June 3. Story of the Day: The Wife an her Kidie

This is a version of a "stubborn animal" story, and it is written in Scots. The source is Folk-Lore Journal, vol. 2 (1884; online at Hathi): "A Folk-Tale from Aberdeenshire" by Walter Gregor. You can find out more about the Scots language at Wikipedia.

The classification is ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig. As often, the stubborn animal in question is not actually a pig but a little goat, "kidie" in Scots. See the author's note at the bottom of the post for an alternate ending to the story... in which things do not turn out well for the little goat!

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THE WIFE AN HER KIDIE  

(Pixabay)

There wiz a wifie, an she sweipit her hoosie clean an fair, an she fan twal pennies. An she geed till the market, an she bocht a kid.

An she said, "Kid, kid, rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again, till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the kid, "will I rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again; ye can dee't yersel."

An the wifie said to the dog, "Dog, dog, bite kid; kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the dog, "will I bite the kid; the kid niver did me ony ill."

"Stick, stick, ding dog. Dog winna bite kid, kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the stick, "will I ding dog; dog niver did me ony ill."

"Fire, fire, burn stick; stick winna ding dog, dog winna bite kid, kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the fire, "will I burn the stick; the stick niver did me ony ill."

"Watter, watter, quench fire; fire winna burn stick, stick winna ding dog, dog winna bite kid, kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the watter, "will I quench fire; fire niver did me ony ill."

"Ox, ox, drink watter; watter winna quench fire; fire winna burn stick, stick winna ding dog, dog winna bite kid, kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the ox, "the watter niver did me ony ill."

"Aix, aix, kill ox; ox winna drink watter; watter watter winna quench fire; fire winna burn stick, stick winna ding dog, dog winna bite kid, kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the aix, "the ox niver did me ony ill."

"Smith, smith, smee aix; aix winna kill ox; ox winna drink watter; watter watter winna quench fire; fire winna burn stick, stick winna ding dog, dog winna bite kid, kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the smith, "the aix niver did me ony ill."

"Rope, rope, hang smith; smith winna smee aix; aix winna kill ox; ox winna drink watter; watter watter winna quench fire; fire winna burn stick, stick winna ding dog, dog winna bite kid, kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

"Niver a lenth," said the rope, "the smith niver did me ony ill."

"Moosie, moosie, gnaw rope; rope winna hang smith; smith winna smee aix; aix winna kill ox; ox winna drink watter; watter watter winna quench fire; fire winna burn stick, stick winna ding dog, dog winna bite kid, kid winna rin hame, leuk the hoose, an come again till I gedder a puckle sticks to my fair firie."

Noo, a' this time the cattie wiz sittin i' the ingle-neuk singin a sang till hersel.

So the wifie said, "Bonnie cattie, gin ye wud tak moosie, I wud gie you some fine milk an breed t' yersel."

So the cattie t' the moosie, an the moosie t' the rope, an the rope t' the smith, an the smith t' the aix, an the aix t' the ox, and the ox t' the watter, an the watter t' the fire, an the fire t' the stick, an the stick t' the dog, an the dog t' the kid, an the kid ran hame, leakit the hoose, an cam again till the wifie gedderit a puckle sticks till her fair fine.


NOTES

The following folk-tale has been communicated to me by Mr. James Moir, M.A. Rector of the Grammar School, Aberdeen. A form of it under the title of "The Wife and her Bush of Berries '' is given in Popular Rhymes of Scotland, pp. 57-59, by Robert Chambers (1870).

Another version of the ending is: An the kiddie ran ower the brig o' the waulk-mill an broke her neck.

CHAIN: kid - dog - stick - fire - water - ox - axe - smith - rope - mouse - cat