Lyr Add: The Devil or the Nanny Goat

Subject: Lyr Add: The Devil or the Nanny Goat
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 02:49 PM

The Devil; Or, The Nanny Goat.

Some bullies gaun doun I' their keel late at night,
Met sic a still gale that it ga' them a fright;
Now, aw think this might be just about twelve o'clock,
And the keel at that time was abreest Howdon Dock/

Fal lal la, etc.

The bullies and pee-dee a' huddl'd thegither,
Yen an' a' did agree it was terrible weather;
To bring her up there then they thowt it wad be
The best plan, so they got her in close to the quay.

So they a' got below, an' they started to gob;
Seun a chep's turnip field they agreed forto rob;
So the pee-dee was left I' the keel biv hees-sel,
An' for robbing he thowt they wad sure gan to hell.

As they were rreturning agyen frae the fields,
A Nanny Goat followed them close by their heels;
She was eating the skins as they threw them away,
For she liked them far better than any new hay.

When the bullies had getten agyen to their keel,
The pee-dee he ax'd them if they'd seen the deil;
The Nanny by this time had getten aboard,
So they thowt he was coming-they call'd on the Lord.

Now nan couldn't find either skins, beef, or bread,
So she went to the huddock an' popp'd down her head,
And seeing them champ what she thowt was her share,
Stretch'd her neck an' jaws wide, and gove a greet blare.

The bullies didn't know how this devil to lay,
However, they thowt 'twas the best plan to pray;
So the skipper roar'd out iv a terrible swe't,
"Our Fetheers chart in Heven-is the beggar gyen yet?"

The prayer not being answer'd, they started to bubble,
For they thowt they were left by the father in trouble;
So they fell on their faces, and stopping their breath,
Swore they'd rather die there as be dragg'd to their death.

The innocent pee-dee thowt he'd nowt to fear,
So he'd venture on deck and see if all was clear'
When the Nanny saw pee'dee she blar'd out a note,
And their devil prov'd only a poor Nanny Goat.

-Annonymous, Shelds Song Book, 1826.