The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #25270   Message #295588
Posted By: Jock Morris
12-Sep-00 - 09:04 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Alison Cross / Allison Gross (Child #35)
Subject: Lyr Add: ALLISON CROSS (from Malinky)^^
As promised here's Malinky's version:

ALLISON CROSS

Alison Cross lives in yon tower
The ugliest witch in the North countrie
She's trysted me ae day til her bower
And mony's the braw speech she made tae me

She showed me a mantle o reid scarlet
Weel wrocht wi gowd and fringes fine
Says gin ye'll be my leman sae true
This gudely gift it shall be thine
She showed me a sark o the saftest silk
Weel wrocht wi pearls abune the band
Says gin ye'll be my leman sae true
This gudely gift's at your command

She showed me a cup o the gude reid gowd
Weel wrocht wi jewels sae fair and fine
Says gin ye'll be my leman sae true
This gudely gift it shall be thine

She's ta'en oot her grass green horn
She blew it three times loud and shrill
She swore by the moon and the stars abune
She'd gar me rue the day I ever was born

She's ta'en oot her silvery wand
She straiked it three times o'er her knee
She's muttered sic words as my senses failed
I feel doon senseless tae the ground

It fell upon last Halloween
When the seely coort came riding by
The Queen's lichit doon on a gowany bank
Nae far fae the tree whaur I did lie

She's ta'en oot her silvery wand
She straked it three times o'er her knee
She's turned me back tae ma proper shape
Nae mare tae toddle around the tree


From the sleeve notes "Last leaves (1925 publication of the Greig-Keith collection Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs) refers to a version from 1783 by a Mrs Brown and ours is a shortened version from the singing of the great Lizzie Higgins"

^^ Jock