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I KEN SOMETHING 1. I ken something that I'll no tell, A' the lasses o' our town are cruppen in a shell, Except the Flower o' [Hamilton], and she's cruppen out, [And she has a wee bairn, wi' a dish-clout.] Some ca't the kittlin, and some ca't the cat, And some ca't the little boy wi' the straw hat. The boy gaed to her daddie, to seek a wee piece, But he took up the airn tangs, and hit it i' the teeth; It roared and it grat--gang down to the corse, And see the Flower o' [Hamilton] riding on a horse. 2. I've found something that I'll no tell, A' the lads o' our town clockin' in a shell, A' but [Willie Johnston], and he's cruppen out, And he will have [Susie Kerr] without ony doubt; He kissed and clappit her, he's pared a' her nails, He made her a gown o' peacock tails: Baith coal and candle ready to burn, And they're to be married the morn's afternoon. ________________________________________________________ (1) and (2) Chambers PRS (1847), 257; (1870), 119 [note C.'s square brackets in line 4, which probably means a bowdlerisation]; and SC 78, 85 ("I fand somethin"). A rhyme "intended to convey an insinuation against the presumedly prettiest young maiden of the party, usually called `the Flower' of her place of residence". Cf. "In came the daddy o't", "Halloween, ae night at e'en". What may be another (fragmentary) version is in Maclagan, GDA (1901), 254: "I ken something, I'll not tell;/ All the birdies in the town cam' to ring the bell." Var. of this in Rymour Club Misc. I (1906-11), 51: "I've found something, I'll no tell,/ A' the birdies i' the air Canna ring a bell"; MacLennan SNR (1909), 19: "I see something, an' I sanna tell,/ A' the dogs o' Kirriemuir canna ring the bell"; Rodger Lang Strang (1948), 17: "I ken something I'll no' tell,/ A' the dogs in Edinburgh canna ring a bell." @Scottish @kids filename[ KENSOMTH MS oct97 |
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