The Outlandish Knight

He's followed her up and he followed her down

And into the room where she lay

She hadn't the strength for to flee from his arms

Nor the tongue for to answer him nay

"Rise up, rise up, my pretty Polly

Rise up and go with me

And I will take you to North Scotland

And there you'll married be

Go fetch you a bag of your father's gold

And some of your mother's fee

And two fine horses out of the stable

Where there stands thirty and three"

So she's lit upon her nimble-going brown

He's mounted the dapple-gray

And when they came to North Scotland

'Twas just three hours 'til day

"Light you down, light you down, my pretty Polly

Light you down, I say to thee

For six kings' daughters have I drowned here

And the seventh will surely be thee

And pull off, pull off your fine gay clothes

And hang them on yonder tree

For they are too fine and they cost too much

To rot in the salt lake sea"

"Well, then you take a sickle and you cut down the nettles

That grow so close to the brim

For I fear they'll tangle my long yellow hair

And they'll tear my lily-white skin"

So then he took a sickle and he cut down the nettles

That grow so close to the brim

And she's picked him up so skillfully

And she's pushed the false knight in

"Lie there, lie there, my false young man

Lie there in the room of me

For six kings' daughters have you drowned here

And the seventh has drowned thee"

So she's lit upon her nimble-going brown

And she's lead the dapple-gray

And when she came to her father's door

'Twas just three hours 'til day

"Hush up, hush up, my pretty Polly bird

And don't you tell tales on me

Your cage will be made of the very beaten gold

And the door of the best ivory"

But then up spoke a fine young man

In the chamber where he lay

"What's the matter, what's the matter with my pretty Polly bird?

You're talking so long before day"

"Oh There's two black cats at my caging door

And my life they will betray

And I'm just calling for my pretty Polly

To drive those cats away"

He followed her up and he followed her down

And into the room where she lay

She hadn't the strength for to flee from his arms

Nor the tongue for to answer him nay