Author's Note: Bringing this up out of the archives. I apologize for the rampant cliches, I wrote this in high school. That being said, it is based on a folksong, and cliches are basically their stock-in-trade. Still, I quite like it.
Enjoy!
Hangman, Hangman, slacken your rope,
And slacken it for a while,
I think I see my father comin'
Ridin' for many a mile
As Elizabeth stared up at the tall man with the black hood who held her life in his hands, she thought back through all the years of her life. There weren't that many, after all she was only16 years old. As far back as she could remember she had lived with her father, older brother, and sister in their little cottage outside the village of Whiteoak. Her mother had died giving birth to her younger brother, but he had died before he was two of a fever. Her father worked as carpenter, and had many faithful customers who came to him whenever they needed a new table or chest, and often for coffins as well. Now, Elizabeth was afraid her father would have to build the third coffin for one in their family.
Have you come with silver and gold,
And money to pay my fee,
Or have you come to see me hung,
Upon the Sycamore tree?
As her father rode up on the sway-backed mare they used for the cart, Elizabeth felt a glimmer of hope flutter inside her stomach. Perhaps her father had managed to come up with the money to set her free! There were always the silver candlesticks and spoons that mother's relatives had given them for a wedding present, perhaps he had sold them? "Father?" She began, but was silenced by a jerk on the rope 'round her neck. "I'm sorry Elizabeth." Her father said slowly, breaking the unnatural silence. The whole village had gathered in the square to watch the hanging, but it was as a tomb. "I meant not to come. But I couldn't bear not knowing for sure what had happened."
I've not come with silver and gold,
No money to pay your fee,
But I have come to see you hung,
Upon the sycamore tree.
"But..." this time she was not deterred. Ignoring the coarse rope as it scraped her neck she continued. "You mean you've come to watch me die?! You, my own father!" He looked at the ground below the scaffolding, his head bowed by the weight if age and responsibility. "Elizabeth, you must understand. I would give my life to save yours if that was all there is to it. But I have to think of your brother and sister!" He shook his head, shaggy beard waving. "If I sold all we had to pay your fee, than how would we survive the next winter? I can't make enough before the cold sets in to buy food for the whole season. And there's not much call for my work when you can't leave the house for the snow drifts in front of the door!" Elizabeth stood shocked, as her father melted back into the crowd.
Her father had left her to die!
Hangman, Hangman, slacken your rope,
And slacken it for a while,
I think I see my sister comin'
Ridin' for many a mile
Her sister was only a few months older than Elizabeth, but she had all the makings of a true beauty. Unlike Elizabeth, Colleen had lovely golden locks that naturally curled in just the right way so as to look attractive, as if they had each been placed individually for maximum effect. Elizabeth's brown hair tended to frizz, and she had to tie it back severely in a braid just to keep it out of her face. As Colleen rode up on the neighbor's humble donkey, all the male members of the crowd turned as one to see this apparition whose hair glowed with a golden halo in the sunlight. "Colleen! Please." Elizabeth gasped out, before the rope was tugged sharply. "No more talking!" The Hangman ordered.
Have you come with silver and gold,
And money to pay my fee,
Or have you come to see me hung,
Upon the Sycamore tree?
"Hello, Elizabeth." Colleen dismounted with all the grace of a queen, and smiled at the crowd. She was perfectly aware of the effect she had on men, and took full advantage of it whenever possible. She had been courted by many young men, but she always broke it off before the wedding. She intended to make as much of her freedom as she could before she gave in to the rules of wedlock. "I'm soo, sorry all this unpleasantness has to happen, but you did break the law, you know." She cooed to Elizabeth. She was currently seeing a young soldier, and was anxious to impress him with her devotion to the law. Elizabeth squeezed back tears. Why could no one understand! She had simply borrowed the horse in order to get help for her family's cow. It was in labor, and having a difficult time of it, and Elizabeth was afraid both the cow and calf would die if she didn't get help from someone in town. She didn't know that the horse was already sick, and shouldn't have been ridden! She had apologized to the owner, but horses were expensive, and not easily replaced. "Don't worry," Colleen said, as if sensing her thoughts. "The cow was fine."
I've not come with silver and gold,
No money to pay your fee,
But I have come to see you hung
Upon the sycamore tree.
Colleen smiled, and, in one cool movement slipped away into the crowd to join her young man. It was as if she thought nothing of all the moments they shared, all the secrets whispered to each other in the darkness of their bedroom, and the hopes and dreams of the future meant nothing to her. "Colleen." Elizabeth whispered, fighting down the despair that rose like a tongue of flame within her breast.
