178 



Efter t'brush, pads an' t'heead's gi'en ti t' winner, 



Is for t'parson an' t' Squire fane tither ti lip (scold), 



Sikan's mainly good friends, bud oors deean't sip 



Fra t'same bottle noo efter dinner. 



This wise they fell oot : ivvery year afore t'Mell, 



T'parson thowt up a sarmon right new, 



An' t' Squire, his missus, an' all up at t'hall, 



Wiv his bairns an' his sarvints, t'job lot, gret an' small, 



O' Mell Sunday fair filled t'family pew. 



An' nivver a wo'd fra t'parson's lips cam 



Whahl t' Squire hed sattled him doon 



Fer he thowt mair o' him, an' the Lord a gay bit, 



Bud yah time wa sat, wa s'u'd 'a'e been sitting yit, 



It's as trew as the Lord 's up aboon, 



Bud just when wa'd gitten ti t'varra far end 



O' wer manners, an' aimed wa'd away, 



Yan o' t'grooms oppen'd t'door, flang t'curtains apart, 



Shoved his head thruff an' shooted, ya'd best mak a start, 



T'Squire's not coming hither to-day, 



Wa've gitten three pups, an' t'bitch isn't well, 



(Th'are bonnily marked, maistly white), 



He's fair setten up, an' begs ya'll pray 'at t'au'd bitch 



'LI pull thruff alright, if not, he swears t' witch 



In t'hoss pond, he'll duck afore t' night. 



Then, t'parson loup'd up, an' fairly skriked oot, 



Gan back to yer master, my man, 



An' tell him fra me, Ah shall nivver mair wait 



For his dogs, or his hosses, should he come soon or late, 



You can pull back that curtain, an' gan. 



Whisht ! whisht ya ! What's yon ? Look, look you, ther's t'fox 



Yoicks ho ! forrard-on ! ivvery yan. 



Ther's t'hounds i' full cry, wi' tan tivvy on t'horn, 



He's wakken'd an' brokken this fine winter's morn, 



An' Ah'll bet thruff Tom's faud yard 1 he'll gan, 



T'geese are fair flowtered, 2 while t'ducks flackker roond, 



An' t'hens finnd' 'at t'cock's lost its heead, 



An' ther's au'd Betty's sow a full yard heading t' hounds, 



Tom's calf's brokken loose, an' wi' loups kicks an' bounds, 



Heads t' sow while it's nigh flayed 8 ti deeath, 



What wi' lahl dogs an' gret dogs, an' mongrels an' curs, 



Wi' lurchers an' snackers 4 'at hares better ken, 



No wonder sly reynard, frev his nap's wakken'd up, 



An' lithin his brush, thought there's neea time ti sup, 



Ah mun leave baith my goose, duck, an' hen. 



1. Fold Yard. 2. Excited 3. Frightened. 4. A greyhound 

 often used for poaching. 



