Page:Ancient and modern history of Buck-haven in Fife-shire (5).pdf/22

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( 22 ) was banifh’d for a fleve to the May, to carry coals; he would not tak with him, on account he had but ae eye. After that there was no more dancing at admitting of burgers ; but the old ufual way of fcate rumple, and then drink until they were almoft blind. Upon the Rood day, four young bucky laffies went away early in the morning with there creels full of fifh, and about an mile from the town, they faw coming down a brae like a man driving a beaft, when they came near Tardy-Tib fays, ’tis a man driving a big mauken Tib flang her creel and fifh away, the other three ran another way, and got clear; they faid it

was a horned devil. Tib told the frightfome ftory, and many ran to fee the poor cadger man and his afs) driving the auld mauken. The fifhers look on all maukens to be devils and witches, and if they but fee a fight of a dead mauken, it lets them a trembling. The fifher laffes look with difdain on a farmers daugh- ter, ang a country laffies, they call them muck-byers and fherney-tair'd jades. The bucky lads and laffes when they go to gather bait tell ftrange ftories about Witches Ghofts, Wil-