Page:Ancient and modern history of Buckhaven in Fife-shire.pdf/22

 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 a man coming down the brae driving a horse before him; and when he came near, Tardy-Tib says, "Tis a man driving a big mauken. Tib flang her creel and fish away, the other three ran another away, and got off. They said it was a horn'd de'il; and when Tib tell'd the frightsome story in the town, many ran out to see the poor man (or cadger and his horse) driving the auld mauken. The fishers

look on all maukens to be devils or witches: and if they but see a dead mauken, it sets them a trembling. The fisher lasses look with great disdain on a farmer's daughter, and all the country lasses; they call them muck-a-byres, and sherney-tails. The Bucky lads and lasses, when they go to gather bait, tell strange stories about ghosts, witches, Willy-wi’-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,