Page:History of John Cheap the chapman (2).pdf/18

 they'll do very well for a supper. I trow sae lad, said she, ye hae some sense: so the old woman put on the pot with her sowens, and went to milk her cows, leaving me to steer; the goodman her son, as soon as she went out, took a great cogful of water and put into the pot amongst the sowens, and then went out of the house, and left me alone: I considering what sort of a pish-the-bed supper I was to get if I staid there, thought to set out, but takes up a pitcher with water, and fills up the pot until it was running over, and then takes up my pack and comes about a mile farther that night, leaving the honest woman and her son to sup their watery witcht sowens, at their own leisure.

I then turned toward the east, through a place called Slamannan, and was lodged one night near a place called Todd's Bughts, where there was a boul-horn'd goodwife, but a very civil goodman; when I went in, she took up a dish from the dog, wherein was a few he had left, and with a collection more from other cogs, she offered them to me, which I refused 'em; said she, ye're a lordly sort of a chapman indeed; so I began to divert the goodman, by telling him a deal of fine stories to make him laugh, but could not get near the fire. At last I said, O goodwife, I'll tell you news; Ay chapman, what's that, said she? Indeed my feet's very cauld, said I, whereat they all laught but the goodwife, she gloomed till the rest were done, and then took a laugh at it herself: So the goodman ordered all the Jonies, Jamies, and Jennies with their wheels to sit about then I was set beyond the fire, and preferred to steer their sowens, but when they were ready and put up in dishes, the goodwife ordered one of the lads to take a pair of old blankets and two sacks, and show me where I was to lie in the barn: Ho, ho, thinks I, there's no supper for me, but I'll remember this