John Grumlie.

page 23

"First ye mann ² dress your children fair,
An' put them a' in their gear,
An' ye maun turn the malt, John,
Or else ye'll spoil the beer.
An' ye maun reel the tweel, John,
That I span yesterday;
An' ye maun ca' in the hens, John,
Else they'll a' lay away."
Singing, fal de lal lal, &c.

O be did dress his children fair,
An' he put them a' in their gear;
But he forgot to turn the malt,
An' so he spoiled the beer.
An' "he sang aloud as he reel'd the tweel
That his wife span yesterday;
But he forgot to put up the hens,
An' the hens a' lay'd away.
Singing, fal de lal lal, &c.

The hawket crummie loot down nae milk;
He kirned, nor butter gat;
And a' gaed ³ wrang, and naught gaed right;
He danced wi' rage, and grat.
Then up he ran to the head o' the knowe,⁴
Wi' mony a wave and shout—
She heard him as she heard him net,
An' steered the stots about.
Singing, fal de lal lal, &c.

John Grumlie's wife cam' hame at e'en,
And laugh'd as she'd been mad,
When she saw the house in siccan ⁵ a plight,
And John sae glum and sad.
Quoth he, "I gie up my housewifeskep,
I'll be nae mair gudewife."
"Indeed," quo' she, "I'm weel content,
Ye may keep it the rest o' your life."
Singing, fal de lal lal, &c,

"The deil be in that," quo' surly John,
"I'll do as I've done before."
Wi' that the gudewife took up a stoot rung,⁶
And John made off to the door.
"Stop, stop, gudewife, I'll haud my tongue,
I ken I'm sair to blame,
But henceforth I maun mind the plow,
And ye maun bide at hame."
Singing fal de lal lal, &c.