Page:Fugitive Poetry 1600-1878.djvu/524

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THE AULD GOOD-MAN.

As round about the ring he whuds
He cracks his thumbs and shakes his duds,
The meal flew frae his tail like clouds,
And blinded a' their een.
O Allister McAllister, &c.

Heist raucle-handed smiddy Jock,
A' blackened o'er wi' coom and smoke,
Wi' shauchlin bleer-e'ed Bess did yoke—
That harum-scarum quean.
He shook his doublet in the wind,
His feet like hammers strack the ground,
The very mondieworts were stunned,
Nor kenned what it could mean.
O Allister McAllister, &c.

Now wanton Willie wasna blate,
For he got baud o' winsome Kate,
"Come here," quo' he, "I'll show the gate
To dance the Highland fling."
The Highland fling he danced wi' glee,
And lap as he were gaun to flee;
Kate becked and bobbed sae bonnilie,
And tript it light and clean.
O Allister McAllister, &c.

Now Allister has done his best,
And weary houghs are wantin' rest,
Besides wi' drouth they're sair distressed
Wi' dancin' sae I ween.
I trow the gauntrees got a lift,
An' round the bickers flew like drift,
An' Allister that very nicht
Could scarcely stan' his lane.
O Allister McAllister, &c.

The Auld Good-Man.

Late in the evening forth I went
A little before the sun gaed down,
And there I chanced by accident,
To light on a battle new begun:
A man and his wife were fa'in' in a strife,
I canna weel tell ye how it began;
But aye she wailed her wrenched life,
Crying, Ever alake, mine auld good-man!