14 THE HISTORY OF it ta is, mair it I bore thee now, a hear ye that my dow. The next exploit was an action at law, againſt the goodman of Muir-edge, a farmer who lived near by, that kept ſheep and ſwine, his ſheep came down and broke into their yards and ate up their kail; the wild hares, they thought, belonged to the fame man, as they ran towards his houſe when they were hunted; the ſwine came very often in and about their houſes, ſeeking fiſh guts and ony thing they could get, ſo it happened that one of their children, ſitting eaſing itſelf, one of the ſwine tumbles it over, and bites a piece out of the child's backſide: The whole town role in an uproar, and after Grunkie, as they called her, they catched her and took her before Wife Willy : Willy takes an ax and cuts two or three inches off her long noſe, now fays Willy, I trow I have made thee ſome- thing Chriſtian-like, thou had ſic a long mouth and noſe before, it was a frighted a very de'il to look at yes but now ye're fac'd like a little horſe of cow: the poor ſow ran home roaring all blood and wanting the role, which cauſed Muir-edge to warn them in before my Lord: ſo the wives who had their kail eaten, appeared firſt in the court, complaining againſt Muir-edge. Indeed, my Lord, Muir-edge is no a good man, when he's ſick an ill neighbour, he keeps black hares and white hares, little wee brown backed hares wi' white arſes, and looſe wagging horns, de muckle
