Alison Gross
Lizzie Higgins, In Memory of Lizzie Higgins 1929-1993, Musical Traditions MTCD337-8. Ballad recorded by Peter Hall at the Jeannie Robertson Memorial Concert, 1977. Unfortunately, Peter Hall's tape recorder came to the end of the reel before Lizzie reached the end of the song, and so the final three verses in Times face come from another recording made by Tim Neat.

ALISON GROSS

Aul Alison Gross she lives in yon tower,
The ugliest witch in the north country,
Has trysted me ae day til her bower
And many a braw speech she's made to me

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa an lat me be.
Afore I kiss your ugly mou
I'd raither toddle around the tree

She showed me a mantle of reid scarlet
Wrocht wi golden fringes fine.
"Gin ye will be my leman so true,
This goodly gift it sall be thine".

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa an lat me be.
Afore I kiss your ugly mou
I'd raither toddle around the tree

She showed me a sark o the saftest silk,
Weel wrocht wi pearls aboun the band.
"Gin ye will be my leman so true,
This goodly gift at yer command."

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa an lat me be.
Afore I kiss your ugly mou
I'd raither toddle around the tree

She showed me a cup o the guid red gowd
Weel set wi jewels and they're sae fine.
"Gin ye will be my leman so true,
This goodly gift it shall be thine."

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa an lat me be.
Afore I kiss your ugly mou
I'd raither toddle around the tree

She's taen oot her grass green horn,
She's blew it three times loud and shrill,
Swore by the moon and stars aboun
She'd gar me rue the day that I was born.

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa an lat me be.
Afore I kiss your ugly mou
I'd raither toddle around the tree

She's taen oot her silver wand,
She's turned three times aroun the tree,
Muttered sic words that my sense did fail
And I fell doon senseless tae the ground.

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa an lat me be.
Afore I kiss your ugly mou
I'd raither toddle around the tree

Wi silver basin an silver kaim
Tae kaim my headie upon her knee,
Aye on ilka Saturday nicht
Aul Alison Gross she comes tae me.

Awa, awa, ye ugly witch,
Haud far awa an lat me be.
Afore I kiss your ugly mou
I'd raither toddle around the tree

But it fell upon last Halloween
When the Seily Court cam ridin by,
The Queen's lichted on a gowan bank,
Nae far frae the tree where I did lie.

She's lifted me in her milk-white hand.
She's pricked me three times on her knee.
She's turned me back tae ma proper shape.
Nae mair I'll toddle aroon the tree.