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ROBIN TAMSON'S SMIDDY, by                    
First Line: My mither men't my auld breeks
Last Line: An' robin has my mither.


MY mither men't my auld breeks,
An' wow! but they were duddy,
And sent me to get Mally shod
At Robin Tamson's smiddy;
The smiddy stands beside the burn
That wimples through the clachan,
I never yet gae by the door,
But aye I fa'a-lauchin'.

For Robin was a walthy carle,
An' had ae bonnie dochter,
Yet ne'er wad let her tak'a man,
Tho' mony lads had socht her;
But what think ye o' my exploit?
The time our mare was shoeing,
I slippit up beside the lass,
And briskly fell a-wooing.

An' aye she e'ed my auld breeks,
The time that we sat crackin',
Quo' I, my lass, ne'er mind the clouts,
I've new anes for the makin';
But gin ye'll just come hame wi' me,
An' lea' the carle, your father,
Ye'se get my breeks to keep in trim,
Mysel' an' a' thegither.

'Deed lad, quo' she, your offer's fair,
I really think I'll tak' it,
Sae, gang awa', get out the mare,
We'll baith slip on the back o't;
For gin I wait my faither's time,
I'll wait till I be fifty;
But na! I'll marry in my prime,
An' mak' a wife most thrifty.

Wow! Robin was an angry man,
At tynin' o' his dochter;
Thro' a' the kintra side he ran,
An' far an' near he socht her;
But when he cam' to our fire-end,
An' fand us baith thegither,
Quo' I, gudeman, I've ta'en your bairn,
An' ye may tak' my mither.

Auld Robin girn'd an' shook his pow,
Guid sooth! quo' he, you're merry,
But I'll just tak' ye at your word,
An' end this hurry-burry;
So Robin an' our auld wife
Agreed to creep thegither;
Now, I hae Robin Tamson's pet,
An' Robin has my mither.





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