7
de'il seeking here, he'll be wanting to tak a' the auld wives and cats to mak witches o' them; I true when my grandmither heard that, she gat up and ran ben to the spence and crap in the bear-meal barrel to hide hersel frae the de'il, and curr'd there till the kirk skail'd, a deed she was sae fear'd, she made her burn in the barrel: and what was't true ye after a', but a tupe a and ewe of the highland gaits, it the laird had gotten to gie the lady milk, but mony a day we leugh at the twa de'ils.
Mag. But dear woman, what an a body is that de'il it ev'ry body is sae. fear'd for
him, it's na him they ca' Auld Nick, what fore do they ca' him Auld Nick?
Jan. A deed woman I dinna ken what like o' body he is, but they say he's a' black,
and they ca' him Auld Nick, because he's aulder nor Adam, and Adam was the first man in the warld, and they say the de'il will never die, nor yet be sick, nor yet tak sair een.
Mag. A wow Janet but yere a witty creature, but can ye tell me what way the blackamoors is made, some fouk says they're a' dipped in cats blood and burnt bear-strae, but I'm ay thinking the litster douks then in amang the broe that they lit the black, claith wi', and then sells them to the lairds and gentle fouks to flee their bairns wi', or dis the gentle fouks eat them when they're dead think ye.
