tten to th' end o'th ginnel, old Zekil saw him, and
sed--"Heigh up, thear! What are ta dooin wi that chicken?"

"Awm takkin it whear it belangs."

"That's my chicken, put it daan an mell on it agean at thi peril."

"Nay, Zekil," sed Mally, "it's awr chicken, for Sammywell bowt it
yesterdy an its laid us a egg this mornin."

"Aw tell yo it's mine! It's nivver laid onny eggs, for it's a cock. Aw
can own it becoss its tail feathers is brokken."

Sammywell lukt at it, "aw wish its neck had been brokken," he sed.

Zekil tuk it an made off wi it, an Sammywell an Mally went hooam; "Goa
into th' cellar an see for thisen," sed Mally, "Awm as sewer yond's awr
chicken as aw've a nooas o' my face."

He went to see, and there wor his three chickens just as he'd left em.

"Nah, what am aw to do? Theas clooas'll nivver be like thersen agean, an
awm wellny choaked."

"Tha desarves twice as mich as tha's getten! To think at a chap has
lived to thy time o' life an connot tell th' difference between a cock
an a hen. Tha must be daft."

"Daft! Soa are ta daft! Tha knew noa moor nor me. But tha can tak thi
chickens, an goa to blazes wi em for owt aw care! It wor thee at wanted
em, it wor nooan o' me!"

"Tha'rt net spaikin trewth--"

"Well, tha'rt another! If it hadn't been for thee awst ha been i'th
chapel this minnit."

"Tha'rt happen as weel at hooam, for tha'rt nooan in a fit state o' mind
for th' chapel."

"Awm nooan in a fit state o' body nawther aw think. Just luk at theas
clooas!"

"Goa upstairs an change em, an aw'll see what aw can do wi em. Tha'rt
th' biggest fool aw ivver met i' my life."

What came of a Clock Almanac.

Rosa and Louisa Mellit wor dressmakkers--they'd nawther father nor
mother, an nowt to live on but what they could addle wi ther fingers, an
that worn't mich; for tho' they'd had a bit ov a shop for ten year,
asteead o'th' customers gettin mooar, they gate steadily less--nah an
then they'd a dress to mak for a sarvant lass or some o'th naybors'
wives or dowters, but when th' dresses wor made an sent hooam, monny a
time they didn't get paid for em for months an months, an often enuff
they nivver finger'd th' brass at all.

Soa as th' years went on things went from bad to worse, an asteead o'
payin ready money for jock as they bowt, they'd to get it on th' strap,
until ther worn't a place near whear they'd trust em onny mooar. They'd
selled as much o' ther furnitur as they could till th