It happened at last Whitsuntide
I tired oâ?? ma place
So I gaed up tae Ainsty fee
Ma fortune for tae chase

Chorus:
And sing iry iddiday addy
And sing iry iddiday an.

I met wiâ?? Adam Mitchell
And tae fee we did presume
Heâ??s a fairmer up Kinethmont way
At a place caâ??d Sleepytoon

â??If ye and I agreeâ? said he
â??I promise ye fair play,
For I never gar ma servants work
mair nor ten â??oors a dayâ?

â??Yeâ??ll work well when the day is fine
In rain ye shall work none.
A regular diet ye shall hae
And wages when theyâ??re won.â?

â??If aâ?? be true ye tell tae me
I think the place might suit�
Says I, â??Iâ??ll gang wiâ?? you
although ye are an ugly brute.�

So I agreed tae fee wiâ?? him
Anâ?? thocht masel well kent
Until I got tae Sleepytoon
And there I did repent

The order was tae yoke at five
And work while we could see
â??Oh no! youâ??re not in order Sir,
Defied ye maun be�

â??Will ye defy what I command,
Ye scoundrel that ye are?
Ten â??oors a day did we agree
Deny it if ye daur.�

Next order was tae bed at nine
And never leave the toon
And ilka time we left it
Weâ??d be fined half a croon

But we took little heed oâ?? that
And oftimes took the pass
Sometimes tae buy tobacco
And sometimes tae court a lass

The ither lads were often fined
But never lost the hairt
And I maself was fined a croon
For riding in the cairt

And noo the term is nearly done
And soon we shall be free
And wiâ?? that wary fairmer
I never more will fee.

And noo the term is over
And oor wages we hae won
So weâ??ll awaâ?? tae Rhynie mere
And hae oorselves some fun

Maybe weâ??ll see old Adam,
Suppinâ?? at his brose.
Iâ??ll gie him a lenâ?? o' ma hankie
For tae dicht his snotty nose

abc | midi | pdf

---

Source: Transcribed by Jim Irvine from the singing of Norman Kennedy

Notes:
Attributed to Willie Clark c. 1870


Roud: 3775 (Search Roud index at VWML)
Laws:
Child: