A Ficht That Went Wrang

It's aptly no as common noo (at least, no sae much taaked aboot) but at yin tim, wur country wus host tae oany number o cock fichts. Heth it wus a gye blidy pastime an cruel forbye but it didnae aye enn that road. Tha Toon Rhymer tells iz aboot yin ficht his great-granda wus at whur tha oul maun wus lucky no tae bae jailed!

Tha Cock Ficht

It wus a simmer evenin wie hardly an air

An a meetin wus takin place amang freens,

In a corner o tha moss awa up bae tha Leck

As they went doon tha rodden wae a glint in ther een.

Tha screeghin o roosters bein cerried in crates

Cud bae hear't as money wus bein checked.

Fer it wisnae tae bother aboot tha cuttin o peats

That this gaitherin wus takin place at tha Leck.

Tha bets were placed an tha roosters prepared

As tha crowd gaithered roon fer tha show.

Whin oul John hear't tha caa o nature gie a goul

Sae hae set aff doon tha rodden tae go.

Staunin nearhan peats aa laid oot in rows

He hear't whistles blawin an roars in tha nicht

Hadn't tha polis landed tae bring them aa in

It had bin a gye lucky caa o nature aa richt!

Watchin his freens rinnin through heather an bracken

Bein chased bae tha lang airms o tha law

Oul John rouled up his sleeves an turned hissel aroon

An tha peats were tha furst things he saw.

So doon he got an he started tae wurk wie them

An bae tha time tha polis had his freens aa awa

John had echteen rickles set up in a row

An a score o castles built there an aa!