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THERE was once a man that
wrought in the fields, and had a wife, and a son, and a dochter. One day
he caught a hare, and took it hame to his wife, and bade her make it ready
for his dinner. While it was on the fire, the good-wife aye tasted and
tasted at it, till she had tasted it a’ away, and then she didna ken
what to do for her goodman’s dinner. So she cried in Johnie her son to
come and get his head kaimed; and when she was kaiming his head, she slew
him, and put him into the pat. Well, the goodman cam hame to his dinner,
and his wife set down Johnie well boiled to him; and when he was eating,
he takes up a foot, and says: "That’s surely my Johnie’s
fit"
"Sic nonsense! it’s ane o’ the
hare’s," says the goodwife Syne he took up a hand, and says:
"That’s surely my Johnie’s hand."
"Ye’re havering, (talking nonsense)
goodman; it’s anither o’ the hare’s feet."
So when the goodman had eaten his dinner,
little Katy, Johnie’s sister, gathered a’ the banes, and put them in
below a stane at the cheek o’ the door—
Where they grew, and they grew,
To a milk-white doo,
That took its wings,
And away it flew.
And it flew till it cam to where twa women
were washing claes, and it sat down on a stane, and cried—
"Pew, pew,
My minny me slew,
My daddy me chew,
My sister gathered my banes,
And put them between twa
milk-white stanes;
And I grew, and I
grew,
To a milk-white doo,
And I took to my wings, and away I flew."
"Say that owre again, my bonny bird,
and we’ll gie ye a’’ thir claes," says the women.
"Pew, pew,
My minny me slew," etc.
And it got the claes; and then flew till
it cam to a man counting a great heap o’ siller, and it sat down and
cried
Pew, pew,
My minny me slew," etc.
"Say that again, my bonny bird, and I’ll
gie ye a’ this sill " says the man.
"Pew, pew,
My minny me slew," etc.
And it got a’ the siller; and
syne it flew till it cam to twa millers grinding corn, and it
cried—
"Pew, pew,
My minny me slew," etc.
"Say that again, my bonny bird, and
I’ll gie ye this mi)istane," says the miller.
"Pew, pew,
My minny me slew," etc.
And it gat the millstane
and syne it flew till it lighted on its father’s house-top. It threw
sma’ stanes down the lum, (chimney) and Katy cam out to see what was the
matter; and the doo threw all the claes to her. Syne the father cam out,
and the doo threw a’ the siller to him. And syne the mother cam out,
and the doo threw down the millstane upon her and killed her. And at
last it flew away; and the goodman and his dochter after that
Lived happy, and died
happy,
And never drank out
of a dry cappy.
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