JOHN BLEÄKE he had a bit o’ ground

Come to en by his mother's zide; him

An’ after that, two hunderd pound

His uncle left en when he died;

“Well now,” cried John, “my mind's a-bent

To build a house, an’ paÿ noo rent.”

An’ Meäry gi'ed en her consent. gave

“Do, do,”—the maïdens cried.

“True, true,”—his wife replied.

“Done, done,—a house o’ brick or stwone,”

Cried merry Bleäke o’ Blackmwore.

Then John he call'd vor men o’ skill,

An’ builders answer'd to his call;

An’ met to reckon, each his bill;

Vor vloor an’ window, ruf an’ wall. roof

An’ woone did mark it on the groun’, one

An’ woone did think, an’ scratch his crown,

An’ reckon work, an’ write it down:

“Zoo, zoo,”—woone treädesman cried, so, so

“True, true,”—woone mwore replied.

“Aye, aye,—good work, an’ have good paÿ,”

Cried merry Bleäke o’ Blackmwore.

The work begun, an’ trowels rung,

An’ up the brickèn wall did rise,

An’ up the slantèn refters sprung,

Wi’ busy blows, an’ lusty cries!

An’ woone brought planks to meäke a vloor,

An’ woone did come wi’ durns or door, doorposts

An’ woone did zaw, an’ woone did bore.

“Brick, brick,—there down below,

Quick, quick,—why b'ye so slow?”

“Lime, lime,—why we do weäste the time,

Vor merry Bleäke o’ Blackmwore.”

The house wer up vrom groun’ to tun, chimney-top

An’ thatch'd ageän the raïny sky,

Wi’ windows to the noonday zun,

Where rushy Stour do wander by.

In coo'se he had a pworch to screen of course

The inside door, when win's wer keen,

An’ out avore the pworch, a green.

“Here! here!”—the childern cried:

“Dear! dear!”—the wife replied;

“There, there,—the house is perty feäir,”

Cried merry Bleäke o’ Blackmwore.

Then John he ax'd his friends to warm asked

His house, an’ they, a goodish batch,

Did come alwone, or eärm in eärm, arm in arm

All roads, a-meäkèn vor his hatch: wicket-gate

An’ there below the clavy beam mantlepiece

The kettle-spout did zing an’ steam;

An’ there wer ceäkes, an’ tea wi’ cream.

“Lo! lo!”—the women cried;

“Ho! ho!”—the men replied;

“Health, health,—attend ye wi’ your wealth,

Good merry Bleäke o’ Blackmwore.”