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The Merchant and the Beggar Wench 
The Merchant and the Beggar Wench 
Come all ye jolly plooman lads, And I'll tell you a tale As merry a tale as ere befell A merchant's son in the north did dwell And for a living he was forced to sell. 
cho: Lillie fal de dal, lillie fal de day 
He's ta'en wi' him as we are told The sum of five hundred pounds in gold And on the road he chanced to spy A beggar wench with a rolling eye. 
She asked him for some relief With smiles of sorrow and tears of grief She said I've neither house nor home And for living I'm forced to roam 
If ye would tell to me your name And where is the country to which ye belong If ye wi me this nicht would lie I would wi money you supply. 
She wisna lang ere she gave consent And so this two to the inn they went The landlord laughed to see him kiss A beggar wench in a ragged dress. 
He callcd for brandy of the best Brought by the landlord in great haste They drank it out in bumpers three The jolly beggar wench and he. 
And after that the sipper dressed Brought by the lady in great haste And after that they went to bed But the merchant slept as if he were dead. 
So in the morning the beggar rose A@d dressed himself in the merchant's clothes She's ta'en his watch, and his gold likewise 
And she went away with the golden prize. 
She's left nothing in the room But a ragged petticoat and a goon Bits of bread and tobacco too And she's went away with the golden shoe 
She down the stair like a spirit flew Ten guineas to the landlord threw She's never been heard of until this day Lillie fal de dal, lillie fal de day. 
In the morning the merchant rose And dressed himself in the beggar's clothes And on the road he cursed and swore He would never lie wi' a beggar more. 
From the Duncan-Grieg Collection 
Note: G-D tune transcription was incomplete; last two measures of chorus reconstructed by RG; first verse has extra line-Can be sung by repeating first line of tune. RG