Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Harp of Renfrewshire

153
But some roar'd the race was beginning —
Hecli, sirs, sic a hiillibaloo ;
Frae taverns and tents they were rinning,
Some sober, and ithers blin' ion.
Then some roar'd the hindmost was foremost,
And roos'd a Kilbirnie bit beast ;
But I swore the first wad be foremost,
Or that he wad be second at least.
Neist we heard the wild beasts all a-howling,
And wild fools beginning to squake ;
There a gowk 'bout the elephant was bawling,
That it could do a' things but speak.
Sae Nanny was oxter'd wi' Tammy,
And Nelly wi' muckle Jock Hodge ;
Sae we drew out our siller fu' canny,
And paid to win in wi' a grudge.
The elephant stood in a closet,
And whether for hunger or greed
I kentna, but ay the big nose o't
Was wagging for bawbees and bread.
Now as we stood staring and glouring,
The lasses were shaking wi' fear,
Man, to see the big serpent devotiring
As meikle meat's sair't for a year.
There were fiddlers, and fifers, and drummers,
Wha play'd for bawbees in a neuk ;
With pipers, and droners, and bummers,
And dogs that could dance by the beuk.
But quo' Tam, as we stood wi' the tawpies,
And leugh at the merryman's tale,
Deed, lassies, I'm e'en growing yawpish.
We maun hae some buns and some ale.
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