Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 02
General
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 02
Scottish Borders (Scotland) -- Fiction
Tired and disappointed, Donald, after wandering up and down the streets
for several hours, bethought him of adjourning to a tavern to have
something to eat, and probably something to drink also. Seeing such a
house as he wanted, he entered, and desired the landlord to furnish him
with some dinner. In a few seconds two dishes were placed before him;
but what these dishes were, Donald could not at all make out. They
resembled nothing in the edible way he had ever seen before, and the
flavour was most alarming. Nevertheless, being pretty sharp-set, he
resolved to try them, and for this purpose drew one of the dishes
towards him, when, having peered as curiously and cautiously into it for
a few seconds as if he feared it would leap up in his face and bite him,
and curling his nose the while into strong disapprobation of its odour,
he lifted several spoonfuls of the black greasy mess on his plate. At
this point Donald found his courage failing him; but, as his host stood
behind his chair and was witness to all his proceedings, he did not like
either to express the excessive disgust he was beginning to feel, nor to
refuse tasting of what was set before him. Mustering all his remaining
courage, therefore, he plunged his spoon with desperate violence into
the nauseous mess, which seemed to Donald to be some villanous compound
of garlic, rancid oil, and dough; and raising it to his lips, shut his
eyes, and boldly thrust it into his mouth. Donald's resolution, however,
could carry him no farther. To swallow it he found utterly impossible,
now that the horrors of both taste and smell were full upon him. In this
predicament, Donald had no other way for it but to give back what he had
taken; and this course he instantly followed, adding a large interest,
and exclaiming--
"My Cot! what sort of a country is this? Your drinks is poison, and your
meats is poison, and everything is apominations apout you. Oich, oich! I
wish to Cot I was back to Eddernahulish again; for I'll pe either
poisoned or murdered amongst you if I remain much longer here. That's
peyond all doubt."
And having thus expressed himself, Donald started to his feet, and was
about to leave the house without any farther ceremony, when the landlord
adroitly planted himself between him and the door, and demanded the
reckoning. Donald did not know precisely what was asked of him, but
he guessed that it was a demand for payment, and this demand he was
determined to resist, on the ground that what he could not eat he ought
not to be called on to pay for. Full of this resolution, and having no
doubt that he was right in his conjecture as to the landlord's purpose
in preventing his exit--
"Pay for ta apominations!" said Donald, wrathfully. "Pay for ta poison!
It's myself will see you at Jericho first. Not a farthing, not one tam
farthing, will I pay you for ta trash. So stand out of the way, my
friend, pefore worse comes of it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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