My stepmother slew me My dear father ate me My little brother whom I love Sits below I sing above Stick Stock Stone Dead My stepmother was beautiful She stole my father’s heart away She wanted him all for herself Wanted me out of the way My little brother he was born With hair as black as the carrion crow My hair grew gold as summer corn And She grew bitter as the sloe We played in the shade of the juniper tree Like a raven and a dove Stepmother’s heart twisted like bark Until she had no room for love ‘Come here,. Come here my sweetie pies’ Night is nearing, better beware But before you sleep, Susie Sweet Let me comb your golden hair’ ‘Your lovely locks are full of knots They will break my ebony comb Fetch father’s axe and a billet of wood I’ll cut the knots the wind has blown’ That night my brother has a dream A white bird crying scarlet tears In the morning when he woke His tender heart was full of fear My stepmother baked tender pies Neat meat pies with crusts of gold Father ate up every bite Brother let his pies grow cold In the woods they found my bones Buried them under the juniper tree On my grave my brother weeps Weeps until he cannot see. And I will sing my little song To soothe my brother’s tears away To ring in my stepmother’s ears Until she turns into the clay.