Haughs of Crumdel (1)/It fell upon the Martinmas time

It fell upon the Martinmas time.

It fell about the Martinmas time.
and a gay time it was than
When our gudewife had puddings to mak,
and she boiled them in the pan.

The wind blew cauld frae north to south
and blew into the floor;
Quoth our gudeman to our gudewife,
"get up and bar the door"

'My band is in my huss'fs skap
gudeman, as ye may see
au it shnuldna be he barr'd this hunder year
It's no be barr'd for me.

They made a paction 'tween them twa
They made it firm and sure.
Wha'er should speak the foremost word
would rise and bar the door.

Then by there came two gentlemen
at twelve o'clock at night,
and they could neither see house nor hall
Nor coal nor candle light.

Now whether is this a rich man s house,
Or whether it be a poor,
But never a word wad ane o' them speak
For barring o' the door.

And first they ate the white puddings,
and then they ate the ⟨black⟩;
Though muckie thought the gudewife to hersel,
Yet ne'er a word she spak.

Then said the one unto ⟨the⟩ other,
Here, man, tak ye my knife,
Do ye tak aff the auld man's ⟨beard⟩,
and ⟨I'll⟩ kiss the guidwife.

But there snae water in the house,
and what shall we do than?
What aits ye at the pudding broo,
That ⟨boils⟩ into the pan.

O then up started our gudeman,
and an angry man was he,
Will ye kiss my wife before my een,
and scad me wi’ pudding bree.

Then up and ⟨started our⟩ guidwife,
Gied three skips on ⟨the⟩ floor:
Gudeman ye've spoke the foremost word,
Get up and bar the door.