The Parrot and the Maiden

I was singing and chatting with friends in the Star one Sunday evening when
something triggered a half memory of a song involving a false knight\lover, and
oddly enough, a parrot. No-one knew what I was talking about, possibly because of
an excess of Doombar, but later I realised that I had been thinking of the Outlandish
Knight by Nic Jones.

After going back to the primary source, Child Ballad #4, Lady Isobel and the False
Knight, I found myself putting together a version of my own. Admittedly, I have
drawn heavily on one of Jones' two versions (on Ballads & Songs) and on Child #4(E)
for the lyrics; the tune went through several mutations before settling down much as
you hear it here.

With both the Outlandish Knight and many of the Child variations, I was not quite
comfortable with the role played by the lady's parrot. Her father awakes on her return
and wants to know what all the noise is about, and instead of telling him that she's
just narrowly escaped kidnap and being murdered, she goes along with the parrot's
explanation that he (the parrot that is) is causing all the fuss, being alarmed by a cat
entering the bedroom. The Lady even goes so far to reward the parrot with a golden
cage "with a door of the finest ivory" for such excellent dissembling. I think that
dramatically, the song works best ending with her 'escape', so I have cut out her return
home. However I didn't want to ditch the parrot altogether, so I have kept him in by
making him the source of the song, and he more or less 'bookends' the narrative.

Although I have since sung The Parrot & The Maiden as one in a set of songs I
call "Smart Women, Stupid Men" - it is hard to find a more apt example of male
asininity than here - this slightly rough recording was made in the Star some weeks
after the original conversation. Thanks to Sue and others for their support on the
refrains!

Rob

The parrot he sat in the window so high,
He sang me this maiden's song
How she escaped with her life and her honour intact
From a knight who would do her much wrong, much wrong,
From a knight who would do her much wrong.

This outlandish knight from the north lands did come,
And he's come a-courting she;
He's promised to take her unto the north lands,
Where they would a-married be, would be,
Where they would a-married be.

'Come, fetch me some of your father's gold,
And some of your mother's fee,
And the two finest nags from out of the stable,
Wherein there stand thirty and three, and three,
Wherein there stand thirty and three.'

She's fetched him some of her father's gold,
And some of her mother's fee,
And the two finest horses from out of the stable,
Wherein there stand thirty and three, and three,
Wherein there stand thirty and three.'

She's mounted on her milk-white steed,
And he on the dapple grey;
They've ridden all night to a far rocky shore,
By the sea so cold and grey, so grey,
By the sea so cold and grey.

'Light off, light off your milk-white steed,
Deliver it unto me;
For six pretty maidens have I drowned here,
And the seventh thou surely shalt be, shalt be,
And the seventh thou surely shalt be.

'And take off, take off your silken gown,
Deliver it unto me;
Methinks that it is too fine and too gay
For to rot all in the salt sea, salt sea,
For to rot all in the salt sea.

'Take off, take off your silken stays,
Deliver them unto me;
Methinks that they are too fine and too fair
For to rot all in the salt sea, salt sea,
For to rot all in the salt sea.

'Now take you off your Holland smock,
Deliver it unto me;
Methinks that it is too fine and too rare
For to rot all in the salt sea, salt sea,
For to rot all in the salt sea.

'Well if I'm to take off my Holland smock,
Then turn your back unto me;
For it is not fitting a rogue such as you
My naked body should see, should see,
My naked body should see.'

So he's turned around his back to the maid
To view the leaves so green;
And she's taken him by his slender waist,
And she's tumbled him into the sea, the sea,
she's tumbled him into the sea.

Well he bobbed high and he bobbed low,
And he's come unto the side;
'Pray give me your hand, my fair pretty maid,
And I will make you my bride, my bride,
Yes I will make you my bride.'

'Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted man,
Lie there instead of me;
For six pretty maidens have you drowned here,
But the seventh has surely drowned thee, drowned thee,
Oh the seventh has surely drowned thee.'

The parrot he sang me this maiden's tale
This song I have sung to thee
His cage it is made of the glittering gold,
And the door of the finest ivory, ivory,
And the door of the finest ivory.