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| THERE lived a wife at Usher’s Well, | |
| And a wealthy wife was she, | |
| She had three stout and stalwart sons, | |
| And sent them o’er the sea. | |
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| They hadna been a week from her, | 5 |
| A week but barely ane, | |
| When word came to the carline wife, | |
| That her three sons were gane. | |
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| They hadna been a week from her, | |
| A week but barely three, | 10 |
| When word came to the carline wife, | |
| That her sons she ’d never see. | |
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| “I wish the wind may never cease, | |
| Nor fashes in the flood, | |
| Till my three sons come hame to me, | 15 |
| In earthly flesh and blood.” | |
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| It fell about the Martinmas, | |
| When nights are lang and mirk, | |
| The carline wife’s three sons came hame, | |
| And their hats were o’ the birk. | 20 |
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| It neither grew in syke nor ditch, | |
| Nor yet in ony sheugh; | |
| But at the gates o’ Paradise, | |
| That birk grew fair eneugh. * * * * * | |
| “Blow up the fire, my maidens! | 25 |
| Bring water from the well! | |
| For a’ my house shall feast this night, | |
| Since my three sons are well.” | |
| |
| And she has made to them a bed, | |
| She ’s made it large and wide; | 30 |
| And she ’s ta’en her mantle her about, | |
| Sat down at the bedside. * * * * * | |
| Up then crew the red red cock, | |
| And up and crew the gray; | |
| The eldest to the youngest said, | 35 |
| “’T is time we were away.” | |
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| The cock he hadna crawed but once, | |
| And clapped his wings at a’, | |
| Whan the youngest to the eldest said, | |
| “Brother, we must awa. | 40 |
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| “The cock doth craw, the day doth daw, | |
| The channerin’ worm doth chide; | |
| Gin we be mist out o’ our place, | |
| A sair pain we maun bide. | |
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| “Fare ye weel, my mother dear! | 45 |
| Fareweel to barn and byre! | |
| And fare ye weel, the bonny lass, | |
| That kindles my mother’s fire.” | |
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