It fell about the Martinmas time,
2 And a gay time it was then,
3When our goodwife got puddings to make,
4 And she ’s boild them in the pan.
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5The wind sae cauld blew south and north,
6 And blew into the floor;
7Quoth our goodman to our goodwife,
8 “Gae out and bar the door.”
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9“My hand is in my hussyfskap,
10 Goodman, as ye may see;
11An it shoud nae be barrd this hundred year,
12 It ’s no be barrd for me.”
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13They made a paction tween them twa,
14 They made it firm and sure,
15That the first Word whaeer shoud speak,
16 Shoud rise and bar the door.
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17Then by there came two gentlemen,
18 At twelve o clock at night,
19And they could neither see house nor hall,
20 Nor coal nor candle-light.
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21“Now whether is this a rich man’s house,
22 Or whether is it a poor?”
23But neer a Word wad ane o them speak,
24 For barring of the door.
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25And first they ate the white puddings,
26 And then they ate the black;
27Tho muckle thought the goodwife to hersel,
28 Yet neer a Word she spake.
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29Then said the one unto the other,
30 “Here, man, tak ye my knife;
31Do ye tak aff the auld man’s beard,
32 And I ’ll kiss the goodwife.”
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33“But there ’s nae water in the house,
34 And what shall we do than?”
35“What ails thee at the pudding-broo,
36 That boils into the pan?”
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37O up then started our goodman,
38 An angry man was he:
39“Will ye kiss my wife before my een,
40 And scad me wi pudding-bree?”
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41Then up and started our goodwife,
42 Gied three skips on the floor:
43“Goodman, you’ve spoken the foremost Word,
44 Get up and bar the door.”
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