Page:Comical history of Simple John and his twelve misfortunes (13).pdf/5

5 candlestick, a good cock, cat, twa erorcks new begun to lay my siste Sara is married on Sleeky Willie the wylie weaver, and I maun hae a hags wife or my mither die, for truly she's very frail, and ony harl о' health she has is about dinner-time; what say ye tillt, goodman? can ye buckle me or not?

Goodman. A dear John, ye're in an unco haste, ye wadna hae your wife hame wi' ye? they're a' there before ya, which o' them will ye tak?

Hout, tout, says John, ony o'them will sair me but my mither says there is twa o' them has fauts. And what is their faults says the goodwife. Hout, said John, it's no meikle, but I dinna like they got men or they were married. And what shall I do wi' them? said the goodman.

John. deed, goodman, as ye're ay dealin among dead beasts and living beasts, I wad put them awa among ither beasts, or gin ye be aun ony penny, let somebody tak them up o' desperate debt, I sud flie the fykes