38. The Wee Wee Man

A. a. 'The Wee Wee Man,' Herd's MSS, I, 153; Herd's Scottish Songs, 1776, I, 95.

B. Caw's Poetical Museum, p. 348.

C. 'The Wee Wee Man,' Scott's Minstrelsy, II, 234, ed. 1802.

D. 'The Wee Wee Man,' Kinloch MSS, VII, 253.

E. a. 'The Wee Wee Man,' Motherwell's Note-Book, fol. 40; Motherwell's MS., p. 195. b. Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 343.

F. 'The Wee Wee Man,' Motherwell's MS., p. 68.

G. 'The Little Man,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 263.

This extremely airy and sparkling little ballad varies but slightly in the half dozen known copies. The one in the Musical Museum, No 370, p. 382, and that in Ritson's Scotish Songs, II, 139, are reprinted from Herd.

Singularly enough, there is a poem in eight-line stanzas, in a fourteenth-century manuscript, which stands in somewhat the same relation to this ballad as the poem of Thomas of Erceldoune does to the ballad of Thomas Rymer, but with the important difference that there is no reason for deriving the ballad from the poem in this instance. There seems to have been an intention to make it, like Thomas of Erceldoune, an introduction to a string of prophecies which follows, but no junction has been effected. This poem is given in an appendix.

A is translated by Arndt, Blütenlese, p. 210; B, with a few improvements from E b, by Rosa Warrens, Schottische Volkslieder, p. 12.

A.

Herd's MSS, I, 153, Herd's Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, 1776, I, 95.

As I was wa'king all alone,
Between a water and a wa,
And there I spy'd a wee wee man,
And he was the least that ere I saw.

His legs were scarce a shathmont's length,
And thick and thimber was his thigh;
Between his brows there was a span,
And between his shoulders there was three.

He took up a meikle stane,
And he flang't as far as I could see;
Though I had been a Wallace wight,
I couldna liften 't to my knee.

'O wee wee man, but thou be strang!
O tell me where thy dwelling be?'
'My dwelling's down at yon bonny bower;
O will you go with me and see?'

On we lap, and awa we rade,
Till we came to yon bonny green;
We lighted down for to bait our horse,
And out there came a lady fine.

Four and twenty at her back,
And they were a' clad out in green;
Though the King of Scotland had been there,
The warst o them might hae been his queen.

On we lap, and awa we rade,
Till we came to yon bonny ha,
Whare the roof was o the beaten gould,
And the floor was o the cristal a'.

When we came to the stair-foot,
Ladies were dancing, jimp and sma,
But in the twinkling of an eye,
My wee wee man was clean awa.

B.

Caw's Poetical Museum, p. 348.

As I was walking by my lane,
Atween a water and a wa,
There sune I spied a wee wee man,
He was the least that eir I saw.

His legs were scant a shathmont's length,
And sma and limber was his thie;
Atween his shoulders was ae span,
About his middle war but three.

He has tane up a meikle stane,
And flang 't as far as I cold see;
Ein thouch I had been Wallace wicht,
I dought na lift 't to my knie.

'O wee wee man, but ye be strang!
Tell me whar may thy dwelling be?
'I dwell beneth that bonnie bouir;
O will ye gae wi me and see?'

On we lap, and awa we rade,
Till we cam to a bonny green;
We lichted syne to bait our steid,
And out there cam a lady sheen.

Wi four and twentie at her back,
A' comely cled in glistering green;
Thouch there the King of Scots had stude,
The warst micht weil hae been his queen.

On syne we past wi wondering cheir,
Till we cam to a bonny ha;
The roof was o the beaten gowd,
The flure was o the crystal a'.

When we cam there, wi wee wee knichts
War ladies dancing, jimp and sma,
But in the twinkling of an eie,
Baith green and ha war clein awa.

C.

Scott's Minstrelsy, II, 234, ed. 1802, incorporated with 'The Young Tamlane.' From recitation.

'Twas down by Carterhaugh, father,
I walked beside the wa,
And there I saw a wee wee man,
The least that eer I saw.

His legs were skant a shathmont lang,
Yet umber was his thie;
Between his brows there was ae span,
And between his shoulders three.

He's taen and flung a meikle stane,
As far as I could see;
I could na, had I been Wallace wight,
Hae lifted it to my knee.

'O wee wee man, but ye be strang!
Where may thy dwelling be?'
'It 's down beside yon bonny bower;
Fair lady, come and see.'

On we lap, and away we rade,
Down to a bonny green;
We lighted down to bait our steed,
And we saw the fairy queen.

With four and twenty at her back,
Of ladies clad in green;
Tho the King of Scotland had been there,
The worst might hae been his queen.

On we lap, and away we rade,
Down to a bonny ha;
The roof was o the beaten goud,
The floor was of chrystal a'.

And there were dancing on the floor,
Fair ladies jimp and sma;
But in the twinkling o an eye,
They sainted clean awa.

D.

Kinloch MSS, VII, 253. From Mrs Elder.

As I gaed out to tak a walk,
Atween the water and the wa,
There I met wi a wee wee man,
The weest man that ere I saw.

Thick and short was his legs,
And sma and thin was his thie,
And atween his een a flee might gae,
And atween his shouthers were inches three.