Hangman, Hangman, slacken your rope,
And slacken it for a while,
I think I see my brother comin'
Ridin' for many a mile
Elizabeth's brother was a year older than her, and considered himself a man, helping their father in his shop, and dealing with the customers in town. Tall and dark like their father, he was not interested in girls as much as he was interested in making profit. Elizabeth had little hope that he would be the one to rescue her, but she refused to accept that she would die here today. "Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth." John shook his head in mock despair. "Who would've thought that this would be the way it all ends?" He had hitched a ride with a friend who lived on the other side of their home. Elizabeth felt the tears course down her cheeks. How could he be so cruel! To mock her, when she was seconds away from her death!
Have you come with silver and gold,
And money to pay my fee,
Or have you come to see me hung,
Upon the Sycamore tree?
He looked into her face for a moment, and an intense look of pain flitted across his face so fast that Elizabeth wasn't sure that she had actually seen it, before being replaced once more by an expression of mock sympathy. "What would our poor mother say if she could see you now. Her baby, hanging as a common criminal. But I suppose its all for the best. Its supposed to be a hard year for crops this year, and there will be one less mouth to feed." He gave a brief, mocking salute in her direction and turned away to join crowd.
I've not come with silver and gold,
No money to pay your fee,
But I have come to see you hung
Upon the sycamore tree.
Elizabeth's tears had dried, leaving strikes on her dusty face. Her own despair had momentarily abated in the face of her brother's anguish. For she had noticed that as he said this last bit, he stared at a spot above her head, not daring to meet her eyes. She had seen the pain on his face, and realized the cruel words were nothing more than a façade to hide his own pain in his inability to save the sister he loved.
Elizabeth felt her heart contract as she realized her time had run out. There was no one else whom she could think of that would care enough, or had the means to rescue her now. She closed her eyes, struggling to control her panic. If she had to die, she would at least die well. She would be brave, calm, and serene; resigned to her fate. At least she would get to see her mother again soon. She took a deep breath and, trying to keep the tears from overflowing onto her cheeks, opened her eyes. She looked out over the crowd, and suddenly noticed a lone horseman riding down the central village lane.
Hangman, Hangman, slacken your rope,
And slacken it for a while,
I think I see my True Love comin'
Ridin' for many a mile
Elizabeth gasped, fighting to quell the hope fluttering like a wounded bird within her heart. Could it really be him? She had met Allen the year before, when he had come to their village as a traveling minstrel. He was a Jack-of-all-trades, and changed occupations the way a snake shed his skin. By the time he left her, Elizabeth had seen him go from minstrel, to merchant, to carpenter, and to sailor. They had met at on Market Day where he had helped her with her shopping, and it wasn't long before they realized they had much in common. It wasn't until after she had invited him to dinner that she realized he was two years older than her, but by then it didn't make any difference. Allen helped her father with his trade, but he'd had to leave six months later, when Elizabeth's father caught them together in the shed. He'd threatened to castrate Allen if he came within five feet of his daughter again, and so Allen had been forced to leave. Allen had told her of his plan to become a sailor, and promised to come back as soon as he could, with enough money to marry her and take her away from her family.
Elizabeth felt her heart constrict as she recognized the tanned face of her beloved. The months had aged him, yet to her eyes he was even more attractive because of it.
Have you come with silver and gold,
And money to pay my fee,
Or have you come to see me hung,
Upon the Sycamore tree?
Allen rode straight to the hastily constructed platform below the branches of the tree, forcing the crowd to part for him in order to avoid being trampled. "Elizabeth!" he cried. Allen stayed mounted and stared at her, face flushed from the hard ride. He had such a desperate look on his face, as though he would fight the entire village to rescue her. Elizabeth began crying anew. He couldn't possibly have earned enough money in the months he had been away to buy her freedom; there was nothing he could do! Why did he have to come and see her humiliating death! And yet, impossibly, her heart was telling her not to give up. There was still hope where life remained! Allen turned his horse around to confront the townspeople. "Who is in charge here?" he asked, projecting his voice to all corners of the square. A man came to the front of the crowd, and Elizabeth recognized him as the man who acted as mayor for their little village. "I am. What do you want with me?" "I ask for what crime is this lass to hang for?" "She stole a horse, and rode it to death." Elizabeth shook her head in a tiny motion, protesting the accusation. Allen saw this out of the corner of his eye, but did not seem to acknowledge it. "She must've rode the horse quite far to run it to the ground. Where was she going, and for what reason?" "Sir, what need do you have to know these things? She has already been prosecuted and was found guilty." The mayor said stiffly. He was annoyed at all the dramatics, and was anxious to get this done with so he could go back to his home and a dinner that was getting cold. "We have had enough interruptions already!" "I have come to purchase the freedom of this girl, and will do so by paying the owners of the horse back in full, so that they might buy a new horse to help them in their labor."
