The Wee, Wee Mannie
Once
upon a time, when all big folks were wee ones and all lies were true,
there was a wee, wee Mannie that had a big, big Coo. And out he went to
milk her of a morning, and said—
"Hold still, my Coo, my hinny, Hold still, my hinny, my Coo, And ye shall have for your dinner What but a milk white doo." But the big, big Coo wouldn't hold still. "Hout!" said the wee, wee Mannie—
"Hold still, my Coo, my dearie, And fill my bucket wi' milk, And if ye 'll be no contrairy I'll gi'e ye a gown o' silk." But the big, big Coo wouldn't hold still. "Look at that, now!" said the wee, wee Mannie—
"What's a wee, wee mannie to do, Wi' such a big contrairy Coo?" So
off he went to his mother at the house. "Mother," said he, "Coo won't
stand still, and wee, wee Mannie can't milk big, big Coo."
"Hout!" says his mother, "take stick and beat Coo."
So off he went to get a stick from the tree, and said—
"Break, stick, break, And I'll gi'e ye a cake." But
the stick wouldn't break, so back he went to the house. "Mother," says
he, "Coo won't hold still, stick won't break, wee, wee Mannie can't
beat big, big Coo."
"Hout!" says his mother, "go to the Butcher and bid him kill Coo."
So off he went to the Butcher, and said—
"Butcher, kill the big, big Coo, She'll gi'e us no more milk noo." But
the Butcher wouldn't kill the Coo without a silver penny, so back the
Mannie went to the house. "Mother," says he, "Coo won't hold still,
stick won't break, Butcher won't kill without a silver penny, and wee,
wee Mannie can't milk big, big Coo."
"Well," said his mother,
"go to the Coo and tell her there's a weary, weary lady with long
yellow hair weeping for a cup o' milk."
So off he went and told the Coo, but she wouldn't hold still, so back he went and told his mother.
"Well,"
said she, "tell the Coo there's a fine, fine laddie from the wars
sitting by the weary, weary lady with golden hair, and she weeping for
a sup o' milk."
So off he went and told the Coo, but she wouldn't hold still, so back he went and told his mother.
"Well,"
said his mother, "tell the big, big Coo there's a sharp, sharp sword at
the belt of the fine, fine laddie from the wars who sits beside the
weary, weary lady with the golden hair, and she weeping for a sup o'
milk."
And he told the big, big Coo, but she wouldn't hold still.
Then
said his mother, "Run quick and tell her that her head's going to be
cut off by the sharp, sharp sword in the hands of the fine, fine
laddie, if she doesn't give the sup o' milk the weary, weary lady weeps
for."
And wee, wee Mannie went off and told the big, big Coo.
And
when Coo saw the glint of the sharp, sharp sword in the hand of the
fine, fine laddie come from the wars, and the weary, weary lady weeping
for a sup o' milk, she reckoned she'd better hold still; so wee, wee
Mannie milked big, big Coo, and the weary, weary lady with the golden
hair hushed her weeping and got her sup o' milk, and the fine, fine
laddie new come from the wars put by his sharp, sharp sword, and all
went well that didn't go ill.
| All English Fairy Tales
THE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER
THE PIED PIPER OF FRANCHVILLE
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
TOM TIT TOT
THE THREE SILLIES
THE ROSE-TREE
THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG
HOW JACK WENT TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE
MR. VINEGAR
NIX NOUGHT NOTHING
JACK HANNAFORD
BINNORIE
MOUSE AND MOUSER
CAP O' RUSHES
TEENY-TINY
THE MASTER AND HIS PUPIL
TITTY MOUSE ND TATTY MOUSE
JACK AND HIS GOLDEN SNUFF-BOX
HENNY-PENNY
CHILDE ROWLAND
MOLLY WHUPPIE
THE RED ETTIN
MASTER OF ALL MASTERS.
THE GOLDEN ARM
THE HISTORY OF TOM THUMB
MR. FOX
LAZY JACK
JOHNNY-CAKE
EARL MAR'S DAUGHTER
MR. MIACCA
WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT
THE STRANGE VISITOR
THE LAIDLY WORM OF SPINDLESTON HEUGH
THE CAT AND THE MOUSE.
THE FISH AND THE RING.
THE MAGPIE'S NEST
KATE CRACKERNUTS
THE CAULD LAD OF HILTON
THE ASS, THE TABLE, AND THE STICK
FAIRY OINTMENT
THE WELL OF THE WORLD'S END.
THE THREE HEADS OF THE WELL |