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Poetry

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Soutar's Menagerie

Soutar's Menagerie, Tay Street, Perth.

Aince Upon a Day

Aince upon a day my mither said to me:
Dinna cleip and dinna rype
And dinna tell a lee.
For gin ye cleip a craw will name ye,
And gin ye rype a daw will shame ye;
And a snail will heeze its hornies out
And hike them round and round about
Gin ye tell a lee.
Aince upon a day, as I walkit a' my lane,
I met a daw, and monie a craw,
And a snail upon a stane.
Up gaed the daw and didna shame me:
Up gaed ilk craw and didna name me:
But the wee snail heezed its hornies out
And hik'd them round and round about
And -- goggled at me.

Glossary

aince - once; cleip - tell tales; rype - steal; lee - lie; gin - if; craw - crow;
daw - jackdaw; heeze - lift; hike - swing; a' my lane - alone; monie - many; ilk - every.

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