Explore "Songs of Angus: THE TOD" by Violet Jacob on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
There's a tod aye blinkin' when the nicht comes doon, / Blinkin' wi' his lang een an' keekin' roond an' roon', / Creepin' by the fairmyaird when gloamin' is to fa', / And syne there'll be a chicken or a deuk awa' -- / Aye, when the guidwife rises, there's a deuk awa'!
There's a lass sits greetin' ben the hoose at hame, / For when the guidwife's cankered she gie's her aye the blame, / An' sair the lassie's sabbin' an' fast the tears fa', / For the guidwife's tint her bonnie hen an' it's awa' -- / Aye, she's no sae easy dealt wi' when her gear's awa'!
There's a lad aye roamin' when the day gets late, / A lang-leggit deevil wi' his hand upon the gate, / And aye the guidwife cries to him to gar the toddie fa', / For she canna thole to let her deuks an' hens awa' -- / Aye, the muckle bubbly-jock himsel' is ca'd awa'!
The laddie saw the tod gang by an' killed him wi' a stane / And the bonnie lass that grat sae sair she sabs nae mair her lane, / But the guidwife's no contentit yet, her like ye never saw! / Cries she -- "This time it is the lass, an' "she's" awa'! / Aye, yon laddie's waur nor ony tod, for Bell's awa'!"