We need a new thread heading as this is really a trad. story.


A Juvenile Delinquent.

Dreadful stories used to be told about the long-legged Fingauls of Kirkmaiden, and stories almost as dreadful were current about the patriarchal ages they attained to, but since so many of the inhabitants emigrated to make room for big farms, kyloes, Ayrshiremen, and Irishmen, the lives of the inhabitants are now much of the same duration as with ordinary mortals. It used to be told that Colonel Andrew McDowall, when he returned from the wars, was one day walking along by The Myroch, when he came upon an old man sitting greetin on a muckle stane at the road-side. When he came up, the old man rose and took off his bonnet, and dichtin his een, said…

"Ye're welcome hame again, Laird!"
"Thank you," said the Colonel, adding after a pause, "I should surely know your face; aren't you Nathan McCulloch?"
"Ye're richt, 'deed!" says Nathan, "It's just me, Laird."
"You must be a good age now Nathan," says the Colonel.
"I'm no verra aul' yet, Laird," was the reply, "I'm just turn't a hunner."
"A hundred!" said the Colonel musing, "Well, you must be all that; but the idea of a hundred sitting blubbering that way; whatever could you get to cry about?"
"It was my faither lashed me, sir," said Nathan, bubbling again, "an' he put me oot, so he did."
"Your father!" said the Colonel astonished, "Is your father alive yet?"
"Leevin' aye!" replied Nathan, "I ken that the day tae my sorrow."
"Where is he?" says the Colonel, "What an age he must be! I would like to see him."
"O! He's up in the barn there," said Nathan, " an' no' in a horrid gude humour the noo, aither."

They went up to the barn together, and found the father busy threshing the barley with the big flail, and tearing on fearful. Seeing Nathan and the Laird coming in, he stopped, and saluted the colonel, who after enquiring how he was, asked him what he had struck Nathan for.

"The young rascal!" says the father. "There's nae dooin' wi' him, he's never oot o' a mischief; I had tae lick him this mornin' for cloddin stanes at his grandfaither!"


Nynia (Who sometimes likes Uni).


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