Sundry Pieces: Uncle out o’ Debt an’ out o’ Danger
Ees; uncle had thik small hwomestead,
The leaezes an’ the bits o’ mead,
Besides the orcha’d in his prime,
An’ copse-wood vor the winter time.
His wold black meaere, that draw’d his cart,
An’ he, wer seldom long apeaert;
Vor he work’d hard an’ paid his woy,
An’ zung so litsom as a bwoy,
As he toss’d an’ work’d,
An’ blow’d an’ quirk’d,
“I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,
An’ I can feaece a friend or stranger;
I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peaeir
Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meaere.”
His meaere’s long vlexy vetlocks grow’d
Down roun’ her hoofs so black an’ brode;
Her head hung low, her tail reach’d down
A-bobben nearly to the groun’.
The cwoat that uncle mwostly wore
Wer long behind an’ straight avore,
An’ in his shoes he had girt buckles,
An’ breeches button’d round his huckles;
An’ he zung wi’ pride,
By’s wold meaere’s zide,
“I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,
An’ I can feaece a friend or stranger;
I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peaeir
Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
An’ he would work,—an’ lwoad, an’ shoot,
An’ spur his heaps o’ dung or zoot;
Or car out hay, to sar his vew
Milch cows in corners dry an’ lew;
Or dreve a zyve, or work a pick,
To pitch or meaeke his little rick;
Or thatch en up wi’ straw or zedge,
Or stop a shard, or gap, in hedge;
An’ he work’d an’ flung
His eaerms, an’ zung
“I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,
An’ I can feaece a friend or stranger;
I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peaeir
Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
An’ when his meaere an’ he’d a-done
Their work, an’ tired ev’ry bwone,
He zot avore the vire, to spend
His evenen wi’ his wife or friend;
An’ wi’ his lags out-stratch’d vor rest,
An’ woone hand in his wes’coat breast,
While burnen sticks did hiss an’ crack,
An’ fleaemes did bleaezy up the back,
There he zung so proud
In a bakky cloud,
“I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,
An’ I can feaece a friend or stranger;
I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peaeir
Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
From market how he used to ride,
Wi’ pot’s a-bumpen by his zide
Wi’ things a-bought—but not vor trust,
Vor what he had he paid vor vu’st;
An’ when he trotted up the yard,
The calves did bleaery to be sar’d,
An’ pigs did scoat all drough the muck,
An’ geese did hiss, an’ hens did cluck;
An’ he zung aloud,
So pleased an’ proud,
“I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,
An’ I can feaece a friend or stranger;
I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peaeir
Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
When he wer joggen hwome woone night
Vrom market, after candle-light,
(He mid a-took a drop o’ beer,
Or midden, vor he had noo fear,)
Zome ugly, long-lagg’d, herren ribs,
Jump’d out an’ ax’d en vor his dibs;
But he soon gi’ed en such a mawlen,
That there he left en down a-sprawlen,
While he jogg’d along
Wi’ his own wold zong,
“I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,
An’ I can feaece a friend or stranger;
I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peaeir
Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
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