Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/323

Rh ma lad, an' a'll do 's much fur thee." A cudn't speak yet, but a thovvt, "Lord! fur sure 'tis a bogle!"

"Noa!" says he 's quick 's quick, "a be no'on a bogle, but tha best not ask ma what a be; annyways a be a good friend o' thine." Ma very knee-bones struck, for sartainly an ord'ner body cudn't ha' know'd what a'd been thinkin' to masel', but he looked sae koind loike, an' spoke sae fair, tha'at a ma'ade bold to get oot, a bit quavery loike—

"Mowt a be axin' to know'a yer honour's neame?"

"H'm," sa'ays he, pullin' 's beard, "as for tha'at"—an' he thow't a bit—"ay so," he went on to la'ast, "Yallery Brown tha may'st ca'al me, Yallery Brown; t'is ma natur seest tha, an' as for a neame 't will do 's well 's on'y other. Yallery Brown, Tom, Yallery Brown 's thy friend, ma lad."

"Thankee, measter," sa'ays a, quite meek loike.

"An' now," he sa'ays, "a 'm in a hurry to noight, but tell me quick, wha'at 'll a do fur tha. Wilt hev' a wife? A can give tha tha rampinist lass i' tha toun. Wilt be rich? A 'll give thee gould 's much as thou can carry ; or wilt have he'p wi' thy wo'k? On'y say tha wo'd."

A scrach't ma he'ad. "Well, 's fur a wife, a hev no hankerin' efter sich; they're but bothersome bodies, an' a hev wimmen fo'ak to hoam as 'll men' ma clouts; an' fur gou'd tha'at 's as may be," fur, seest thou, a thowt he wor ta'alkin' on'y; an mebbe he cudna do 's much 's he sa'aid, "but for wo'k, theer, I cayn't abide wo'k, an' ef thou 'it give ma a he'pin' hand in 't a 'll thank"—"Stop," sa'ays he, quick 's lightenin'," a 'll he'p tha 'n welcome, but ef iver tha sa'ayst tha-at to ma—if ever tha tha'ank ma, seest tha? thou 'lt niver see ma more. Min' that now; a wa'ant no tha'anks, a 'll hev no tha'anks, do' tha hear?" an' he stampt 's tiddy foot on tha yarth an' looked 's wicked 's a ragin' bull.

"Min' tha'at now, grea'at lump 's tha be," he we'ent on, ca'almin' doun a bit, "an' ef iver tha need 's he'p, or gets into trooble, call on ma an' jist sa'ay, 'Yallery Brown, come fro tha mools, a want tha!' an' a 'll be wi' tha to