The Two Magicians- Duncan (Aber) c.1934
Malcolm Douglas: There is another traditional set with a tune, however, which was noted in the early 1930s by James Carpenter from Bell Duncan of Aberdeenshire, a prolific singer who also supplied the only known traditional tune for The White Fisher. This remained unpublished until 1980, when it was included in Roy Palmer's Everyman's Book of British Ballads. Palmer prints staff notation for the third and fourth verses and choruses. Quite close relatives of this tune turn up attached to, for example, The Forester (The Knight and the Shepherd's Daughter) and Johnny Sangster.
THE TWO MAGICIANS (Noted by James Carpenter from Bell Duncan of Lambhill, Inch, Aberdeenshire)
The smith he stood in his smithy door,
An' she cam' by the door,
Could hardly stand for pride.
The smith he cried:
"Bide, lassie, bide,"
An' aye he bade her bide,
"An' be a brookie smith's wife,
An' that will lay your pride."
She became a ship, a ship,
An' sailed upon the sea,
An' he became a mariner,
An' aboard o' her gaed he.
"Bide, lassie, bide,"
An' aye he bade her bide,
"An' be a brookie smith's wife,
An' that will lay your pride."
She becam' a girdle
An' he becam' a cake,
An' a' things that she did become
The smith becam' her make.
And it's bide, lassie, bide,
An' aye he bade her bide,
An' be a brookie smith's wife,
An' that'll lay your pride.
She becam' a duke, a duke,
To puddle in a peel,
An' he becam' a drake, a drake,
Tae gie the duke a dreel.
And it's bide, lassie, bide,
An' aye he bade her bide,
"An' be a brookie smith's wife,
An' that'll lay your pride.