Page:Barnes (1879) Poems of rural life in the Dorset dialect (combined).djvu/460

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POEMS OF RURAL LIFE.

TURNÈN THINGS OFF.

Upzides wi’ Polly! no, he’d vind
That Poll would soon leäve him behind.
To turn things off! oh! she’s too quick
To be a-caught by ev’ry trick.
Woone day our Jimmy stole down steäirs
On merry Polly unaweäres,
The while her nimble tongue did run
A-tellèn, all alive wi’ fun,
To sister Anne, how Simon Heäre
Did hanker after her at feäir.
“He left,” cried Polly, “cousin Jeäne,
An’ kept wi’ us all down the leäne,
An’ which way ever we did leäd
He vollow’d over hill an’ meäd;
An’ wi’ his head o’ shaggy heäir,
An’ sleek brown cwoat that he do weäre,
An’ collar that did reach so high
’S his two red ears, or perty nigh,
He swung his taïl, wi’ steps o’ pride,
Back right an’ left, vrom zide to zide,
A-walkèn on, wi’ heavy strides
A half behind, an’ half upzides.”
“Who’s that?” cried Jimmy, all agog;
An’ thought he had her now han’-pat,
“That’s Simon Heäre,” but no, “Who’s that?
Cried she at woonce, “Why Uncle’s dog,
Wi’ what have you a-been misled
I wonder. Tell me what I zaid.”
Woone evenèn as she zot bezide
The wall the ranglèn vine do hide,
A-prattlèn on, as she did zend
Her needle, at her vinger’s end.