A.
Back here, but now, the jobber John
Come by, an' cried, 'Well done, zing on,
I thought as I come down the hill,
An' heà¤rd your zongs a-ringèn sh'ill,
Who woudden like to come, an' fling
A peà¤ir o' prongs where you did zing?'
J.
Aye, aye, he woudden vind it plaà¿,
To work all day a-meà¤kèn hay,
Or pitchèn o't, to eà¤rms a-spread
By lwoaders, yards above his head,
'T'ud meà¤ke en wipe his drippèn brow.
A.
Or else a-reà¤kèn a'ter plow.
J.
Or workèn, wi' his nimble pick,
A-stiffled wi' the hay, at rick.
A.
Our Company would suit en best,
When we do teà¤ke our bit o' rest,
At nunch, a-gather'd here below
The sheà¤de theà¤se wide-bough'd woak do drow,
Where hissèn froth mid rise, an' float
In horns o' eà¤le, to wet his droat.
J.
Aye, if his swellèn han' could drag
A meat-slice vrom his dinner bag.
'T'ud meà¤ke the busy little chap
Look rather glum, to zee his lap
Wi' all his meal ov woone dry crowst,
An' vinny cheese so dry as dowst.
A.
Well, I dont grumble at my food,
'Tis wholesome, John, an' zoo 'tis good.
J.
Whose reà¤ke is that a-lyèn there?
Do look a bit the woo'se vor wear.
A.
Oh! I mus' get the man to meà¤ke
A tooth or two vor thik wold reà¤ke,
'Tis leà¤bor lost to strike a stroke
Wi' him, wi' ha'f his teeth a-broke.
J.
I should ha' thought your han' too fine
To break your reà¤ke, if I broke mine.
A.
The ramsclaws thin'd his wooden gum
O' two teeth here, an' here were zome
That broke off when I reà¤k'd a patch
O' groun' wi' Jimmy, vor a match:
An' here's a gap where woone or two
Wer broke by Simon's clumsy shoe,
An' when I gi'ed his poll a poke,
Vor better luck, another broke.
In what a veag have you a-swung
Your pick, though, John? His stem's a-sprung.
J.
When I an' Simon had a het
O' pookèn, yonder, vor a bet,
The prongs o'n gi'd a tump a poke,
An' then I vound the stem o'n broke,
But they do meà¤ke the stems o' picks
O' stuff so brittle as a kicks.
A.
There's poor wold Jeà¤ne, wi' wrinkled skin,
A-tellèn, wi' her peakèd chin,
Zome teà¤le ov her young days, poor soul.
Do meà¤ke the young-woones smile. 'Tis droll.
What is it? Stop, an' let's goo near.
I do like theà¤se wold teà¤les. Let's hear.