17
Come up the stair alang wi' me,
An' I shall caution for you be.
Then Johnny faintly gaed consent,
An' up stairs to the room they went,
Where soon they gat baith fire and light,
To haud them hearty a' the night;
The Landlord likewise gae them meat,
As meikle as they baith could eat;
Show'd them their bed, and bade them gang
To it, whene'er they did think lang;
And wishing them a gude repose,
Straight syne to his ain bed he goes.
Our travellers now being left alane,
'Cause that the frost was nippen keen,
Cast aff their shoon, and warm'd their feet
And syne gaed to their bed to sleep,
But cowardly John wi' fear was quaking,
He cou'dna sleep, but still lay wauking,
Sae troubled wi' his panic fright—
When near the twalt hour o' the night,
That Thrummy waken'd and thus spake;
Preserves! quoth he, I am like to choak
Wi' thirst, and I maun ha'e a drink;
I will gang down the stair I think,
And grapple for the water pail,
O for waught o' cawler ale!
Johnny grips to him, an' says, Na,
I winna let you gang awa;
Wow will you gang and leave me here
Alane to die wi' perfect fear?
Rise and go wi' me then, quoth Thrummy,
Ye senseless gude-for-naething bummy,
I'm only gaun to seek some water,
I will be back just in a clatter.
Na, na, says John, I'll rather lye,
But as I am likewise something dry,
Gif ye can get a jug or cap,
Fesh up to me a little drap.
