19
naughty wife and her sowens: it being very dark ere I eame in, the goodwife did not know me, but made her speech as follows; 'Indeed,' says she, 'ye'se no be here, for there is so many thieves and robbers gaun athort the kintry, and oor goodman’s no at hame; art thou honest enough?' I can want nothing of my honesty, goodwife; but did you ever see any people gaun through the eountry, telling they were thieves? 'Na, a wat weel no,' said she. Then said I, I'm sure I did not take away your barn on my baek the last time I was here. 'Yea, lad,' said she, 'are you the ehapman that eraeked sae weel to our goodman? Come in by, ye'se get a night o' the barn yet,' thanks to you goodwife, an' we sud get nae mair. I then, being preferred to my old seat, got the sowens to steer, until they were near ready, when the goodwife ordered the lad to take the old blankets and show me to my bed in the barn; I then gave the sowens the last turn, and having about the bigness of a nut of C———l S--p, dropt it into the pot, then went off to bed in the barn as fast as I eould, and made fast both the doors within, lest the bewitehed sowens, out of the pot, should attack me in my sleep. Next morning when I eame in, the goodwife began to pray for herself, and all that she had, saying, 'It's Wednesday through a' the warld, and good be between me and you, chapman, for you are either a witch or a warlock, or something that's no eanny, for ye witcht our sowens last night, for they gaed mad, raged out of the pot, belling and bizzing like barm, I thought they would run out to the barn to you; see how they filled up my milk tub, and a' the dishes in the house is
