140 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



No work of any kind was done upon Yule-day, for 

 the old rhyme said — 



" Nedder bake nor brew, 

 Shape nor shew, 

 Upon gude yule. 

 Else muckle dul 

 Will be dy share 

 Dis year and mair." 



[Neither bake nor brew, 



Shape nor sew, 



Upon holy Yule, 



Else much trouble 



Will be thy share 



This year and more (years).] 



Mam Nanny told me of a girl who, " wishful to 

 show contempt for auld ways (and moreover needing 

 sair to finish a pair o' socks that the laird was to buy 

 frae her), took ta her wires [knitting-needles] upon 

 Yule-day. A' folk telld her to be wise, and some said 

 she wad see ! And, puir lass ! she never saw another 

 Yule." 



I asked, " Did the girl die because she knitted on 

 Yule-day ? " and Mam Nanny answered — " I canna 

 say, my lamb ; but she wrought when she shouldna 

 hae wrought, and wha kens mair about the like o' 

 that ? " 



Football was the amusement of the men while the 

 brief day lasted ; dancing the amusement of the even- 

 ing. Trows are excessively fond of dancing, and always 

 try to join the revels, but this they can only do in the 

 disguise of a mortal. Woe -betide the man, woman. 



