The Fause Knight upon the Road
'O WHARE are ye gaun?'
Quo the fause knicht upon the road:
'I'm gaun to the scule.'
Quo the wee boy, and still he stude. Child has 3 versions (A-C) of The False Knight with 2 tunes. Bronson has 10 texts with tunes in his Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads and a further 2 tunes in his Addenda.
- [ A | B | C | Swedish Version | Harpkin ]
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- Version A
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The Fause Knight upon the Road
Motherwell's Minstrelsy, Introduction, p. lxxiv. From Galloway.
1 'O WHARE are ye gaun?'
Quo the fause knicht upon the road:
'I'm gaun to the scule.'
Quo the wee boy, and still he stude.
2 'What is that upon your back?' quo etc.
'Atweel is my bukes,' quo etc.
3 'What's that ye've got in your arm?'
'Atweel it is my peit.'
4 'What's aucht they sheep?'
'They are mine and my mither's.'
5 'How monie o them are min?'
'A' they that hae blue tails.'
6 'I wiss ye were on yon tree:'
'And a gude ladder under me.'
7 'And the ladder for to break:'
'And you for to fa down.'
8 'I wiss ye were in yon sie:'
'And a gude bottom under me.'
9 'And the bottom for to break:'
'And ye to be drowned.'
Version B[ TOP ]
'The False Knight'
Motherwell's Minstrelsy, Appendix, p. xxiv, No xxxii.
'O WHARE are ye gaun? 'quo the false knight,
And false, false was his rede:
'I'm gaun to the scule,' says the pretty little boy
And still, still he stude.
Version C[ TOP ]
Obtained by Mr Macmath from the recitation of his aunt, Miss Jane Webster, formerly of Airds of Kells, Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, Galloway, who learned it many years ago from the wife of Peter McGuire, then cotman at Airds.
1 ‘O whare are ye gaun?’
Says the false knight upon the road:
‘I am gaun to the schule,’
Says the wee boy, and still he stood.
2 ‘What’s that ye hae on your back?’
‘It’s my dinner and my book.’
3 ‘Wha’s aught the sheep on yonder hill,’
‘They are my papa’s and mine.’
4 ‘How many of them’s mine?’
‘A’ them that has blue tails.’
5 ‘I wish you were in yonder well:’
‘And you were down in hell.’
Swedish Version[ TOP ]
From Lappfiord, Finland. An old crone is in place of the false knight.
1 'Why are you driving over my field' said the carlin:
'Because the way lies over it,' answered the boy,
who was little fellow.
2 'I will cut [hew] your traces, said etc.:
'Yes, you hew, and I'll build,' answered etc.
3 'I wish you were in the wild wood:'
'Yes, you in, and I outside.'
4 'I wish you were in the highest tree-top:'
'Yes, you up in the top, and I at the roots.'
5 'I wish you were in the wild sea:'
'Yes, you in the sea, and I in a boat.'
6 'I'll bore a hole in your boat:'
'Yes, you bore, and I'll plug.'
7 'I wish you were in hell:'
'Yes, you in, and I outside.'
8 'I wish you were in heaven:'
'yes, in, and you outside.'
Harpkin[ TOP ]
In Chambers, Popular Rhymes of Scotland, p. 66
1 HARPKIN gaed up to the hill,
And blew his horn loud and shrill,
And by came Fin.
2 'What for stand you there?' quo Fin:
'Spying the weather,' quo Harpkin.
3 'What for had you your staff on your shoulder?' quo Fin:
'To haud the cauld frae me,' quo Harpkin.
4 'Little cauld will that haud frae you,' quo Fin:
'As little will it win through me,' quo Harpkin.
5 'I came by your door,' quo Fin:
'I lay it your road,' quo Harpkin.
6 'Your dog barkit at me,' quo Fin:
'It's his use and custom,' quo Harpkin.
7 'I flang a stane at him,' quo Fin:
'I'd rather it had been a bane,' quo Harpkin.
8 'Your wife's a lichter,' quo Fin:
'She'll clim the brae the brichter,' quo Harpkin.
9 'Of a braw lad bairn,' quo Fin:
'There'll be the mair men for the king's wars,' quo Harpkin.
10 'There's a strae at your beard,' quo Fin:
'I'd rather it had been a thrave,' quo Harpkin.
11 'The ox is eatin at it,' quo Fin:
'If the ox were i the water,' quo Harpkin.
12 'And the water were frozen,' quo Fin:
'And the smith and his fore-hammer at it,' quo Harpkin.
13 'And the smith were dead,' quo Fin:
'And another in his stead,' quo Harpkin.
14 'Giff, gaff,' quo Fin:
'Your mou's fou o draff,' quo Harpkin.
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