Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 25, 1914.djvu/386

 354 Collectanea.

" I cam fae a wee wee wifie an' a far less mannie, twa waal washers, twa barn thrashers, a mannie an' his clogs, a shepherd an' his dogs, an' a tod in the burn, an' noo I've come to you."'

The craw flapped its wings at it an' it flew owre the hills an' owre the hills till it flew back to the mannie an' the wifie, an' they catched it.

The Mousie and the Rotten.

A mousie and a rotten were to try a race to America. The mousie fell and broke its hinch, and gaed to the souter to get it shewed.

" Souter, souter, shew my hinch unto my pinch, and lat me win my wasie."

"Na, awyte no," says the souter, "I winna shew your hinch unless ye gang to the soo for birse to me."

"Soo, soo, birse me that I may birse the souter, the souter shew my hinch unto my pinch and lat me win my wasie."

" Na, awyte no," says the soo, "I winna birse ye unless ye gang to the brewster wife for bran to me."

" Brewster wife, brewster wife, bran me that I may bran the soo, and soo, soo, birse me that I may birse the souter, the souter shew my hinch unto my pinch. and lat me win my wasie."

"Na, awyte no," says the brewster wife, "unless ye gang to the coo for milk to me."

"Coo, coo, milk me that I may milk the brewster wife ; brewster wife bran me that I may bran the soo ; the soo birse me that I may birse the souter; the souter shew my hinch unto my pinch and lat me win my wasie."

" Na, awyte no," says the coo, " unless ye gang to the barn-man for strae to me."

" Barn-man, barn-man, strae me, that I may strae the coo ; and coo, coo, milk me that I may milk the brewster wife; brewster wife bran me that I may bran the soo; soo,'soo, birse me that I may birse the souter; souter, souter, shew my hinch unto my pinch and lat me win my wasie."

The coo got the strae, the brewster wife got milk, the soo got the bran, the mousie got the birse, and the souter shewed its hinch, and the mousie was first in America.