[North Wilts: Clyffe Pypard.]
I niver wur at Cannin's but once as I knaws on, an' that wur when
Mr. Jones wur alive. I went awver wi' he to Cannin's Veast. I mind
thur wur a lot on 'em thur from Ca'an [Calne] as wur a tellin' up
zuch tales as was never about the Cannin's vawk. The' tell'd I as
zome on 'em got up the Church tower, and dunged that thur--what is
it?--a-top o' the tower, to make un grow as big as the spire. I never
he-ard tell o' zuch a thing! Should 'ee iver thenk as 'twer true?
An' the' tell'd I as 'twern't but a vurry veow years ago as zome on
'em hired as ther wur a comut ur what 'ee caals ut, to be zeed in
'Vize market-place, an' pretty nigh aal Cannin's went in thur to zee
un, an' niver thought o' lookin' to zee wur they cudden zee un at
whoam. What some girt stups they must a bin! An' thur wur a cooper ur
zummat o' that, as cudden putt th' yead into a barr'l; an' a tell'd
he's bwoy to get inside and howld un up till he'd a vastened un.
An' when a done the bwoy hollered out droo the bung hawl, 'How be
I to get out, veyther?'--That bit tickled I, bless 'ee! moor'n aal
on't! Arterwards one on 'em axed I if thur wurden a Cannin's girl in
sarvice at our place; an' I zes 'I b'lieve as 'tes.' An' a zes, 'Do
'ee iver zaa _Baa_! to she?' An' I zes 'Noa, vur why should I zaay
_Baa_! to she?' An' a zes 'You should allus zaay _Baa_! to a body as
comes vrom Cannin's.' 'Wull,' I zes, 'I shudden like to zaay _Baa_!
to any body wi'out I know'd the rason on't.' An' then a tell'd I as
the' had a tiddlin' lamb as wur ter'ble dickey, an' the' putt un
into th' o-ven, to kip un warm' an' shut un in an' forgot aal about
un, an lef' un in thur. An' when the' awpened the o-ven agean a wur
rawsted droo!--Wull, I come whoam, an' niver thought nothen more
on't fur a lenth o' time, till one daay as I wur a workin' in the
garden, measter an' missus wur out, an' the girls come out an' begun
a 'oondermentin' an' terrifyin' I. An' aal at once this yer shot
into my mind, an' I looks up at the cook an' I zes, '_Baa_!' But her
didden take no nautice, an' a went on chatterin'. An' I zes '_Baa_!'
agean. An' that put her pot on, bless 'ee! at a terrible rate, an'
she zes to I, 'Who be _you_'--she zes,--'to zaay _Baa_! to I?' An'
wi' that they boath on 'em went auf in-a-doors, an' they niver come a
meddlin' wi' I agean fur a long whiles.