Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/460

404 which be main mischancy, seest tha; "do'ant 'ee overlook ma, do'ant 'ee! Ef a do'ant wed tha, mout th' wo'ms e'at ma"—"(Ther ba'oun' fur to do 't annywa'ays!" thinks he to 'msel)—"an' th' childer hev wings 'n' fly awa'ay." (An' none gra'at matter ef tha do!" says he to 'msel'.)

But th' maid didn't know as a wor thinkin', an' a want wi' 'm. An' by-'n'-by tha coom to 'n' cho'ch.

"Thou'll can wed ma here-by," says she, tweakin 's arm.

"No'a!" says he, "th' pa'asson 's a-huntin'." So tha went on a bit furder, an' coom to 'nother cho'ch.

"Wal', here-by?" says she.

"No'a!" says he; "pa'asson's none sober 'nuff, 'n' clerk's drunk."

"Wal'!" says she, "mebbe tha'll can wed 's, fur ahl thar i' liquor."

"Houts!" says he, an' gi's her a kick.

So on tha want ag'ean, an' by-'n'-by, a meets wi' a t'ylor-man, an' a says, says a, "Wheer's th' me'aster?"

"Ooh, da'own-by!" says th' au'd feller.

So a went on a bit furder, while tha coom to a wise woman, plaitin' straws, an' a says to a, "Wheer's th' au'd mun?"

"Da'own-by!" says she.

So on tha want, while a coom to 'n bit cottage by th' la'ane side, an' a knockit an' kicked at th' door tell 't shuk, but niver a wo'd coom f'um inn'ard. So a wa'alked ra'at in, an' theer wor 'n au'd mun lyin' slepin' 'n' snorin' on 's bed.

Wal', th' young chap keck't aba'out 'un fur summat handy, 'n' seen 'n axe, so a oop wi' 't 'n' brained th' au'd feller, 'n' chopped 's feet 'n' ban's off'n 'um. An' than a set to 'n' cle'aned oop th' pla'ace, 'n' thrung th' corp out o' winder, 'n' lat fire i' th' hearth, while ahl wor smart 'n' natty.

An' by-'n'-by, keckin' ower 's showther, a seed th' wise woman stealin' th' corp awa'ay wi' a.

"Hi!" says th' chap; " th' corp's mine, seest tha. What thou do'n' wi' 'm ?"