AN honest man had tint his wife,
And, wearied of a dowy life,
Thought a perroquet bade maist fair
With tatling to divert his care.
For the good woman sair he griev'd;
He'ad needed nane if she had liv'd!
STREIGHT to a bird-man's shop he hies,
Who stock'd with a' that wing the skies
And give delight with feathers fair,
Or please with a melodious air,
Larks, gowdspinks, mavises and linties,
Baith hame bred and frae foreign countries.
Of parrats he had curious choice,
Carefully bred to make a noise.
The very warst had learn'd his tale,
To ask a cup of sack or ale,
Cry "Westlin herrings!" or "Fresh salmons!"
"White sand!" or "Norway nuts like almonds!"
Delighted with their various claver,
While wealth made all his wits to waver,
He cast his look beneath the board,
Where stood ane that spake ne'er a word.
"Pray, what art thou stands speechless there?"
Reply'd the bird: "I think the mair."
The buyer says, "Thy answer's wise,
And thee I'll have at any price…
What must you have?" "Five pounds." "'Tis thine
The money and the bird is mine."
NOW in his room this feather'd sage
Is hung up in a gilded cage.
The master's expectation's fully
Possest to hear him tauk like Tully.
But a hale month is past and gane,
He never hears a rhime but ane:
Still in his lugs he hears it rair
"The less I speak, I think the mair."
"Confound ye for a silly sot,
What a dull idiot have I got!
As dull my sell on short acquaintance
To judge of ane by a single sentence."
An honest man haed tint his wife,
An, wearit o a doowie life,
Thocht a perroquet bade maist fair
Wi tatlin ti divert his care.
For the guid wummin sair he grieved,
He'd needit nane yif shae haed leeved!
Straucht til a bird-man's shop he hies,
Wha stock't wi aw that wing the skies
An gie delyte wi feathers fair,
Or pleise wi a melodious air,
Larks, gowdspinks, mavises an linties,
Baith hamebreid an frae furrin kintries.
O paurits he haed cuirious chyce,
Carefully breid ti mek a nyse.
The verra warst haed lairned his tyill,
Ti ask a cap o seck or yill,
Cry "Westlin herrins!" or "Fresh saumons!"
"White sand!" or "Norway nuts like aumons!"
Delytit wi thair various claver,
While walth made aw his wits ti waver,
He cast his leuk anaith the bord,
Whair stuid ane that spak neer a word.
"Pray, what airt thou stands speechless thare?"
Replied the bird: "Ah think the mair."
The beeyer says, "Thy anser's wice,
An thee Ah'll have at any price.
What must ye have?" "Five punds." "'Tis thine
The money, an the bird is mine."
Noo in his room this feathered sage
Is hung up in a giltit cage.
The maister's expectation's fully
Possest ti hear him tauk like Tully.
But a hyill month is past an gane,
He niver hears a rhyme but ane:
Still in his lugs he hears it rair
"The less Ah speik, Ah think the mair."
"Confoond ye for a silly sot,
What a dull eediot have Ah got!
As dull masel on short acquantance
Ti juidge of ane bi a single sentence."