Page:History of Buckhaven, or, The exploits of Wise Willie and Witty Eppie.pdf/8

8 alive ; and as they came near the place, the ass fell, a crying, which caused many of them to faint and run back. Na, na, quo' Willie, that's no the de'il's words at a', it's my Lord's trumpeter. touting on his brass whistle. Willie ventured till he saw the asse's twa lugs, now, crid Willie back to the rest, come forward and haud him fast, I see his twa horns, hech, sirs, he has a white beard like an auld beggar man; so they enclosed the poor ass, on all sides, thinking it was the de'il, but when Wise Willie, saw, he had nae cloven feet, he cried out, I carena lads, this is no the de'il, its some living beast, its neither cow nor horse. And what is t then Willie? Indeed, quo Willie, its the faither o' the maukins, I ken by its lang lugs. Now, some say this history is too chimerical, but it is according to the knowledge of those times, not to say any place by another. The old wives will tell you yet of many, such stories, of the devil appearing to their grandfathers and grandmothers, and dead wives coming back again to visit their families long after being dead. So this Buckhaven was once noted for droll exploits ; but it has now become more known, and a place said to produce as hardy watermen or sailors, of any town on the Scots coast. Yet many of the old people in it still retain the old rincrute of their ancient and uncultivated speech, such as Be. go laddie; they are also of a fiery nature, for if you ask any of their wives where