Page:Coalman's courtship to the creel-wife's daughter (10).pdf/15



15 auld wife has witcht thee, or the deil has dung chee o'er in some dirty midden; where hast thou been, or what hast thou seen; thae een reel like a wild cat's, and the sweat is hailing o'er thy nose; thou's witcht, thou's  witch't, O man, what will I do.

Bock, bock, gaed Sawney, but it could na    win up for bubbles an' herrin banes. Oh, quo' he, keep me in my bed for my days will soon be done; a curse on your courting wark, for it has killed me, and wives are but wicked things, I ken by the same.

Mither. O dole, dole, my bairn has got- ten poison, for the smell o' it is like to poi- son me.

Sawny. Gin herrin' and het ale be poi- son, there'll no be mony left alive. Bock, bock, Oh, quo, Sawney the bed's filed!

Mither. O my bairn, thou was ay a clean- ly bairn till now; thou's surely lost thy sen- ses when thou files where thou lies, like the brute beasts: thou ne'er did the like o' this before since thou left rocking o' the cradle.