Buchan's Manuscripts, I, 35; Dixon, Scottish Traditional Versions
of Ancient Ballads, p. 37, Percy Society, vol. xvii.
| 1 |
There was a jolly harper-man,
That harped aye frae toun to toun;
A wager he made, with two knights he laid
To steal King Henry's Wanton Brown. |
| 2 |
Sir Roger he wagered five ploughs o land,
Sir Charles wagered five thousand pound,
And John he's taen the deed in hand,
To steal King Henry's Wanton Brown. |
| 3 |
He's taen his harp into his hand,
And he gaed harping thro the toun,
And as the king in his palace sat,
His ear was touched wi the soun. |
| 4 |
'Come in, come in, ye harper-man,
Some o your harping let me hear;'
'Indeed, my liege, and by your grace,
I'd rather hae stabling to my mare.' |
| 5 |
'Ye'll gang to yon outer court,
That stands a little below the toun;
Ye'll find a stable snug and neat,
Where stands my stately Wanton Brown.' |
| 6 |
He's down him to the outer court,
That stood a little below the toun;
There found a stable snug and neat,
For stately stood the Wanton Brown. |
| 7 |
Then he has fixd a good strong cord
Unto his grey mare's bridle-rein,
And tied it unto that steed's tail,
Syne shut the stable-door behin. |
| 8 |
Then he harped on, and he carped on,
Till all were fast asleep;
Then down thro bower and ha he's gone,
Even on his hands and feet. |
| 9 |
He's to yon stable snug and neat,
That lay a little below the toun;
For there he placed his ain grey mare,
Alang wi Henry's Wanton Brown. |
| 10 |
'Ye'll do you down thro mire and moss,
Thro mony bog and lairy hole;
But never miss your Wanton slack;
Ye'll gang to Mayblane, to your foal.' |
| 11 |
As soon's the door he had unshut,
The mare gaed prancing frae the town,
An at her bridle-rein was tied
Henry's statey Wanton Brown. |
| 12 |
Then she did rin thro mire an moss,
Thro mony bog an miery hole;
But never missed her Wanton slack
Till she reachd Mayblane, to her foal. |
| 13 |
When the king awaked from sleep
He to the harper-man did say,
O waken ye, waken ye, jolly John,
We've fairly slept till it is day. |
| 14 |
'Win up, win up, ye harper-man,
Some mair o harping ye'll gie me:'
He said, My liege, wi a' my heart,
But first my gude grey mare maun see. |
| 15 |
Then forth he ran, and in he came,
Dropping mony a feigned tear:
'Some rogue[s] hae broke the outer court,
An stown awa my gude grey mare.' |
| 16 |
'Then by my sooth,' the king replied,
'If there's been rogues into the toun,
I fear, as well as your grey mare,
Awa is my stately Wanton Brown.' |
| 17 |
'My loss is great,' the harper said,
'My loss is twice as great, I fear;
In Scotland I lost a gude grey steed,
An here I've lost a gude grey mare.' |
| 18 |
'Come on, come on, ye harper-man,
Some o your music lat me hear;
Well paid ye'se be, John, for the same,
An likewise for your gude grey mare.' |
| 19 |
When that John his money received,
Then he went harping frae the toun,
But little did King Henry ken
He'd stown awa his Wanton Brown. |
| 20 |
The knights then lay ower castle-wa,
An they beheld baith dale an down,
An saw the jolly harper-man
Come harping on to Striveling toun. |
| 21 |
Then, 'By my sooth,' Sir Roger said,
'Are ye returned back to toun?
Idoubt my lad ye hae ill sped
Of stealing o the Wanton Brown.' |
| 22 |
'I hae been into fair England,
An even into Lunan toun,
An in King Henry's outer court,
An stown awa the Wanton Brown.' |
| 23 |
'Ye lie, ye lie,' Sir Charles he said,
'An aye sae loud's I hear ye lie;
Twall armed men, in armour bright,
They guard the stable night and day.' |
| 24 |
'But I did harp them all asleep,
An managed my business cunninglie;
If ye make light o what I say,
Come to my stable an ye'll see. |
| 25 |
'My music pleasd the king sae well
Mair o my harping he wishd to hear;
An for the same he paid me well,
And also for my gude grey mare.' |
| 26 |
Then he drew out a gude lang purse,
Well stored wi gowd an white monie,
An in a short time after this
The Wanton Brown he lat them see. |
| 27 |
Sir Roger produced his ploughs o land,
Sir Charles produced his thousand pounds,
Then back to Henry, the English king,
Restored the stately Wanton Brown. |
