Page:Ancient and modern history of Buckhaven in Fife-shire.pdf/14

 it tu is, mair it bore thee now, a hear ye that my dow. The next exploit was an action at law, against the goodman of Muiredge, a farmer who lived near by, that kept sheep and swine. His sheep came down and broke into their yards, and ate their kail; the wild hares, they thought, belonged to the same man, as they ran towards his house when they were hunted. The swine came very often in about their houses, seeking fish guts, and any other thing they could get; so it happened that when one of their children was sitting casing itself, one of the swine tumbles it over, and bites a piece out of the child's backside. The whole town rose in an uproar,

and after Grunkie, as they called her. They catched her, and brought her before Wise Willy. Willy takes an axe, and cuts two or three inches off her long nose. Now, says Willy, I trow I hae made thee something decenter like, thou had sic a lang mouth and nose before, it wada frighted a very de'il to look at ye; but now ye're faced like a little horse or cow. The poor sow ran home roaring all blood, and wanting the nose! which caused Muiredge to warn them in before my Lord. So the wives who had their kail eaten, appeared first in the court, complaining against Muir-