Mary Macgregor

“ On earth seven slow long years had passed away since Thomas had been seen in the little village of Ercildoune, and the villagers rubbed their eyes and stared with open mouth as they saw him once again in their midst.
Ofttimes now Thomas was to be seen wandering down from his grim old castle down to the bonny greenwood. Ofttimes was he to be found lying on the bank of the little brook that babbled to itself as it ran through the forest, or under the Eildon tree, where he had met the Elf Queen so long before.
He would be dreaming as he lay there of the songs he would sing to the country folk. ”

“ The lady Janet tossed her head, though over her she felt creeping slow the spell of the little elfin knight. She tossed her head and she cried, 'Nay, I have no fear of you, ye little wee man. Nor will I ever ask leave of you as I come to and fro across the plain of Carterhaugh. Ye shall know that the moor belongs to me, me!' and Janet stamped her foot. 'My father made it all my own.'
But the young Tamlane took the white hand of the lady Janet in his own, and so gentle were his words, so kind his ways, that soon the maiden had no wish to leave the little wee man. ”

“ The tears gathered in Lizzie's eyes and trickled down her cheeks.
'Alas, alas!' she sighed, 'I would I had never left my home, for here I am of little use. I have never milked a cow, nor do I know how to begin, and flocks have I never tended. Alas that I ever came to the Highlands! Yet well do I love Donald MacDonald, and long and dull would the days have been had he left me behind him in Edinburgh.'
'Shed no more tears, Lizzie,' said Donald gently. ”

“ King Horn smiled, and his voice was soft as he answered, 'No need is there to take the gold combs from thy hair or to change thy white robe for one less fair. This is thy wedding-day, and I have come to claim my bride.' And King Horn flung aside the old torn coat, and the Princess Jean saw that beneath the rags Hynde Horn was clothed as one of kingly rank. ”

“ Beyond all other of the little green folk was the elf knight feared. And little was that to be wondered at, for well was it known that over many a fair-haired child, over many a beauteous maiden, he had used his magic power. Nor would he let them go until they promised to come back another moonlit eve, and as a pledge of their promise he would seize from the children a toy, from the maidens a ring, or it might be their mantle of green. ”

“ The cheeks of my love are red as the red red rose, and her neck, it is whiter than new-fallen snow.
'Near to her lattice window grows a birch, whose leaves tremble in the breeze. There shall you sit, my gay goshawk, and you shall sing to her as she goes to holy church.
'With four-and-twenty maidens will she go, yet well will you know my own true love, for she is the fairest of them all. ”

“ For Donald had been well trained, and, though he was no longer a boy, he did not dream of leaving his home among the hills until he had gained his mother's consent.
'Grant me a boon, lady mother,' said the young laird. 'Send me away to the fair city of Edinburgh, for it is there that my true love dwells. And if ye will do this I will bring you home a daughter more beautiful than any other maiden in the land.'
Now the young laird's mother had heard [74] of Lizzie Lindsay, and it may be that she was glad that her son should wish to bring to the castle so beautiful a bride. ”

“ Yet, if ye go, it shall not be as Sir Donald MacDonald, the heir to broad lands and [75] ancient castles, but as a simple stranger, without riches and without rank. Then, if ye do win your bride, it will be through love alone,' said his mother gravely. But her eyes shone bright and glad, for she thought that there was not a maiden in all the land who would not be proud to wed her son, though he had neither riches nor lands. ”

“ Thou must not look all men boldly in the face. As thou goest up the hill, thou must lean heavily on thy [43] staff, thou must cast thine eyes low to the ground. When thou comest to the gate of the palace, thou must tarry there until the hour for the king to dine. Then mayest thou go to the great gate and ask an alms for the sake of St. Peter and St. Paul, but none shalt thou take from any hand, save from the hand of the young bride herself.'
Hynde Horn thanked the old beggar man, and, bidding him farewell, set off up the hill toward the palace gate. ”

“ The Queen Godylt loved her little son too well to spoil him. She wished him to learn to share his toys, to play his games with other boys.
Thus, much to the delight of little Prince Horn, two boys, almost as old as he was, [30] came to live with him in the palace. Athulph and Fykenyld were their names.
They were merry playmates for the little prince, and, as the years rolled by, Athulph and Fykenyld thought there was no one to equal their prince Hynde Horn. They would serve him loyally when he was king and they were men. ”

