Two Sisters

Two little sisters living in a bower Oleander yolling The youngest was the fairest flower Down by the waters rolling A noble knight came riding by Oleander yolling Two little sisters caught his eye Down by the waters rolling And he courted the eldest with diamonds and rings Oleander yolling The other he loved above all things Down by the waters rolling "Sister, sister, come down to the broom Oleander yolling We'll hear the black birds change their tune Down by the waters rolling." So she took her sister by the hand Oleander yolling And led her down to the river strand Down by the waters rolling And as they stood at the river's brim Oleander yolling The eldest pushed her sister in "Sister, sister, reach me your hand Oleander yolling And you'll be the heir to my riches and land Down by the waters rolling." "Oh Sister, sister, that will never be Oleander yolling Till salt and oatmeal grow of a tree Down by the waters rolling." "Oh sister, sister, lend me but your glove Oleander yolling And you shall have my own true love Down by the waters rolling." "It's your own true love I'll have and more Oleander yolling But you shall never come to shore For your cherry cheeks and your long yellow hair Oleander yolling Made me a maid for evermore." Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam Oleander yolling Till she came to a miller's dam By the waters rolling The miller and his daughter stood at the door Oleander yolling And watched her body floating to shore Down in the waters rolling "Oh father, father, draw your dam Oleander yolling For it's either a mermaid or a swan Down in the waters rolling." The miller he dragged her out on to the shore Oleander yolling And he stripped her of all that she wore Down in the waters rolling He laid her body on the bank to dry, Oleander yolling A minstrel he came riding by Down by the waters rolling And he made a harp of her breast-bone Oleander yolling Whose sound could melt a heart of stone He took three locks from her long yellow hair Oleander yolling With them strung a harp so rare Down by the waters rolling And he took the harp to the king's high hall Oleander yolling There was the court assembled all Down by the waters rolling And he laid the harp there upon a stone, Oleander yolling The harp began to play alone. But the only tune that the harp would play was Oleander yolling The only tune that the harp would play Down by the waters rolling It sang: "Yonder sits my love the king, Oleander yolling How he'll weep at my burying, By the waters rolling And yonder sits my sister the queen Oleander yolling She drownèd me in the cold, cold stream, Down in the waters rolling"