Tales From Scottish Ballads

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About this book

An old harpist from Lochmaben has his eye on King Henry's favourite horse, and his wife Janet knows how their own mare might help him get it. This opening tale sets a playful scheme among cottages, castle halls and royal stables. Elizabeth W. Grierson turns Scottish ballads into prose stories for young readers, retaining dialogue and occasional lines of verse that connect the tales to their source.

The collection ranges from the Lochmaben Harper and Kinmont Willie to Thomas the Rhymer and Sir Patrick Spens. A later passage follows a castle household through the recollections of an elderly attendant, who remembers her lady's courage as her husband leaves for battle. Humour, bold plans and the pressures of defending a home give readers several ways into the ballad tradition, through individual characters and clearly told scenes.