J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular rhymes of Scotland

222 POPULAR RHYMES OF SCOTLAND.
she, and a sookin' lad bairn. A' body said they war sorry
for her ; but naebody helpit her, whilk's a common case,
sirs. Howsomever, the goodwife had a soo, and that was
her only consolation ; for the soo was soon to farra, and
she hopit for a good bairn-time.
' But we a' weel ken hope's fallacious. Ae day the wife
gaes to the sty to fill the soo's trough ; and what does she
find but the soo lying on her back, grunting and graning,
and ready to gi'e up the ghost.
' I trow this was a new stoond to the goodwife's heart ;
sae she sat doon on the knockin'-stane, wi' her baii'n on her
knee, and grat sairer than ever she did for the loss o' her
ain goodman.
' Noo, I premeese that the cot hoose o' Kittlerumpit was
biggit on a brae, wi' a muckle fir-wood behint it, o' whilk
ye may hear mair or lang gae. So the goodwife, when she
was dichtin' her een, chances to look down the brae, and
what does she see but an auld woman, amaist like a leddy,
coming slowly up the gait. She was buskit in green, a' but
a white short apron, and a black velvet hood, and a steeple-
crowned beaver hat on her head. She had a lang walking
staff, as lang as hersel', in her hand — the sort of staff that
auld men and auld women helpit themselves wi' lang syne ;
I see nae sic staffs noo, sirs.
' Aweel, when the goodwife saw the green gentlewoman
near her, she raise and made a curchie ; and " Madam,"
quo' she, greetin', " I'm ane of the maist misfortunate
women alive."
" I dinna wish to hear pipers' news and fiddlers' tales,
goodwife," quo' the green woman. " I ken ye've tint your
goodman — we had waiu' losses at the Shirra Muir ; * and I
ken that your soo's unco sick. Noo what will ye gi'e me gin
I cure her ? "
" Onything your leddyship's madam likes," quo' the
witless goodwife, never guessin' wha she had to deal wi'.
" Let's wat thooms on that bargain," quo' the green
woman ; sae thooms war wat, I'se warrant ye ; and into
the sty madam marches.
' She looks at the soo wi' a lang glowre, and syne began
to mutter to hersel' what the goodwife couldna weel under-
stand ; but she said it soundit like—
* This was a common saying formerly, when people were regretting trifles.