Babylon

Babylon,
an old ballad, the plot of which is known ‘to all branches of the Scandinavian race’, of three sisters, to each of whom in turn an outlaw proposes the alternative of becoming a ‘rank robber's wife’ or death. The first two chose death and are killed by the outlaw. The third threatens the vengeance of her brother ‘Baby Lon’. This is the outlaw himself, who thus discovers that he has unwittingly murdered his own sisters, and thereupon takes his own life. The ballad is in Child 's collection ( 1883 – 98 ).