And he has tane up a muckle stane,
And thrown it farther than I coud see;
If I had been as strong as ere Wallace was,
I coud na lift it to my knie.

'O,' quo I, 'but ye be strong!
And O where may your dwelling be?'
'It 's down in to yon bonnie glen;
Gin ye dinna believe, ye can come and see.'

And we rade on, and we sped on,
Till we cam to yon bonny glen,
And there we lichted and louted in,
And there we saw a dainty dame.

There was four and twenty wating on her,
And ilka ane was clad in green,
And he had been the king of fair Scotland,
The warst o them micht hae been his queen.

There war pipers playing on ilka stair,
And ladies dancing in ilka ha,
But before ye coud hae sadd what was that,
The house and wee manie was awa.

E.

a. Motherwell's Note-Book, fol. 40, "from Agnes Lyle;" Motherwell's MS., p. 195, "from the recitation of Agnes Laird, Kilbarchan." b. Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 343.

As I was walking mine alone,
Betwext the water and the wa,
There I spied a wee wee man,
He was the least ane that eer I saw.

His leg was scarse a shaftmont lang,
Both thick and nimble was his knee;
Between his eyes there was a span,
Betwixt his shoulders were ells three.

This wee wee man pulled up a stone,
He flang't as far as I could see;
Tho I had been like Wallace strong,
I wadna gotn't up to my knee.

I said, Wee man, oh, but you're strong!
Where is your dwelling, or where may't be?
'My dwelling's at yon bonnie green;
Fair lady, will ye go and see?'

On we lap, and awa we rade,
Until we came to yonder green;
We lichtit down to rest our steed,
And there cam out a lady soon.

Four and twenty at her back,
And every one of them was clad in green;
Altho he had been the King of Scotland,
The warst o them a' micht hae been his queen.

There were pipers playing in every neuk,
And ladies dancing, jimp and sma,
And aye the owre-turn o their tune
Was 'Our wee wee man has been lang awa.'

F.

Motherwell's MS., p. 68, "from the recitation of Mrs Wilson, of the Renfrewshire Tontine; now of the Caledonian Hotel, Inverness."

As I was walking mine alane,
Between the water and the wa,
And oh there I spy'd a wee wee mannie,
The weeest mannie that ere I saw.

His legs they were na a gude inch lang,
And thick and nimble was his thie;
Between his een there was a span,
And between his shouthers there were ells three.

I asked at this wee wee mannie
Whare his dwelling place might be;
The answer that he gied to me
Was, Cum alang, and ye shall see.

So we'll awa, and on we rade,
Till we cam to yon bonnie green;
We lichted down to bait our horse,
And up and started a lady syne.

Wi four and twenty at her back,
And they were a' weell clad in green;
Tho I had been a crowned king,
The warst o them might ha been my queen.

So we'll awa, and on we rade,
Till we cam to yon bonnie hall;
The rafters were o the beaten gold,
And silver wire were the kebars all.

And there was mirth in every end,
And ladies dancing, ane and a,
And aye the owre-turn o their sang
Was 'The wee wee mannie's been lang awa.'

G.

Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 263.

As I gaed out to tak the air,
Between Midmar and bonny Craigha,
There I met a little wee man,
The less o him I never saw.

His legs were but a finger lang,
And thick and nimle was his knee;
Between his brows there was a span,
Between his shoulders ells three.

He lifted a stane sax feet in hight,
He lifted it up till his right knee,
And fifty yards and mair, I'm sure,
I wyte he made the stane to flee.

'O little wee man, but ye be wight!
Tell me whar your dwelling be;'
'I hae a bower, compactly built,
Madam, gin ye'll cum and see.'

Sae on we lap, and awa we rade,
Till we come to yon little ha;
The kipples ware o the gude red gowd,
The reef was o the proseyla.

Pipers were playing, ladies dancing,
The ladies dancing, jimp and sma;
At ilka turning o the spring,
The little man was wearin's wa.

Out gat the lights, on cam the mist,
Ladies nor mannie mair coud see
I turnd about, and gae a look,
Just at the foot o' Benachie.

A.

2. The printed copy has thighs.

4. dwelling down.

There is a copy of this ballad in Cunningham's Songs of Scotland, I, 303. Though no confidence can be felt in the genuineness of the "several variations from recitation and singing," with which Cunningham says he sought to improve Herd's version, the more considerable ones are here noted.

1. O there I met.

2. a shathmont lang.

3. been a giant born.

4. ye're wonder strong.

4. O ladie, gang wi me.

5. away we flew.

5. to a valley green.

5. down and he stamped his foot.

5. And up there rose.

6. Wi four.

6. the glossy green.

7. stately ha.

8.
And there were harpings loud and sweet,
And ladies dancing, jimp and sma;
He clapped his hands, and ere I wist,
He sank and saunted clean awa.

E. a.

4. your.

Motherwell has made one or two slight changes in copying from his Note-Book into his MS.

b. Besides some alterations of his own, Motherwell has introduced readings from F.

2. there were.

3 as Wallace.

5. lady sheen.

6. Wi four.

6. And they were a' weel clad.

After 6 is inserted F 6, with the first line changed to

So on we lap, and awa we rade.