wants onny tha’ll finnd me here ivery Setterdy,
an awl sell thee owt aw have at thi own price,’
’Well aw should think yo’ll be able to
keep th’ bums off if yo sell all them,’
aw sed, an aw started for hooam, but somehah aw didn’t
feel just as weel suited wi mi bargain as aw thowt
aw should, an aw wor bothered aboon a bit wi wonderin’
whear to put ’em, for awd noa room for ’em
nobbut ith cellar, an that wor as dark as a booit,
but, hahivver, aw thowt they’d be a bit o’
company for me, for aw wor oft varry looansome, an
aw should be able to have a fresh egg for mi braikfast
whenivver aw liked. As sooin as aw gate hooam
aw lit a cannel an went into th’ cellar, takkin
care to shut th’ door after me, an then aw unteed
ther legs an set ’em at liberty. They worn’t
a varry prime lot, but aw didn’t care for that,
for it wor th’ eggs aw wanted. Th’
cock gave hissen a shak, an set up sich a cock-a-doodle-doo
wol aw wor ommost deeafened—aw nivver heeard
sich a voice i’ mi life—if he’d
been trained he’d ha been a rare leeader for
a rorytory—an wol aw wor wonderin’
if it ud be safe to leeav ’em as they wor wol
aw went to fotch ’em some screenins, one oth
hens flew onto th’ shelf whear aw kept all mi
jock an stuff. ‘That’ll niver do,’
aw thowt, soa aw went towards it to tak it off, when
th’ cock tried to foller, an wafted th’
cannel aght wi his wings an let fair at th’ top
o’ my heead, so aw grabbed at th’ shelf
to steady misen, when daan it coom wi all th’
plates an pots, an sich a clatter an crash yo’d
ha thowt th’ haase had tummeld. Th’
milk wor all spilt, an th’ breead an cheese wor
rollin’ amang th’ coils, an a bowl o’
broth had emptied itsen onto th’ front o’
mi clean shirt, an aw wor sylin weet throo mi neck
to mi feet. Th’ hens wor chuckin’
i’ different corners, an th’ cock started
crowin’ laader bi th’ hawff, an aw tried
mi best to groap mi way up th’ steps into th’
haase. Aw managed at last, an if yo could ha seen
me as’ aw lukt just then, yo’d ha believed
aw should niver be able ’to get cleean agean.
Mi heead wor covered wi mail, an mi clooas wor sooaked
wi broth an ornamented wi bits o’ chopt carrots,
an turnips, an onion skins, an hawf a pund o’
butter wor stickin’ to one booit heel an pairt
ov a suet dumplin’ to t’other, an as aw
wor standin’ wonderin’ which end to begin
at to set things straight, a young woman ’at
lived next door coom in to ax me if awd been buyin’
some hens, for shoo’d heeard th’ cock crowin’,
an when shoo saw me i’ sich a pickle shoo held
up her hands an skriked as if awd getten mi throit
cut. ‘Whativver has ta been dooin?’
shoo sed. ‘Tha’rt fair flaysum to
luk at.’ Shut th’ door, Dorothy,’
aw sed, ’an come in an see if yo can help me
aght o’ this mess;’ soa she put th’
door to, an aw tell’d her all hah it had happened.
‘Why,’ shoo sed, ’tha mun tak all
thi clooase off, for they’ll have to goa into
th’ tub-ther’ll nowt ivver get that greeas
off but bailin’ watter an weshin licker; goa
upstairs an get ’em all off an fling ’em