PEER OALD JOE. 31 



(In the Cumberland Dialect.) 



UP in the moornein at hoaf-past five, 

 Killin' his sel' ta keep himsei' alive ; 

 Bent hoaf dubbil, en' snow- whey te heed ; 

 Peer oald fella, he'd better be deed. 

 Hag-gin* in watter, en' kairyin kwoals, 

 Tummelin' inta th' gutters en' hwoals. 

 Stouteiin' thro' beath sleet n' snow, 

 As hard as an otter is peer oald Joe. 



Inta the shop at hoaf-past six, 



Blooin' the bellas en' sharpin' th' picks ; 



He mun hev them oa deun at hoaf-past eight, 



Or else the back-men 'ill skowld en' feight. 



Then ta th' hoos he mun slip elang, 



For a lal sup tea ta mak him strang ; 



But in his heaste he's gitten a foa, 



En' brocken his shins, hes peer oaldJoe. 



Limpin' elang ta th' hoos et last- 

 But theer's neabody in, en' th f dour it's fast ; 

 He knocks wud his foot, en* he jingles the sneck, 

 If he beyds ower lang he'll git the seek. 



