This just popped into my head, and I thought as it might interest some people I should stick it up here in case it gets lost, as it's quite old. It's a children's rhyme which I think originated with my ancestors who lived in the Blairgowrie area in the 19th century and beyond. My mum and her mum would recite it to me. It certainly goes back to the days when it was common to see horses everywhere!
William Smith, my fellow fine,
Can ye shoe this horse of mine?
Yes sir! And that I can,
Jist as weel as ony man.
Pit a bit upon the tae,
to mak the pownie clim the brae.
Pit a bit upon the heel,
to mak the pownie pace weel.
Pace weel, pownie
Pace weel, pownie,
Pace weel, pace weel, pace weel pownie!
And here's another one. This was my grandfather's pretend grace before meals when he was the municipal engineer in Darjeeling in the early 20th century. It was a bit of a joke with the local servants, who assumed it was some sort of strange, foreign pooja. (I know, we wouldn't do such things now or laugh at the staff, but these are different times, and this is a wee bit of history.)
Bake a puddin' bake a pie,
Send it up to John Mackay.
John Mackay is no in!
Send it up to the Man in the Min.
Send it up to the Man in the Min.
The Man in the Min is makin' shin:
Tuppence a pair, an' they're a' din!
(Do I need to supply translations? Is auld Scots a bit tricky if you're not from these parts? Let me know!)
