The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tam O'Shanter, by Robert Burns

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Title: Tam O'Shanter

Author: Robert Burns

Illustrator: Harry L. Miller

Release Date: June 9, 2008 [EBook #25733]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: She tauld thee well thou was a skellum.]

Tam O' Shanter.

Robert Burns.

Decorations
by
Harry L. Miller.

The
Saalfield Publishing Company.
Akron Ohio
New York Chicago.

COPYRIGHT, 1908.
BY
THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY.

[Illustration: List of Decorations.]

Page

"She tauld thee well thou was a skellum" Frontispiece

"The landlady and Tam grew gracious" 13

"Well mounted on his grey mare, Meg" 19

"The dancers quick and quicker flew" 27

TAM O' SHANTER

BY

ROBERT BURNS

Tam o' Shanter.

A Tale.

WHEN chapman billies leave the street,
And drouthy neebors, neebors meet,
As market-days are wearing late,
An' folk begin to tak the gate;
While we sit bousing at the nappy,
An' getting fou and unco happy,
We think na on the lang Scots miles,
The mosses, waters, slaps, and styles,
That lie between us and our hame,
Whar sits our sulky sullen dame,
Gathering her brows like gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.

This truth fand honest Tam o' Shanter,
As he frae Ayr ae night did canter
(Auld Ayr wham ne'er a town surpasses
For honest men and bonny lasses).

O Tam! hadst thou but been sae wise,
As ta'en thy ain wife Kate's advice!
She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum,
A blethering,