Page:History of John Cheap the chapman (3).pdf/19

know me, but made her speech as follows: "Indeed says she, ye's no be here; for there is so mony thieves and robbers gawn athort the kintry, and our goodman's no at hame; is thou honest enough?" I can want nothing of my honesty goodwife; but did you ever see any people gawn thro' the country, telling they were thieves? "Na, a wat well no said she:" Then, said I'm sure I did not take away your barn on my back the last time I was here "Yee lad, said she, are ye the chapman that cracket sae well to our goodman? come in by ye's get a night o' our barn yet;" thanks to you goodwife an we sud get nae mair. I then being preferred to my old seat, and got the sowens to steer, until they were near ready, when the goodwife ordered the lad to take the old blankets, and shew me to my bed in the barn; I then give the sowens the last turn, and having about the bigness of a nut of C--l S--p, drops it into the pot, then went off to bed in the barn as fast as I could and made fast both the doors within, lest the bewitched sowens out of the pot should attack me in my sleep next morning when I came in, the goodwife began to pray for herself, and all that she had, saying, "it's Wednesday thro' a' the warld, and good be between you and me chapman, for ye're either a witch or a warlock or something that's no canny, for ye witcht our sowens last night, for they gaed mad; rag'd out o' the pot, bizing like barm, I thought they wad run out to the barn to you, see how they filled up my milk-tub, and a' the dishes in the house is fu' o' them." Dear gudewife, said I, they were very good when I left them, tho' I did not prie them, and I wish'd them as much good of them as I got, but certainly they're not witcht, but a blessing in them, when they are so multiplied. "Gae awa, cried she in a passion, ye're no