The Lady's Fan

Down in yonder lives a lady
Who she is I do not know;
She had two lovers and they were brothers
And both of them she thought she would try.

As these three lovers sat down to dinner together,
O the lady she made this reply,
" Come let us take a walk in the fields together
My constant loved ones for to try. "

First they came to the mulberry bushes,
The next they came to the lion's den,
O into her hand she held a fan
And in the den she dropped the same.

"If there's anybody wants to gain this lady's favour,
Is there anybody here my heart for to win?
If there's anybody here wants to gain this lady
Return to me my fan again."

O up speaks the bold sea captain,
Unto this lady he made this reply,
"O lady, in the den there lies great danger,
For life, for love, I dare not try,
O lady in the den there lies great danger,
And in the den I will not go."

When up speaks the bold lieutenant
And unto the lady he made this reply,
"O lady, in the den there lies great danger
But I will return to you your fan or die."

With sword in hand he boldly did venture,
And oh the lions they looked sad and grim,
He picked up the fan into his hand
And from the den safely he returned again.

O when she saw her true love a-coming
And unto him no harm was done,
She fell a-fainting in his arms
Saying, "Take the prize which you have won."

Then up speaks this bold lieutenant (sea captain?),
Unto the lady he made this reply,
"O it's lady for your sake the wild woods I'll wander
And it's for your sake I'll lament and die."

From Maritime Folk Songs, Creighton
Collected from Nathan Hatt, Middle River, Nova Scotia, 1952
DT #335
Laws O25
RG