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such a mans dog, which had the rope in its
teeth; they all cried out, the deil's i' the
cur, the deil's i' the dog,' then took up stones
and felled poor colley, and the devil got the
blame of making the dog ring the bell.--
This spread Leper's fame, for being one of
the wisest and most courageous tailors that
was in all the kingdom; and many shaking
their heads, said, 'it was a pity he was a
tailor, but a captain or general of an army,
as the devil could not fear him.'
After this a farmer in the neighbourhood
hearing the fame of Leper, how he had
frighted the deil frae being a bellman, sent
for him to an alehouse, and drank with him
very heartily, and told him he was sadly
borne down by a spirit of jealousy against
his wife: and a suspicion of her being too free
with a servant lad he had before; and if he
would keep it a secret and learn him to find it
out, he would give his mother a load of meal,
to which Leper agreed; so he gave thee
poor supposed cockold instructions how to behave.
So home he goes, and feins himself very sick,
and every day worse and worse, taking
death to him; blesses his three small child-
ren, and charges his wife not to marry
until his children could do something for
themselves, this hypocritical woman takes a
crying, Aha! marry, she would never mar-
ry! no no there should never a man lie by
