnie cried,
'To marry my love and me;'
'A clerk, a clerk,' her father cried,
'To sum the tocher free.'
28 'I'll take none of your gold,' Johnnie said,
'Nor none of your other gear,
But I'll just have my own true-love,
This day I've won her dear.'