The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #41847   Message #605809
Posted By: weepiper
07-Dec-01 - 01:28 PM
Thread Name: Origins: More Work in a Day / Father Grumble
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farmer can't do wife's work. Help
There's a Scots version of this called "The Wife of Auchtermuchty" from c1568! It begins:

In Awchtirmwchty thair dwelt ane man,
Ane husband, as I hard it tawld,
Quha weill cowld tippill owt a can,
And nathir luvit hungir nor cawld,
Quhill anis it fell upoun a day,
He yokkit his plwch upoun the plane,
Gif it be trew as I hard say,
The day was fowll for wind and rane.

There're 15 verses and it's a hoot if you can understand the spelling. I'll go and see if it's on the Bodleian Library site, if not I could type it in here (ulp!)