THERE was a jolly beggar, and a begging he was bound,
And he took up his quarters into a landart town.
Fa la la, etc.
He wad neither ly in barn, nor yet wad he in byre,
But in ahint the ha-door, or else afore the fire.
The beggar-s bed was made at een wi good clean straw and hay,
And in ahint the ha-door, and there the beggar lay.
raise the goodman-s dochter, and for to bar the door,
And there she saw the beggar standin i the floor.
He took the lassie in his arms and to the bed he ran,
-O hooly, hooly wi me, sir! ye-ll waken our goodman.-
The beggar was a cunnin loon, and neer a word he spake
Until he got his turn done, syne he began to crack.
-Is there ony dogs into this town? maiden, tell me true.-
-And what wad ye do wi them, my hinny and my dow?-
-They-ll rive a- my mealpocks, and do me meikle wrang.-
-O dool for the doing o-t! are ye the poor man?-
Then she took up the mealpocks and flang them oer the wa:
-The d--l gae wi the mealpocks, my maidenhead and a-!
-I took ye for some gentleman, at least the Larid of Brodie;
O dool for the doing o-t! are ye the poor bodie?-
took the lassie in his arms and gae her kisses three,
And four-and-twenty hunder merk to pay the nurice-fee.
He took a horn frae his side and blew baith loud and shrill,
And four-and-twenty belted knights came skipping oer the hill.
And he took out his little knife, loot a- his duddies fa,
And he was the brawest gentleman that was amang them a-.
The beggar was a cliver loon and he lap shoulder height:
-O ay for sicken quarters as I gat yesternight!-