But aye, as ever a child was born, He carried them away, And brought them to his mither’s care As fast as he could fly.
When he had stay’d in bower wi’ her For seven lang years an’ mair There cam’ a lord o’ high renown To court this lady fair.
But still his proffer she refused And a’ his presents too; Says, ‘I’m content to live alane Wi’ my bird Coo-me-doo.’
Her father swore a michty oath Amang the nobles all, ‘The morn, or ere I eat or drink, This bird I will gar kill.’
The bird was sitting in his cage And heard what they did say; Says, ‘Wae is me, and you forlorn, If I do langer stay!’
Then Coo-me-doo took flight and flew And afar beyond the sea, And lichted near his mither’s castle On a tower o’ gowd sae hie.
His mither she was walking out To see what she could see, And there she saw her one young son Set on the tower sae hie.
‘Get dancers here to dance,’ she said, ‘And minstrels for to play; For here’s my young son Florentine Come hame wi’ me to stay.’--
‘Get nae dancers to dance, mither, Nor minstrels for to play; For the mither o’ my seven sons, The morn’s her wedding-day.’--
‘O tell me, tell me, Florentine, Tell me, an tell me true; Tell me this day without a flaw What I will do for you?’--
‘Instead of dancers to dance, mither, Or minstrels for to play, Turn four-and-twenty well-wight[216] men Like storks in feathers gray:
‘My seven sons in seven swans Aboon their heads to flee; And I mysel’ a gay goshawk, A bird o’ high degree.’
Then siching said the Queen hersel’, ‘That thing’s too high for me!’ But she applied to an auld woman Wha had mair skill than she.
Instead o’ dancers to dance a dance, Or minstrels for to play, Four-and-twenty well-wight men Turn’d birds o’ feathers gray.
Her seven sons in seven swans, Aboon their heads to flee; And he himsel’ a gay goshawk, A bird o’ high degree.
This flock o’ birds took flight and flew Beyond the raging sea, And landed near the Earl Mar’s castle, Took shelter in every tree.
They were a flock o’ pretty birds Right comely to be seen; The people view’d them wi’ surprise As they dancèd on the green.
These birds flew out frae every tree And lichted on the ha’, And [frae the roof] with force did flee Amang the nobles a’.
The storks there seized [ilk wedding-guest] --They could not fight nor flee; The swans they bound the [bridegroom fast] Below a green aik tree.