scratched his heead for a minit an' then sed, "e'ea!
but aw see a better road nor that--aw'l put hauf o'th' stooans amang th'
puttates, an' hauf o'th' puttates, amang th' stooans, an' then aw'st be
sure to have it." "Why but cannot ta mak 'em balance baght stooans, tup
heead?" sed th' chap. "Ov coorse aw con! aw niver thowt o' that," sed
Billy, an' he started an' squared 'em aght. But he niver made mich aght
o' hawkin, for he could niver leearn th' difference between six dozen
dozens and hauf a dozen dozens, an fowk 'at wor sharper used to chait
him mony a bit.

One queer thing abaght him wor he delighted i' singing, an' if he heeard
a song 'at took his fancy he could remember it word for word. His mother
says 'at he's tramped mony a scoor mile to hear a song at pleased him,
an' if ony body'd sing for him he'd give' em owt he had. One day, as he
wor gooin his raands he met wi a chap 'at wor hummin a bit ov a tune,
an' he hearken'd to him for a bit, an' at last he sed, "Maister, aw
should like to know that song, ha mich will yo taich it me for?" "Oh,
it's a patent is that, lad, aw should want a gooid deal if aw towt thee
that." "Why," he said, "aw'l gie thi a bunch o' turnips an' four pund o'
puttates if tha'll sing it me twice ovver." "Nay," he sed, "wheniver aw
engage to sing, aw allus charge double, if aw'm honcoord; but I'll sing
it' once if tha'll throw a rooap o' onions into th' bargain." "Well,
tha'rt rather up i' thi price," he sed, "but aw'l agree soa start off."
They booath set daan o'th' rooad side, an' th' chap (he luk'd like a
gipsy), began:

Aw'm as rich as a Jew, tho aw hav'nt a meg,
But aw'm free as a burd, an' aw shak a loise leg;
Aw've noa haase, an' noa barns, soa aw niver pay rent,
But still aw feel rich, for aw'm bless'd wi content,
Aw live, an' aw'm jolly,
An' if it is folly,
Let others be wise, but aw'l follow mi bent.

Mi kitchen aw find amang th' rocks up o'th' moor,
An' at neet under th' edge ov a haystack aw snoor,
An' a wide spreeadin branch keeps th' cold rain off mi nop,
Wol aw listen to th' stormcock 'at pipes up o'th top;
Aw live, an' aw'm jolly, &c.

Aw niver fear thieves, for aw've nowt they can tak,
Unless it's thease tatters' at hing o' mi back;
An' if they prig them, they'lt get suck'd do yo see,
They'll be noa use to them, for they're little to me,
Aw live, an' aw'm jolly, &c.

Fowk may turn up ther nooas as they