United States or Tajikistan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
We had a grand take, I mind, and the way that the fish lay broucht us near in by the Bass, whaur we forgaithered wi' anither boat that belanged to a man Sandie Fletcher in Castleton. He's no lang deid niether, or ye could spier at himsel'. Weel, Sandie hailed. "What's yon on the Bass?" says he. "On the Bass?" says grandfaither. "Ay," says Sandie, "on the green side o't."
"A believe that; A ken that, Aadam," returned old Loudon drily; "and the curiis thing is, I'm no very carin'. See here, ma man," he continued, addressing himself to me. "A'm your grandfaither, amn't I not? Never you mind what Aadam says. A'll see justice dune ye. A'm rich." "Father," said Uncle Adam, "I would like one word with you in private." I rose to go.
The children stared and stared at this white-haired and bearded man, who "wasna grand ava," but who talked to them as simply and kindly as a grandfaither. He went right on talking to them in his homely way to put them at their ease, telling them that nobody at all, not even the bonny Queen, could be more than kind and well-behaving and faithful to duty.
Folk thocht afterwards that ilka time Tod cam near the house the fever had worsened. I kenna for that; but what I ken the best, that was the end of it. It was about this time o' the year; my grandfaither was out at the white fishing; and like a bairn, I but to gang wi' him.
"Whatten kind of a thing?" says grandfaither. "There cannae be naething on the Bass but just the sheep." "It looks unco like a body," quo' Sandie, who was nearer in. "A body!" says we, and we none of us likit that. For there was nae boat that could have brought a man, and the key o' the prison yett hung ower my faither's at hame in the press bed.
"Deil or warlock, I'll try the gun at him," quo' he, and broucht up a fowling-piece that he aye carried, for Sandie was a notable famous shot in a' that country. "Haud your hand, Sandie," says grandfaither; "we maun see clearer first," says he, "or this may be a dear day's wark to the baith of us." "Hout!" says Sandie, "this is the Lord's judgments surely, and be damned to it!" says he.
We keept the twa boats closs for company, and crap in nearer hand. Grandfaither had a gless, for he had been a sailor, and the captain of a smack, and had lost her on the sands of Tay. And when we took the gless to it, sure eneuch there was a man. He was in a crunkle o' green brae, a wee below the chaipel, a' by his lee lane, and lowped and flang and danced like a daft quean at a waddin'.
He was in a crunkle o' green brae, a wee below the chaipel, a' by his lee lane, and lowped and flang and danced like a daft quean at a waddin'. "It's Tod," says grandfather, and passed the gless to Sandie. "Ay, it's him," says Sandie. "Or ane in the likeness o' him," says grandfaither. "Sma' is the differ," quo' Sandie.
What ye take shall be your own, and what I take, your sister's; and your faither shanna cast up my toom bink and my ill-stocked mailing. "'Weel spoken, bairns! cried your grandfaither, who had been a first hand at such ploys in his young days; 'weel spoken!
Then Ralph looked at his pleasant querist to find out if he were expected to go on. The old lady nodded to him with an affectionate look. "Well," said Ralph, "my father is like nobody else. I have missed my mother, of course, but my father has been like a mother for tenderness to me." "Yer grandfaither, auld Ralph Gilchrist, was sore missed.
Word Of The Day