Experiment in writing a new ballad

[avevale_intelligencer]

It was the Earl of Laggan's son
And his schoolmates all at play
When all among them there appeared
A lady brisk and gay.

Her hair was black as raven's wing
Her eyes as dark as night
Her mantle of the velvet green
Set about with gold so bright.

She looked upon the young lord's son
And he cringed to see her smile:
"O come with me, thou bonny bonny boy,
And sit with me a while."

"For I will sing thee wondrous songs
And give thee meat and wine;
For any son of my good good lord
Shall be a son of mine."

And then up spoke the lord's young son
And boldly he did say
"I know you are the Westron Witch
That my father drove away."

And then up spoke the dark lady
And her frown was fell to see;
"A froward brat thou ever wert,
And still thou'lt come with me."

"Now mark me well, my lordling bold,
And know I do not lie;
For every day that thou say me nay,
A schoolfriend of yours shall die."

She's taken him by his good right hand,
And by the left also,
And she's led him to a crooked house
Where no man dared to go.

She's sat him on a velvet stool
And offered him wine and meat;
But not a morsel would pass his lips
Though he fain would drink and eat.

"Now mark me well, my lordling bold,
And know I tell thee true;
This meat and wine that you spurn of mine
Your father shall surely rue."

"For every day that you do not eat
His cattle shall perish all;
And every day that you do not drink
His wine shall turn to gall."

She's sung him songs to a wire-strung harp
And many an ancient air;
But he's closed his ears and would not hear
Though the music were sweet and fair.

"Now mark me well, my lordling bold,
Take your hands from off your ears;
To scorn my song is to do me wrong
That shall blast your land for years."

"For every note that shall leave my throat
And shall go by you unheard
Shall stop the breath, shall be the death
Of every beast and bird."

She's taken the boy upon her knee
With his head upon her breast
But he's turned away and would not look
Though she offered him peace and rest.

"Now mark me well, my lordling bold,
For this secret thou shalt hear;
By the crown of your father who drove me forth
I am your mother dear."

"And if you are my mother dear,"
The young lord then did say,
"What need of spells or curses dire
To bid me come and stay?"

"For I have a mother kind and fair
That with my lord doth dwell,
Let go of me, you Westron Witch,
And go your ways to hell!"

She's let him go with a fearsome shriek
As her black hair turned to flame,
And down fell all that crooked house
And vanished whence it came.

And then he heard a fading voice
As the witch's power was spent;
"Could I but have so true a son,
In hell I'd lie content."

As far as I can tell, ballads all overlap anyway, and this one contains elements of several that I've heard, but I don't think there's one quite like it. I look forward to being corrected.

Comments

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Tried that. It always ends up turning into one I've heard.