successively represent her as
up the stair "bleaching," "drying," and "ironing clothes." At last they
reply:--

Janet jo's dead and gane,
Dead and gane, dead and gane;
Janet jo's dead and gane--
Ye'll see her face nae mae!

She is then carried off to be buried, the lover and the rest weeping.
Sometimes she revives (to their great joy), and sometimes not, _ad
libitum_--that is, as Janet herself chooses.

A south-country version (Dr. Chambers tells) differs a little, and
represents Janet as "at the Well," instead of upstairs, and afterwards
"at the Mill," and so on. A Glasgow edition gives the whole in good
west-country prose, and the lover begins: "I'm come to court your
dochter, Kate Mackleister!"

In the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, "Janet Jo" used to be a dramatic
entertainment amongst young rustics. Suppose a party have met on a
winter evening round a good peat fire, writes Chambers, and is resolved
to have "Janet Jo" performed. Two undertake to personate a goodman and a
goodwife; the rest a family of marriageable daughters. One of the
lads--the best singer of the party--retires, and equips himself in a
dress proper for representing an old bachelor in search of a wife. He
comes in, bonnet in hand, bowing, and sings:--

Gude e'en to ye, maidens a',
Maidens a', maidens a';
Gude e'en to ye, maidens a',
Be ye or no.

I've come to court Janet jo,
Janet jo, Janet jo;
I've come to court Janet jo,
Janet, my jo.

Gudewife sings:--

What'll ye gie for Janet jo,
Janet jo, Janet jo;
What'll ye gie for Janet jo,
Janet, my jo?

The wooer replies:--

I'll gie ye a peck o' siller,
A peck o' siller, peck o' siller;
I'll gie ye a peck o' siller
For Janet, my jo.

Gudewife exclaims, "Gae awa', ye auld carle!" then sings:--

Ye'se never get Janet jo,
Janet jo, Janet jo;
Ye'se never get Janet jo,
Janet, my jo.

The wooer hereupon retires, singing a verse expressive of mortification,
but soon re-enters with a re-assured air, singing:--

I'll gie ye a peck o' gowd,
A peck o' gowd, peck o' gowd;
I'll gie ye a peck o' gowd,
For Janet, my jo.

The matron gives him a rebuff as before, and he again enters, singing an
offer of "twa pecks o' gowd," which, however, is also refused. At his
next entry he offers "three pecks o' gowd," at which the gudewife
brightens up, and sings:--

Come ben beside Janet Jo,
Janet jo, Janet jo;