Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/160

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An' this wor tha pother! for tha watter-holes wor most dry, an' tha watter wor drawd off into big dykes, so that tha soppy, quiverin' bog wor turnin' in firm molds, an' wheer'd Tiddy Mun be than? Iverybody said, as ill times wor comin' for tha Cars.

But, however, tha wor no help for 't; tha Dutchies delved, an' tha' Dutchies drawd tha watter off, an' tha dykes gotten ever langer an' langer, an' deeper an' deeper; tha watter runned away, an' runned away down to tha river, an' tha black soft bog-lands 'ud soon be turned to green closin's.

But thoff tha work gotten done, it wor no'on wi' out trouble. At the Inn o' nights, on tha great settle, an' i'tha garths, an' i' tha kitchens to home, tha lispit strange an' queer tales, ay dearie me, stra'ange an' queer, but 'true's death! an' tha au'd folk wagged ther heads, an' tha young uns wagged ther tongues, an' tha anes thowt, an' tha ithers said:

"Ay, an' for sure, it's ill comes o' crossin' Tiddy Mun!" For mark ma words! 'twar first ane, syne anither o'tha Dutchies wor gone, clean sperrited away! not a sight o'un anywheres! tha sowt for un, an' sowt for un, but no'on a shadow of un wor iver seen more, an' tha Car-folk kenned fine, that a'd niver find un, nay, not if a sowt till tha gowden Beasts o' Judgement come a-roarin' an' a rampin' ower tha land, for to fett tha sinners.

Tiddy Mun a'd fetted un away, an' drooned un i' tha mud holes, wheer tha hadn't drawed off all tha watter!

An' tha Car-folk nodded an' said:

"Ay, that corned o' crossin' Tiddy Mun!"

But tha browt more Dutchies for tha work, an' thoff Tiddy Mun fetted un, an' fetted un, tha work gotten on natheless an' tha wor no help for 't.