I have come with silver and gold,
And money to pay your fee,
For I've not come to see you hung
And hung you shall not be.
Elizabeth could not believe her ears. She watched in astonishment as from within the saddlebags on his horse, Allen withdrew a leather bag heavy with coins, as well as a diamond brooch and a pearl necklace. Where had he gotten such riches? It was worth ten times what the old horse was worth! Had he lost his mind?! Allen held up the bag in one hand, and the jewels in the other. "As you see I have more than enough money to pay her fee twice over, but out of the generosity of my heart, I will give the extra to her family in exchange for her hand in marriage." The crowd roared at this announcement. No scruffy horse thief was worth that much! This man must be insane! The foremost spectators pushed forward, and tried to grab the jewels from Allen's hand.
Before the crowd could become a mob and swamp him, Allen drew his dagger and cut the noose from Elizabeth's neck before she had a chance to flinch. As Allen wheeled his horse to face past the scaffold, Elizabeth slid onto the horse behind him. With a terrific whinny, the horse threw back its head and ran off, Allen and Elizabeth clinging to its back. As they rode out of the village, Allen tossed the jewels and the bag of gold into the mob chasing them. As the villagers saw the treasure fly through the air towards them, they stopped in their tracks and began to fight over who would get the money, and all thought of pursuit was forgotten. As Elizabeth and Allen rode down the rode, she couldn't help but ask him where on earth he had gotten those riches! "Well, to be honest, there was only three gold pieces, the rest were rocks. And the pearl necklace was simply cheap glass painted white." Elizabeth sighed, "and I suppose the diamond brooch was a paste replica?" "Actually no, that was real." "Where did you get it?!" Elizabeth stared at him in astonishment. "You didn't steal it did you?" "Of course not!" he shrugged. "Well, not technically." He went on to explain how he had been hired as a cabin boy on a ship called the Black Gull and how it turned out to be a pirate ship. "You must understand I had no intention on being a pirate, but given the chance, who could resist?" Especially if you needed the money in a hurry in order to marry the women you loved, he added silently. Elizabeth laughed, for the first time in weeks. Indeed, Allen had never been one to pass up an adventure. "Well, we captured one ship, and I had a part in it so I got part of the booty. We sustained heavy damage though, and had to return to port. That's why I'm back so soon." He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "And just in time too." Elizabeth's smile turned grim. "Indeed. Not a moment too soon." Her thoughts turned to what they had left behind, and she realized she had no idea how or where they would live. "You do.I mean you do have enough money to live, don't we?" she asked anxiously. Allen pulled the horse to a stop at the side of the rode, and turned to look at her. "Elizabeth, I promise that if you marry me you will never want for anything. I have enough left of the money I got as a pirate to set us up quite well for years. The brooch and money I left in your village were not even a tenth of the money I've tucked away for us." Elizabeth looked into his eyes and saw he was telling the truth. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized how much he had risked for her sake. "Thank you." She whispered. He dismounted and helped her down as well. Before she could ask what he was doing, he fell to one knee before her and took her hands. "Elizabeth, will you marry me?" She looked into his pleading eyes and felt her own begin to pool with tears. No reply could ever make her feelings known, so she simply pulled him to his feet and feel into his arms, lips connecting with his in a desperate, passionate kiss.
Epilogue
Back in the village, the people discovered Allen's deception but by that time were not inclined to go tearing across the countryside in search of them. In the end, the owners of the horse got no more than a single gold piece, and Elizabeth's family got nothing at all. Unbeknownst to his father and sister, John was the one who found the diamond brooch hidden in the grass at the foot of the scaffold. He kept it, and eventually left to set up shop as a tailor in the town of Evansberg. He never sold the brooch, but kept it as the sole remainder of his favorite sister, and a reminder of the last time he saw her. He kept the brooch on his mantel piece and told the story of that fateful day to his children and grandchildren. He did leave out the fact that the girl in the hangman's noose had been his sister, and he the cruel mocking brother, but his tale became a favorite of the family and was retold down through generation after generation.
As for Allen and Elizabeth, as you might've guessed, they lived happily ever after. Although some of the treasure Allen had buried was stolen, enough remained that they were able to buy a cottage outside a little village where Elizabeth worked as a seamstress and Allen as a general handyman. They had six children, two girls, two little boys and a pair of twins, one girl and one boy. Elizabeth never forgot the way she felt when her family had abandoned her, so she gave up seamstress business when her children were born. During this time, Allen worked mainly as a cooper and used the remain of his pirate treasure as sparingly as possible. When their children had grown up, Elizabeth and Allen had enough treasure left to give a piece to each child as a family heirloom to be passed on through generation. In fact, the youngest girl received a diamond necklace that exactly matched the one kept by John.
Who knows? Some day the two families might meet once more..
The End