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rin round about the fire till it be roasted. No, no, said Wise Willie, we'll no do that indeed; for my lord wad mak us a' dogs, an gir us rin through the country seekin maukins for him.
It happened on a dark winter morning, that two of their wives were going to Dysart to sell their fish; and on the road side there happened to be some tinker's ass tathered.—The poor ass seeing the two wives coming with their creels, thought it was the tinker's coming to flit or relieve him, fell a crying; the two wires threw their fish away, and run home like the very devil, and that he spoke to them, but they didna ken what he said, for it was words like a highlandman's; the whole town was in an uproar; some would go with picks and spades, and hag him in pieces, others wad go and catch him in a strong net, and then they could either hang or drown him. Na na, co' Willie, we mauna cast out wi' him at first as he's gotten the twa burdens o' fish, he'll e'en gang his wa' an no fash us nae mair, he is o'er supple to be catch'd in a net; a' your pith will neither hang nor drown him, and the kintry he comes frae, is a' het coals, he'll never burn; we'll gae to him in a civil manner, and see what he wants. Get out Eppie, the ale wife, and Lingle-tail'd Nancy, ⟨with the⟩ Bible and Psalm-book. So off they come in a croud either to kill the de'il, or catch him
