THE BONNIE BUSH O BERRIES. 157

and kid will not keep my house till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries."

"Indeed," said the Staff, "I will not strike the dog; for the dog never did me any ill."

Then the wife went to the fire, and said: “Fire, fire, burn staff; for staff will not strike dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries."

"Indeed," said the Fire, "I will not burn the staff; for the staff never did me any ill."

Wife: "Water, water, put out fire; fire will not burn staff, staff will not strike dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries."

"Indeed," said the Water, "I will not put out fire; fire never did me any ill."

Wife: "Ox, ox, drink water; water will not put out fire, fire will not burn staff, staff will not strike dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries."

"Indeed," said the Ox, "I will not drink water; for water never did me any ill."

Wife: "Axe, axe, fell ox; ox will not drink

water, water will not put out fire, fire will not burn staff, staff will not strike dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries."

"Indeed," said the Axe, "I will not fell ox; for ox never did me any ill."

Wife: "Smith, smith, smooth axe; axe will not fell ox, ox will not drink water, water will not put out fire, fire will not burn staff, staff will not strike dog, dog will not bite kid, kid will not keep my house, till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries."

"Indeed," said the Smith, "I will not smooth axe; for axe never did me any ill."

Wife: "Rope, rope, hang smith; smith will not smooth axe, axe will not fell ox, ox will not drink water, water will not put out fire, fire will not burn staff, staff will not strike dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries."

"Indeed," said the Rope, "I will not hang smith; smith never did me any ill."

Wife: "Mouse, mouse, cut rope; rope will not hang smith, smith will not smooth axe, axe will not fell ox, ox will not drink water, water will not

THE BONNIE BUSH o Berries. 159

put out fire, fire will not burn staff, staff will not strike dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries." "Indeed," said the Mouse, "I will not cut rope; for rope never did me any ill."

Wife: "Cat, cat, kill mouse; mouse will not cut rope, rope will not hang smith, smith will not smooth axe, axe will not fell ox, ox will not drink water, water will not put out fire, fire will not burn staff, staff will not strike dog, dog will not bite kid, and kid will not keep my house till I pull my bonnie bush o' berries."

Indeed," said the Cat, "I will not kill the mouse; for the mouse never did me any ill."

Wife: "Do it; and I'll give you milk and bread."

With that the cat to the mouse, and the mouse to the rope, and the rope to the smith, and the smith to the axe, and the axe to the ox, and the ox to the water, and the water to the fire, and the fire to the staff, and the staff to the dog, and the dog to the kid, and the kid kept the wife's house till she had pulled her bonnie bush o' berries.

A SOLEMN Dirge.

161

A FAT SHEEP TO KILL!

BELL-ELL-ELL!

There's a fat sheep to kill!
A leg for the provost,

Another for the priest;
The bailies and deacons,

They'll take the neist ;

*

And if the fourth leg we cannot sell,

The sheep it must live and go back to the hill.

A SOLEMN DIRGE.

DING, dong, bell,

The cat's in the well.

Who put her in?

Little Johnnie Green.

What a naughty boy was that,

To drown poor pussie cat,

Who never did him any harm,

And killed the mice in his father's barn.

* Next,