f a
sovrin' aw think tha doesn't understand th' hen trade. Awm fair sham'd
to offer' em at sich a price, an awm sewer aw hardly dar goa hooam wi
th' brass." 'Nay,' aw sed, 'one word's just as gooid as a thaasand wi
me, an awl stick to what aw sed, an if yo like to tak five shillin' awl
buy' em, an if net yo can keep' em.' 'Tak' em wi thee,' he sed; soa aw
pottered aght five shillin', an he began bawlin' 'Sowld agean' an aw had
'em under mi arms ommost afoor aw knew what aw wor dooin, an as aw wor
walkin' away he pool'd me to one side to luk at another basketful.
'Nah,' he sed, 'yo'd better buy theeas, yo can have 'em at th' same
price, an they're better nor them. Wod yo like a two-or-three ducks or a
couple o' pigeons?' 'Aw want noa moor to-day,' aw sed, 'but awst like to
know if all theeas belang to yo?' 'All tha sees i' this row belangs to
me,' he sed, 'an if tha wants onny tha'll finnd me here ivery Setterdy,
an awl sell thee owt aw have at thi own price,' 'Well aw should think
yo'll be able to keep th' bums off if yo sell all them,' aw sed, an aw
started for hooam, but somehah aw didn't feel just as weel suited wi mi
bargain as aw thowt aw should, an aw wor bothered aboon a bit wi
wonderin' whear to put 'em, for awd noa room for 'em nobbut ith cellar,
an that wor as dark as a booit, but, hahivver, aw thowt they'd be a bit
o' company for me, for aw wor oft varry looansome, an aw should be able
to have a fresh egg for mi braikfast whenivver aw liked. As sooin as aw
gate hooam aw lit a cannel an went into th' cellar, takkin care to shut
th' door after me, an then aw unteed ther legs an set 'em at liberty.
They worn't a varry prime lot, but aw didn't care for that, for it wor
th' eggs aw wanted. Th' cock gave hissen a shak, an set up sich a
cock-a-doodle-doo wol aw wor ommost deeafened--aw nivver heeard sich a
voice i' mi life--if he'd been trained he'd ha been a rare leeader for a
rorytory--an wol aw wor wonderin' if it ud be safe to leeav 'em as they
wor wol aw went to fotch 'em some screenins, one oth hens flew onto th'
shelf whear aw kept all mi jock an stuff. 'That'll niver do,' aw thowt,
soa aw went towards it to tak it off, when th' cock tried to foller, an
wafted th' cannel aght wi his wings an let fair at th' top o' my heead,
so aw grabbed at th' shelf to steady misen, when daan it coom wi all th'
plates an pots, an sich a clatter an crash yo'd ha thowt th' haase had
tummeld. Th' milk wor all spilt, an th' breead