True Aubrey in Lady Christiana's Den (An SCA filksong)

Child Ballad 37 deals with Thomas the Rhymer . . . this piece is based upon that and, of course, interaction I observed among SCAdians True Aubrey in Lady Christiana's Den (or Spare Room, as the case may be :-) 1 Lord Aubrey visited a shire And he beheld a ladie gay, A ladie whose hospitalitie Was knowne through mundane Thunder Bay 2 Her manor ringed around with snow Was warm, and lit with lanterns bryht Ant for Aubrey, who sought crash space Looked fair to spend the nyht 3 True Aubrey he took off his hat, And bowed him low down till his knee: 'All hail, thou Queen of Heaven's Lodging! For its peer on earth I never did see.' 4 'O no, O no, Lord Aubrey,' she says, 'This hall is not that which you name; I offer but my humble home, If you've come here for to visit me. * * * * * 5 But ye maun stay wi me now, Aubrey, Dear Sherriff, ye maun stay wi me, For ye maun serve me seven years, For the crash space that you here see.' 6 She turned about her iron steed, And took Northshield's Sherriff up behind, And aye wheneer her bridle rang, The steed flew swifter than the wind. 7 For forty days and forty nights He washd dishes in greasy suds, And taught his craft, shared ref'rence books But told his tales to Christiana's kids. 8 O they rade on, sought food and more Until they came to a Safeway store: 'Light down, light down, ye ladie free, SOme groceries let me pull to thee.' 9 'O no, O no, Lord Aubrey,' she says, 'That food maun not be touched by thee, For a' the plagues that are in hell Light on food that is OOP 10 'But I have a loaf here in my lap, Likewise a bottle of Mare Am mead, And now ere we go farther on, We'll rest a while, and ye may eat.' 11 When he had eaten and drunk his fill, 'Lay down your head upon my knee,' The lady sayd, 'ere we climb yon hill, And I will show you fairlies three. 12 'Oh see not ye yon narrow road, So thick beset wi thorns and briers? That path is of authenticity, Tho after it but few enquires. 13 'And see not ye that braid braid road, That lies across yon lillie leven? That is the path of fantasy, Tho some call it the road to heaven. 14 'And see not ye that bonny road, Which winds about the fernie brae? That is the road to my SCA, Whe[re] you and I this night maun gae. 15 'But Aubrey, ye maun hold your tongue, Whatever you may hear or see, For gin ae word you should chance to speak, You will neer get back to your mundainie. 16 He has gotten a coat of the period cloth, And a pair of shoes by Christiana's lord, And till seven years were past and gone Lord Aubrey at events was never seen more