Francis James Child

“ It’s twin’d me and my world’s make.’
‘O sister, reach me but your glove,
And sweet William shall be your love.’
‘Sink on, nor hope for hand or glove,
And sweet William shall better be my love.
‘Your cherry cheeks and your yellow hair
Garrd me gang maiden evermair.’
Sometimes she sunk, and sometimes she swam,
Until she came to the miller’s dam.
‘O father, father, draw your dam,
There’s either a mermaid or a milk-white swan.’
The miller hasted and drew his dam,
And there he found a drowned woman. ”

“ He loved his youngest daughter best.
Refrain:
The bow is bent to me,
So you be true to your own true love,
And I’ll be true to thee.
These two sisters went out to swim;
The oldest pushed the youngest in. ”

“ For drowning of my sister Kate.
SISTER, dear sister, where shall we go play?’
Refrain:
Cold blows the wind, and the wind blows low
‘We shall go to the salt sea’s brim.’
Refrain:
And the wind blows cheerily around us, high ho ”