_Anne an' John a-ta'kèn o't._
A. Back here, but now, the jobber John
Come by, an' cried, "Well done, zing on,
I thought as I come down the hill,
An' heärd your zongs a-ringèn sh'ill,
Who woudden like to come, an' fling
A peäir o' prongs where you did zing?"
J. Aye, aye, he woudden vind it plaÿ,
To work all day a-meäkèn haÿ,
Or pitchèn o't, to eärms a-spread
By lwoaders, yards above his head,
'T'ud meäke en wipe his drippèn brow.
A. Or else a-reäken after plow.
J. Or workèn, wi' his nimble pick,
A-stiffled wi' the haÿ, at rick.
A. Our Company would suit en best,
When we do teäke our bit o' rest,
At nunch, a-gather'd here below
The sheäde theäse wide-bough'd woak do drow,
Where hissèn froth mid rise, an' float
In horns o' eäle, to wet his droat.
J. Aye, if his zwellèn han' could drag
A meat-slice vrom his dinner bag.
'T'ud meäke the busy little chap
Look rather glum, to zee his lap
Wi' all his meal ov woone dry croust,
An' vinny cheese so dry as doust.
A. Well, I don't grumble at my food,
'Tis wholesome, John, an' zoo 'tis good.
J. Whose reäke is that a-lyèn there?
Do look a bit the woo'se vor wear.
A. Oh! I mus' get the man to meäke
A tooth or two vor thik wold reäke,
'Tis leäbour lost to strik a stroke
Wi' him, wi' half his teeth a-broke.
J. I should ha' thought your han' too fine
To break your reäke, if I broke mine.
A. The ramsclaws thin'd his wooden gum
O' two teeth here, an' here were zome
That broke when I did reäke a patch
O' groun' wi' Jimmy, vor a match:
An' here's a gap ov woone or two
A-broke by Simon's clumsy shoe,
An' when I gi'ed his poll a poke,
Vor better luck, another broke.
In what a veag have you a-swung
Your pick, though, John? His stem's a-sprung.
J. When I an' Simon had a het
O' pookèn, yonder, vor a bet,
The prongs o'n gi'ed a tump a poke,
An' then I vound the stem a-broke,
Bût they do meäke the stems o' picks
O' stuff so brittle as a kicks.
A. There's poor wold Jeäne, wi' wrinkled skin,
A-tellèn, wi' her peakèd chin,
Zome teäle ov her young days, poor soul.
Do meäke the young-woones smile. 'Tis droll.
What is it? Stop, an' let's goo near.
I do like theäse wold teäles. Let's hear.