False Young Man- Aikins (NS) 1950 Creighton C
[My title. From Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia by Creighton and Senior; 1950. No date given, no music. Stanzas 8 and 9 show this version is related to Child F, the oldest version.
R. Matteson 2014]
[False Young Man] Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight [C] Sung by Mr. Robert Aikins, Roman Valley.
I will sing you a song of a false young man
Who courted a lady gay,
And all of that he courted of this pretty maid
Was to take her sweet life away.
"Go and bring me some of your mother's gold
And some of your father's too
And the two best horses in her father's stable door
Where they stand thirty and three."
She brought him some of her mother's gold
And some of her father's too,
And two of the best horses in her father's stable door
Where they stand thirty and three.
4. She mounted on her milk white steed
And she rode along the bay,
Till at length she dame to a clear running stream
Three hours before it was day.
5. "Light off, light off my pretty fair maid,
Light off, light off," said he.
"For it's six pretty maids I have drownded here
And the seventh You shall be."
6. "Take off, take off that new silk gown
And pass it on to me,
For i do think that your clothing is too good
To rot in the salt sea."
7. She took off her new silk gown
And she laid it on the ground,
And it's out of this fair one's pocket he took
Five thousand pounds of gold.
8. "Go and bring me the sickle that I may cut the nettle
That grows on the river's banks,
So it won't meddle up with your curly curly locks
Or meddle with your-milk white skin. "
9. She brought him the sickle that he might cut the nettle
That grew on the river's bank,
And with all the strength this fair one had
She shoved this false knight in.
10. " Show pity, show Pity, " he did cry,
" Show pity, " he did cry,
"And ail the deeds that I have ever done
I'll double them over in three. "
11. "Lie there, lie there you false young man,
Lie there instead of me,
For I don't think your clothing are too good
To rot in the salt sea. "
12. She mounted on her milk white steed
And she rode along the bay,
For at length she-came to her father's castle door
Two hours before it was day.
13. She stepped up to her father's castle door
And the parrot says to her,
"O where have you been my pretty mis-ter-ess
This whole long summer's night. "
L4. "Hush up, hush up, my pretty Polly dear,
Hush up, hush up, " said she,
"For your cag€e shall be made.of the purest gold
And your door of the ivory."
15. "What are you doing my pretty rose
So early before the day? "
"The cat came to my cage
And I called my pretty mistress to drive the cat away."