THOMAS

How b'ye, then, John, to-night; an’ how

Be times a-waggèn on w’ ye now? moving

I can't help slackenèn my peäce pace

When I do come along your pleäce,

To zee what crops your bit o’ groun’

Do bear ye all the zummer roun’.

'Tis true you don't get fruit nor blooth, blossom

'Ithin the glassèn houses’ lewth; shelter of a greenhouse

But if a man can rear a crop grow (raise)

Where win’ do blow an’ raïn can drop,

Do seem to come, below your hand,

As fine as any in the land.

JOHN

Well, there, the geärden stuff an’ flow'rs

Don't leäve me many idle hours;

But still, though I mid plant or zow, may

'Tis Woone above do meäke it grow. one

THOMAS

Aye, aye, that's true, but still your strip

O’ groun’ do show good workmanship:

You've onions there nine inches round,

An’ turmits that would waïgh a pound; turnips

An’ cabbage wi’ its hard white head,

An’ teäties in their dousty bed, potatoes, dusty

An’ carrots big an’ straïght enough

Vor any show o’ geärden stuff;

An’ trees ov apples, red-skinn'd balls,

An’ purple plums upon the walls,

An’ peas an’ beäns; bezides a store

O’ heärbs vor ev'ry païn an’ zore.

JOHN

An’ over hedge the win's a-heärd,

A-ruslèn drough my barley's beard; through

An’ swaÿen wheat do overspread

Zix ridges in a sheet o’ red;

An’ then there's woone thing I do call one

The girtest handiness ov all: greatest

My ground is here at hand, avore

My eyes, as I do stand at door;

An’ zoo I've never any need so

To goo a mile to pull a weed.

THOMAS

No, sure, a miël shoulden stratch

Between woone's geärden an’ woone's hatch. wicket-gate

A man would like his house to stand

Bezide his little bit o’ land.

JOHN

Ees. When woone's groun’ vor geärden stuff yes

Is roun’ below the house's ruf roof

Then woone can spend upon woone's land

Odd minutes that mid lie on hand, may

The while, wi’ night a'comèn on,

The red west sky's a-wearèn wan;

Or while woone's wife, wi’ busy hands,

Avore her vier o’ burnèn brands, fire

Do put, as best she can avword,

Her bit o’ dinner on the bwoard.