John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, Classified — John Shaqi
John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, ClassifiedGraham, Dougal
General
John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, Classified
Graham, Dougal
Chapbooks, Scottish; English literature -- 18th century; Graham, Dougal, 1724-1779; Popular literature -- Scotland
I’ll save you: put your hand out and catch me by the leg, and I’ll
fly you home. Sweet is your hand in a pitcher of honey, my jewel,
says I, though all the time I thought in myself that I don’t much
trust you; but there was no help, so I caught the gander by the
leg, and away I and the other geese flew after him as fast as hops.
We flew, and we flew and we flew, until we came right over the
wide ocean. I knew it well, for I saw Cape Clear to my right hand,
sticking up out of the water. Ah! my lord, said I to the goose,
for I thought it best to keep a civil tongue in my head any way,
fly to land if you please. It is impossible, you see, Dan, said he,
for a while, because you see we are going to Arabia. To Arabia!
said I; that’s surely some place in foreign parts, far away. Oh!
Mr Goose: why then, to be sure, I’m a man to be pitied among
you.--Whist, whist, you fool, said he, hold your tongue: I tell you
Arabia is a very decent sort of place, as like West Carbery as one
egg is like another, only there is a little more sand there.
Just as we were talking, a ship hove in sight, scudding so
beautiful before the wind: Ah! then, sir, said I, will you drop me
on the ship, if you please? We are not fair over it, said he. We
are, said I. We are not, said he: If I dropped you now, you would
go splash into the sea. I would not, says I; I know better than
that, for it is just clean under us, so let me drop now at once.
If you must, you must said he. There, take your own way; and he
opened his claw, and faith he was right--sure enough I came down
plump into the very bottom of the salt sea! Down to the very bottom
I went, and I gave myself up then for ever, when a whale walked
up to me, scratching himself after his night’s rest, and looked
me full in the face, and never the word did he say; but lifting
up his tail, he splashed me all over again with the cold salt
water, till there wasn’t a dry stitch upon my whole carcase; and
I heard somebody saying--’twas a voice I knew too--Get up, you
drunken brute, out of that: and with that I woke up, and there was
Judy with a tub full of water, which she was splashing all over
me;--for, rest her soul! though she was a good wife, she never
could bear to see me in drink, and had a bitter hand of her own.
Get up, said she again; and of all places in the parish, would no
place sarve your turn to lie down upon but under the ould walls
of Carrigaphooka? an uneasy resting I am sure you had of it. And
sure enough I had; for I was fairly bothered out of my senses with
eagles, and men of the moons, and flying ganders, and whales,
driving me through bogs, and up to the moon, and down to the bottom
of the great ocean. If I was in drink ten times over, long would it
be before I’d lie down in the same spot again, I know that.
Master and Man;
OR,
The Adventures of Billy Mac Daniel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account