Yorkshire Tales. Third Series | Page 9

tell'd him just
what he wanted, an Billy sed, "As far as aw can see, tha's just come at
th' reight time, for aw've three grand young pullets at's all ready for
layin, an aw'll let thi have em cheap. Six shillin for three; and they're
cheap at seven an sixpence."
"Nay, tha axes too much, they're sich little ens."
"Aw nivver saw three bigger at that price," he sed, an as he wor born
stooan blind that wor true.
"Aw'll gie thi five shillin, an strike th' bargain just nah," sed
Sammywell.

"Tha'rt a hard customer, but as we've had monny a drink together, tha
shall have em."
Soa th' brass an th' chickens changed hands an Sammywell wor sooin
back hooam wi his bargain.
"Tha hasn't been long," sed Mally, as shoo lukt at th' hens, "an whear's
mi change?"
"Ha mich change did ta expect aght o' five shillin, when aw've browt
thi three layin pullets?"
"If awd gien thi ten it ud just ha been th' same an aw owt to ha had
moor sense nor to ax. But nah tha's getten em, whear does ta intend to
put em?"
"Aw'll put em i' yond old hamper 'at's i'th' cellar. Aw cannot fix a place
for em befoor Monday."
"Noa, but tha can beg an old box or two or a few booards wol tha'rt
aght to-day an then tha'll have all ready for a start."
Sundy mornin saw Sammywell up i' gooid time, an his first job wor to
feed his chickens. He felt quite like a farmer in a small way. Then
Mally had to goa an peep at em. "Sammywell! come hither this
minnit!" shoo called aght, an he ran daan fit to braik his neck. "Peep
into that corner," shoo sed, as shoo raised th' hamper lid. An thear
sewer enuff; ther wor a nice white egg. He picked it aght gently an they
booath examined it, an they thowt they'd nivver seen one as nice
befoor.
"What mun we do wi it?" sed Mally.
"Aw think th' best thing to do wi it will be to ait it."
"It ommost luks a shame, but still aw suppooas that's what its for. Aw
wonder which laid it. Does ta think it wor th' black en or th' braan en?
Aw fancy it wor th' white en."

"Eeah, aw think it must ha been th' white en," sed Sammywell, "but get
it boiled an we'll share it."
They wor as pleeased as two childer ovver ther braikfast, an it had
seldom happened at they'd booath been in sich a gooid temper as they
wor when they started for th' chapel. Sammywell had oppened th' cellar
winder to let some air in, an after lockin th' door they wor just startin
off, when what should they see but that white chicken pickin away i'th
fould.
"Nah, tha sees what tha's done! Tha's left th' lid off that hamper! Aw
wish tha'd let things alooan at tha doesn't understand. Tha knows nowt
abaat chickens."
"It's thi own fault for leeavin th' cellar winder oppen! Onny fooil mud
ha known better nor that. But let's drive it back, if we leeav it aght it'll
be lost."
"Shoo shoo," went Sammy, an "Shoo shoo," went Mally, but th'
chicken seemed to tak varry little nooatice, until Sammywell made a
click at it, then it gave a scream an ran between his legs, an seemed
detarmined to goa onnywhear except to th' cellar winder. Hepsabah wor
lukkin aght o'th winder an saw what they wor tryin to do, soa shoo
coom aght wi th' long brush to help em, an little Jerrymier coom to help
too. "Nah, gently does it," sed Sammywell, an they gethered raand in a
ring an it lukt as if they wor just gooin to nab it, when Jerrymier sed
"Shoo, shoo" an away it flew, clean ovver ther heeads, daan th' ginnel
an aght into Westgate.
"Tha young taistrel!" sed Sammywell, but he off after it as hard as he
could, an a fine race it gave him. Up one street an daan another they
went, but Sammywell's blooid wor up an he worn't gooin to be lickt wi
a bit ov a chicken. Th' streets wor lined wi fowk gooin to chapel or
church, an they shook ther heeads in a varry meeanin way, an some on
em turned up th' whites o' ther een as if they wor tryin to see th' inside
o' ther heeads, but Sammywell went on an nivver lost seet o'th chicken.
They'd ommost getten to th' taan hall, when they coom to a spice shop
an th' door wor oppen, an in it popt. "Nah, aw've getten thi!" he sed, an

he follered it in an shut th' door.