“Aw’ll gie thi five shillin, an strike th’ bargain just nah,” sed Sammywell.

“Tha’rt a hard customer, but as we’ve had monny a drink together, tha shall have em.”

Soa th’ brass an th’ chickens changed hands an Sammywell wor sooin back hooam wi his bargain.

“Tha hasn’t been long,” sed Mally, as shoo lukt at th’ hens, “an whear’s mi change?”

“Ha mich change did ta expect aght o’ five shillin, when aw’ve browt thi three layin pullets?”

“If awd gien thi ten it ud just ha been th’ same an aw owt to ha had moor sense nor to ax.  But nah tha’s getten em, whear does ta intend to put em?”

“Aw’ll put em i’ yond old hamper ‘at’s i’th’ cellar.  Aw cannot fix a place for em befoor Monday.”

“Noa, but tha can beg an old box or two or a few booards wol tha’rt aght to-day an then tha’ll have all ready for a start.”

Sundy mornin saw Sammywell up i’ gooid time, an his first job wor to feed his chickens.  He felt quite like a farmer in a small way.  Then Mally had to goa an peep at em.  “Sammywell! come hither this minnit!” shoo called aght, an he ran daan fit to braik his neck.  “Peep into that corner,” shoo sed, as shoo raised th’ hamper lid.  An thear sewer enuff; ther wor a nice white egg.  He picked it aght gently an they booath examined it, an they thowt they’d nivver seen one as nice befoor.

“What mun we do wi it?” sed Mally.

“Aw think th’ best thing to do wi it will be to ait it.”

“It ommost luks a shame, but still aw suppooas that’s what its for.  Aw wonder which laid it.  Does ta think it wor th’ black en or th’ braan en?  Aw fancy it wor th’ white en.”

“Eeah, aw think it must ha been th’ white en,” sed Sammywell, “but get it boiled an we’ll share it.”

They wor as pleeased as two childer ovver ther braikfast, an it had seldom happened at they’d booath been in sich a gooid temper as they wor when they started for th’ chapel.  Sammywell had oppened th’ cellar winder to let some air in, an after lockin th’ door they wor just startin off, when what should they see but that white chicken pickin away i’th fould.

“Nah, tha sees what tha’s done!  Tha’s left th’ lid off that hamper!  Aw wish tha’d let things alooan at tha doesn’t understand.  Tha knows nowt abaat chickens.”

“It’s thi own fault for leeavin th’ cellar winder oppen!  Onny fooil mud ha known better nor that.  But let’s drive it back, if we leeav it aght it’ll be lost.”

“Shoo shoo,” went Sammy, an “Shoo shoo,” went Mally, but th’ chicken seemed to tak varry little nooatice, until Sammywell made a click at it, then it gave a scream an ran between his legs, an seemed detarmined to goa onnywhear except to th’ cellar winder.  Hepsabah wor lukkin aght o’th winder an saw what they wor tryin to do, soa shoo coom aght wi th’ long brush to help em, an little Jerrymier coom to help too.  “Nah, gently does it,” sed Sammywell, an they gethered raand in a ring an it lukt as if they wor just gooin to nab it, when Jerrymier sed “Shoo, shoo” an away it flew, clean ovver ther heeads, daan th’ ginnel an aght into Westgate.