Page:Ancient and modern history of Buck-haven in Fifeshire.pdf/22

22 coals; he would not take with him, on account he had but ae eye. After that, there was no more dancing at admitting of burgers; but the old usual way of scate-rumple, and then drink until they were almost blind.

Upon the Rood-day, four young Bucky lasses went away early in the morning with their creels full of fish: about a mile frae the town, they saw coming down a brae, like a man driving a beast, when they came near, Tardy-Tib says, 'tis a man driving a big mauken. Tib flang her creel and fish

away, the other three ran another way, and got clear, they said it was a horned de’il. Tib told the frightsome story, and many ran out to see the poor man (or cadger and his ass) driving the auld mauken. The fishers look on all maukens to be devils and witches, and if they but see a sight of a dead mauken, it sets them a trembling. The fisher lasses look with disdain on a farmer's daughter, and a country lasses, they call them muckbyres and sherny tail'd jades.

The Bucky lads and lasses when they go to gather bait, tell strange stores about Ghosts, Witches, Willy with the Wisp, and the Kelpy, Fairies and Maukens, and boggles of all sorts.

The Ghosts, like old horses, go all night for fear they are seen, and be made to carry scate or fish or