"Oh, bonny Bess, with the fairest blue eyes,
Kiss me once, kiss me twice, I daresay-
'Tis but a bright sunny day, what pray,
'Tis it milk day?"
"I shall love thee", she cried,
"'Till the day that I die-
Oh, bonny sweet prince of the
Place a' here hence-
But her, I fear I must go"-
And she placed a sweet kiss on his cheek
"Before you go," said he, "you must
Know where I will be- over yonder hill and
Across the large river, a manor ensconced in
Pine and in silver.
Come before the week is over, I'll make thee my
Wife, my friend, and my lover...
Oh bonny sweet Bess, my heart
Yearns for a rest...
A rest by the fireside,
Your sweet laughter by my side-
Can it be so-
Don't delay! I'll see thee by the
Seventh day?-"
Oh, my dear prince, you flatter me so-
Your wife and much more-
I would gladly bestow all you want and much more...
I shall come to thee dear, never fear.
And with thus she went away
And turned back just to say,
"I'll love thee dear, forever."
1st day came- "Oh my dear," cried
He, "why aren't you here?"
2nd day came- 3rd day- 4th day-
5th day- 6th day came, still no word
From the lowly, love-sick maid.
7th day came, a party it is!
Let us celebrate with cake and good cheer!
But not because his love was there...
Heavy the snow and colder the wind-
The maiden trudged on with a shrug
And a grin-
"Oh, I must make it, a week he has said,
I saw in his eyes a love uncondemned..."
At last she made it to the manor-house,
But bright and loud and festive was it-
Celebrating the love of the prince's short life-
A lady so rich and lovely was she-
Covered in jewels and sparkling in entirety,
A ring on her finger and a grin on her face-
She caught her prize and what a doll was he!
Stunned into shock the maiden sat staring-
The bejeweled new princess,
Her prince as her side-
In the great study, when all was finally through,
The prince and the princess sat warming at the fireside,
Laughing, laughing...together...
The maiden's heart turned to stone in her chest as she looked
Upon them nestled in- cozy and warm- laughing by the fireside...
Oh, she tried, she tried to forget the burning pain that sparked inside,
But again and again her heart spied them sitting together
By the fireside, always forever...
Always together...
Bitter was she, as a cold winter's night, a wolf's howl
As the wind brought a shiver to her hand, to her lip,
To her chin...
And once again she saw them, laughing by the fireside,
Always forever,
Always together...
She looked once more through the window, just to
See if her eyes were right...but she was.
Cape pulled around her head,
A sense of urgency filled her with aching dread...
There they were, nestled in each other's arms, together-
"NO!" she whispered, and so she fled...
Fled into the night did she, her demons following her all the way.
She crashed through the brush and shoved through the thicket
Until she pressed against the wall...but it still rang in her ears,
Their laughter, their cheers-
Together...together forever.
She sank to her knees and bewept her sad state...
Alone and afraid,
Tired and unchanged...
She thought her love tried and true,
Pure and holy,
Unequaled, unbreakable...
She shuddered to think of the thoughts
She was thinking-
Preposterous, presumptuous,-
Contemptuous...
But then came her laughter, floating still over the harsh wind-
She had to break it, had to stop it...had to stop
Her laughter...then they wouldn't be together...
Together forever.
With not a sound she rose from the ground-
The wind howling and hissing about her-
With determined steps she walked toward the manor
Following her voice on the wind.
Mesmerized, she walked, her boot
Crunching upon the snow
Until the wind turned into a chill in her bones
And rustled the note upon her hand.
Then the voice upon the wind
Became a scream-
Then a groan...
Then a breath.
All alone...upon the steps,
Frozen lay she, with naught a word upon her lips,
But a note in her hand-
They opened the door and exclaimed
To the prince, "Hay, my lord, but a dead
Girl upon your steps-"
He reached down and unclasped
The note from her frozen grasp-
Looked at her face- "Oh no! It can't be!-
...But nay, see here, she said she never did
Love me."
