Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/463

Rh Soon 's a wor sure a wor de'ad, up a got 'n' shook 's sel', an' theer wor th' gal, stannin' eaitin' fur 'n wi' 's long claws a'out, an' 's teeth gibberin' an' 's eyne blazin' loike a green cat, gan' to spring. An' nat'rally th' chap wor feared, an' a runned, an' runned, an' runned, so 's to git awa'ay; but she runned efter, wi' 's long claws strot out, till a cu'd feel un ticklin' th' back o' 's neck, an' strainin' wi' th' longin' to chock un. An' a ca'lled a'out to the thunner:

"Strike ma de'ad!"

But th' thunner wud'n't, for a wor de'ad a'ready.

An' a runned to th' fire an' begged:

"Burn ma oop!"

But tha fire wud'n't, fur th' chill o' de'ath put 'n a'out.

An' a thrung 's sel' in th' water, an' said:

"Draown me blue!"

But th' watter wudn't, fur th' death-colour wor comin' in 's fa'ace a'ready.

An' a tuk th' axe 'n' tried to cut 's thro'at, but th' axe wud'n't.

An' to last, a thrung 's sel' into th' gra'ound, an' ca'alled fur th' wo'ms to eat un, so 's a cu'd rest in 's grave an' be quit o' th' woman.

But by-'n'-by oop crep a gra'at wo'm, an' a stra'ange an' gra'at thing 't wor, wi' th' gal's head o' th' en' o' its long slimy body, an' 't crep oop aside un an' ra'oun' about, 'n' over un, while a druv awa'ay all th' other wo'ms, an' than a set to, to eat un 's sel'.

"Ooh, eat ma quick, eat ma quick!" a squeels.

"Stiddy, na'ow!" says th' wo'm, "good food's wuth th' meal-toime. Thou ho'd still, 'n' let ma 'njoy masel'."

"Eat ma quick, eat ma quick!" said he.

"Do'ant thou haste ma, a tell 'ee," says th' wo'm, "a 's gettin' on fine. Thou'st nigh gone na'ow." An' a smacked 's lips wi' th' goodness o' 't.

"Quick!" a whispit age'an.

"Whist, thou'st 'n onpatient chap," says th' wo'm.