The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie
Encyclopedia
The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie is Child ballad 290, existing in several variants, some of them fragmentary.
The variants diverge widely about the next event: the earl's son, two years later, sees the beautiful daughter she bore him; in both variants with the earl's younger son, he receives a commission; the highland squire sends for her (without explaining why he left her). But whichever event occurs, it results in the man marrying her.
Synopsis
A man expresses an interest in a woman. The hostler's wife lures her to him with an offer of fine wine. After he has his will of her, she demands his name. He may be an earl's son, an earl's younger (and landless) son, or a highland squire.The variants diverge widely about the next event: the earl's son, two years later, sees the beautiful daughter she bore him; in both variants with the earl's younger son, he receives a commission; the highland squire sends for her (without explaining why he left her). But whichever event occurs, it results in the man marrying her.