“ For close to the Canongate was Holyrood, the palace where the king held his court. And it was well, thought the lords and ladies of long ago, to live near the palace where there were many gay sights to be seen.
Lizzie had been a bonny wee girl, and as she grew up she grew bonnier still, until, not only in Edinburgh, but far and wide throughout the country, people would speak of her [71] beauty. Even the folk who dwelt away over the hills in the Highlands heard of the beauty of Lizzie Lindsay. ”

“ Then, for True Thomas would know the meaning of so strange a sight, then a messenger was sent in haste to the castle of Ercildoune.
As he listened to the tale the messenger [68] brought, Thomas started up out of bed and in haste he put on his clothes. Pale and red did he grow in turn as he listened to the tale, yet all he said was this: 'My sand is run, my thread is spun, this token is for me.'
Thomas hung his elfin harp around his neck, his minstrel cloak across his shoulders, and out into the pale moonlight he walked. ”

“ Together they had made the walls of the old castle ring with their laughter.
No, the lady Janet had not forgotten, and she knew that now, as in the days of long ago, she loved the young Tamlane.
'Tell me,' she said, 'tell me how ye do spend your day in Fairyland?' [10]
'In earth or air I dwell as pleases me the best'
'Blithe and gay is the life we lead,' cried the little wee knight. 'There is no sickness, no pain of any kind in Fairyland, Janet.
'In earth or air I dwell as pleases me the best. I can leave this little body of mine an it pleases me, and come back to it an I will. ”

“ In those far-off days of minstrelsy the country was alive with fairies. Over the mountains, through the glens, by babbling streams and across silent moors, the patter of tiny feet might be heard, feet which had strayed from Elfinland. ”

“ Should the gleam of the diamonds fade and grow dim, thou wilt know, not that my love grows less, for that may never be, but thou wilt know that evil hath befallen me.'
Then sadly they parted and Hynde Horn, the ring on his finger, hastened down to the shore. Swiftly he embarked in the ship [38] that awaited him, and sailed away. On and on for many a long day he sailed, until he reached the kingdom which Mury the king had seized when he killed King Allof.
Here Hynde Horn warred against King Mury until he overcame him and won again the kingdom of the East for himself, the rightful heir. ”

“ Full of mischief too were these little elfin folk, and wise mortals feared to tread where fairy feet were tripping.
Wise mortals would warn the merry children and the winsome maidens lest they should venture too near the favourite haunts of fairydom.
To Carterhaugh came, as I have told you, [4] many of the fairy folk; but more often than any other came a little elfin knight, and he was the young Tamlane, who had been carried away to Fairyland when he was only nine years old. ”

“ None like it is there, for beauty or for strength, in the land from which thou comest. My lord is waited on by knights, of [61] whom there are thirty in this castle. A noble lord is mine, nor would he wish to hear how thou wert bold and kissed me under the Eildon tree. Bear thou in mind, Thomas, that thou speak no word, nay, not though thou art commanded to tell thy tale. I will say to my courtiers that I took from thee the power of speech ere ever we crossed the sea.'
Thomas listened, and dared not speak. Thomas stood still, still as a stone, and gazed upon the lady, and lo! ”

“ For twelve long years Margaret lived in the greenwood. And Hynde Etin was kind to her and she grew to love him well.
Seven little sons had Margaret, and happy and gay was their life in their woodland home. Yet oft did Margaret grieve that her little wee sons had never been taken to holy church. She wished that the priest might christen them there.
Now one day Hynde Etin slung his bow across his shoulder, placed a sheath of arrows in his belt, and was up and away to the [20] hunt. With him he took his eldest wee son. ”

“ Indeed she had no time to weep, for she must keep strict watch over the dead maiden's seven sisters, lest they too grew ill and thus escaped her power.
As for the poor old father, he shut himself up alone to grieve for his dear lost child.
When the seven brothers reached the first church, they remembered their father's promise to their sister. They set down the bier and waited, that a mass might be sung for the lady's soul. ”

“ Bid them that they dry their tears nor weep for me, for I am come to my own true love.'
Then the seven brothers turned away in anger and went back to their home in the South. But Lord William carried his own true love off to the old grey castle where they were married. And the gay goshawk sang their wedding song. ”