Chapter 9

A rollin' stone gethers no moss, A ram'lin' lad saves no brass; A whistlin' lass an' a crowin' hen Will fotch t' devil oot o' his den.

Than awn a crawin' hen, I seaner wad t' awd divil meet, Hickity O, pickity O, pompolorum jig! Or breed a whistlin' lass, I seaner wad t' awd divil treat, Hickity O, pickity O, pompolorum jig!

Nowt bud ill-luck 'll fester where There craws an' whistles sike(1) a pair; May hens an' women breed nea mair. Pompolorum jig.

1. Such.

Meeat maks, An' clease shaps, But that is nut t' man; For bonnie is that bonnie diz, Deny it if you can.

The Miller's Thumb

Miller, miller, mooter-poke, Teak a laid an' stale a stroke.(2)

2. Took a load of corn and stole a half-bushel; mooter, or multure, is the toll of meal taken by the miller for grinding the corn: mooter-poke, or multure-pocket, is accordingly a nickname for a miller.

Down i' yon lum(1) we have a mill, If they send more grist we'll grind more still. With her broad arm an' mighty fist Shoo rams it into t' mooter-chist.(2)

1. Wood. 2. The chest in which the toll of meal was kept.

Hob-Trush Hob

"Hob-Trush Hob, wheer is thoo?" "I's tryin' on my left-foot shoe, An' I'll be wi' thee--noo!"

Gin Hob mun hae nowt but a hardin' hamp, He'll co om nae mair nowther to berry nor stamp.(1)

1. The meaning seems to be, If Hob is allowed nothing more than a smock-frock of coarse hemp, he will not come again either to thresh corn or to beat flax.

Nanny Button-Cap

T' moon shines breet, T' stars give leet, An' little Nanny Button-cap Will coom to-morra neet.

The New Moon

A Setterday's mean Cooms yance i' seven year ower sean.

I see t' mean an' t' mean sees me, God bless t' sailors oot on t' sea.

New mean, new mean, I hail thee, This neet my true love for to see. Not iv his best or worst array, Bud iv his apparel for ivery day. That I to-morrow may him ken Frev amang all other men.

Eevein' red an' mornin' gray: Certain signs o' a bonnie day. Evenin' gray an' mornin' red Will send t' shepherd weet to bed.

Souther, wind, souther!(1) An' blaw my father heame to my moother.(2)

1. Veer to the south. 2. This is the lilt of the children of the east-coast fishermen when the boats are at sea.

Friday Unlucky

Dean't o' Friday buy your ring, O' Friday dean't put t' spurrins(1) in; Dean't wed o' Friday. Think on o' this, Nowther blue nor green mun match her driss.

1. Banns

An Omen

Blest is t' bride at t' sun shines on, An' blest is t' deead at t' rain rains on.

A Charm

Tak twea at's red an' yan at's blake,(1) O' poison berries three, Three fresh-cull'd blooms o' devil's glut,(2) An' a sprig o' rosemary.

Tak henbane, bullace, bummlekite,(3) An' t' fluff frev a deead bulrush, Naan berries shak frae t' rowan-tree, An' naan frae t' botterey-bush.(4)

1. Yellow. 2. Bindweed. 3. Blackberries. 4. Elder Tree

A gift(1) o' my finger Is seer to linger; A gift o' my thumb Is seer to coom.

1. White speck.

Sunday clipt, Sunday shorn, Better t' bairn had niver been born.

A Monday's bairn 'll grow up fair, A Tuesday's yan i' grace thruf prayer; A Wednesday's bairn has monny a pain, A Tho'sday's bairn wean't baade at heame. A Friday's bairn is good an' sweet, A Settherday's warks frae morn to neet. Bud a Sunday's bairn thruf leyfe is blist,. An' seer i' t' end wi' t' saints to rist.

A cobweb i' t' kitchen, An' feat-marks on t' step, Finnd nea wood i' t' yune(1) An' nea coals i' t' skep.(2)

1. Oven. 2. Scuttle.

Snaw, snaw, coom faster, White as allyblaster, Poor owd women, pickin' geese, Sendin' t' feathers daan to Leeds.

Julius Caesar made a law, Augustus Caesar sign'd it, That ivery one that made a sneeze Should run away an' find it.

A weddin', a woo, a clog an' a shoe, A pot-ful o' porridge, away they go!

Chimley-sweeper, blackymoor, Set o' t' top o' t' chapel door. Tak a stick an' knock him daan, That's the way to Chapeltaan.

The Lady-bird

Cow-lady, cow-lady, hie thy way wum,(1) Thy haase is afire, thy childer all gone; All but poor Nancy, set under a pan, Weyvin' gold lace as fast as shoo can.

1. Home.

The Magpie

I cross'd pynot,(1) an' t' pynot cross'd me. T' devil tak t' pynot an' God save me. .

1. Magpie.

Tell-pie-tit, Thy tongue's slit, An ivery dog i' t' toon 'll get a bit.

The Bat

Black-black-bearaway Coom doon by hereaway.

The Snail

Sneel, sneel, put oot your horn, Your fayther an' muthel'll gie ye some corn.

Hallamshire

When all the world shall be aloft, Then Hallamshire shall be God's croft. Winkabank and Templebrough Will buy all England through an' through.

Harrogate(1)

When lords an' ladies stinking water soss,(2) High brigs o' stean the Nidd sal cross. An' a toon be built on Harrogate moss.

1. Attributed to Mother Shipton. 2. Gulp.

The River Don

The shelvin', slimy river Don Each year a daughter or a son.(1)

1. Compare the Dartmoor rhyme:

River of Dart, oh! river of Dart, Every year thou claimest a heart.