] there!'
"And off set John, with all his might,
"To chase me down the yard,
"Till I was nearly _gran'd_[Footnote: Strangled.] outright;
"He hugg'd so woundly hard.
"Still they kept up the race and laugh,
"And round the house we flew;
"But hark ye! the best fun by half
"Was Simon _arter_ Sue.
"She car'd not, dark nor light, not she,
"So, near the dairy door
"She pass'd a clean white hog, you see,
"They'd _kilt_ the day before.
"High on the spirket [Footnote: An iron hook.] there it hung,--
"'Now Susie--what can save ye?'
"Round the cold pig his arms he flung,
"And cried, 'Ah! here I have ye!'
"The farmers heard what Simon said,
"And what a noise! good lack!
"Some almost laugh'd themselves _to dead_,
"And others clapt his back.
"We all at once began to tell
"What fun we had abroad;
"But Simon stood our jeers right well;
--"He fell asleep and snor'd.
"Then in his button-hole upright,
"Did Farmer Crouder put,
"A slip of paper twisted tight,
"And held the candle _to't_.
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