THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. But an honest man's aboon his might! Guid faith, he mauna fa' that; For a' that, and a' that, Their dignities, and a' that; The pith o' sense, and pride o' worth, Then let us pray that come it may That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, It's comin' yet for a' that; That man to man, the warld o'er, Shall brothers be for a' that! ROBERT BURNS. THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. NOW ponder well, you parents dear, These words which I shall write; A doleful story you shall bear, A gentleman of good account Sore sick he was, and like to die, And both possessed one grave. 71 No love between these two was lost, Each was to other kind; In love they lived, in love they died, The one, a fine and pretty boy, As plainly doth appear, When he to perfect age should come, And to his little daughter Jane, Their uncle should possess their wealth; Now, brother," said the dying man, "Look to my children dear; Be good unto my boy and girl, No friends else have they here: To God and you I recommend Within this world to stay. THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. "You must be father and mother both, And uncle all in one; God knows what will become of them With that bespake their mother dear, "And if you keep them carefully, They kissed their children small : These speeches then their brother spake The parents being dead and gone, And brings them straight unto his house, 73 He had not kept these pretty babes A twelvemonth and a day, But, for their wealth, he did devise He bargained with two ruffians strong That they should take these children young He told his wife an artful tale : He would the children send Away then went those pretty babes, To those that should their butchers be So that the pretty speech they had, Yet one of them, more hard of heart, Because the wretch that hired him Had paid him very large. THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. The other won't agree thereto, So here they fall to strife; And he that was of mildest mood, He took the children by the hand, And look they did not cry; And two long miles he led them on, While they for food complain : Stay here," quoth he, "I'll bring you bread, When I come back again." These pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down; And when they saw the darksome night, Thus wandered these poor innocents 75 |