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But to our tale: — Ae market night, Tam had got planted unco right,

Fast by an ingle,12 bleezin finely,

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Wi' reamin swats 13 that drank divinely; 40 And at his elbow, Souter Johnie,

His ancient, trusty, drouthy crony:

Tam lo'ed him like a vera brither; 14

They had been fou 15 for weeks thegither.

The night drave on wi' sangs and clatter; 45
And ay the ale was growing better:
The landlady and Tam grew gracious
Wi' secret favours, sweet, and precious:
The souter 16 tauld his queerest stories;
The landlord's laugh was ready chorus:
The storm without might rair and rustle,
Tam did na mind the storm a whistle.

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Care, mad to see a man sae happy, E'en drown'd himsel amang the nappy: As bees flee hame wi' lades o' treasure, 55 The minutes wing'd their way wi' pleasure; Kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious, O'er a' the ills o' life victorious!

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Warlocks and witches in a dance; Nae cotillon brent-new 5 frae France, But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels Put life and mettle in their heels: A winnock bunker 7 in the east, There sat Auld Nick in shape o' beast; A towzie tyke, black, grim, and large, To gie them music was his charge; He screw'd the pipes and gart 9 them skirl,10 Till roof and rafters a' did dirl." Coffins stood round like open presses, That shaw'd the dead in their last dresses; And by some devilish cantraip 12 sleight Each in its cauld hand held a light,

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By which heroic Tam was able

To note upon the haly table

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A murderer's banes in gibbet airns; 13
Twa span-lang, wee, unchristen'd bairns;
A thief, new-cutted frae the rape
Wi' his last gasp his gab 15 did gape;
Five tomahawks, wi' blude red-rusted;
Five scymitars, wi' murder crusted;
A garter, which a babe had strangled;
A knife, a father's throat had mangled,
Whom his ain son o' life bereft -
The grey hairs yet stack to the heft;
Wi' mair o' horrible and awfu’,
Which ev'n to name wad be unlawfu'.

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By this time he was cross the ford, Whare in the snaw the chapman smoor'd; And past the birks and meikle stane, ΟΙ Whare drucken Charlie brak's neck-bane; ? And thro' the whins,10 and by the cairn," Whare hunters fand the murder'd bairn; And near the thorn, aboon 13 the well, Whare Mungo's mither hang'd hersel. Before him Doon pours all his floods; The doubling storm roars thro' the woods; The lightnings flash from pole to pole, Near and more near the thunders roll; When, glimmering thro' the groaning trees, Kirk-Alloway seemed in a bleeze: 14 Thro' ilka bore 15 the beams were glancing, And loud resounded mirth and dancing.

Inspiring bold John Barleycorn!

What dangers thou can'st make us scorn! Wi' tippenny 16 we fear nae evil;

Wi' usquebae 17 we'll face the devil!

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They reel'd, they set, they cross'd, they

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15 mouth gorse

10 9 neck-bone above whiskey

8 drunken big 11 pile of stones child 13 twopenny ale

crevice

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blaze every

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16 clutched

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girls

cast aside

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21 clothes 22 work

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Ah, Tam! ah, Tam! thou'll get thy fairin!1 In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin ! In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin! Kate soon will be a woefu' woman! Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg, And win the key-stane of the brig: 2 There at them thou thy tail may toss, A running stream they dare na cross. But ere the key-stane she could make, The fient a tail she had to shake! For Nannie, far before the rest, Hard upon noble Maggie prest, And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle; But little wist she Maggie's mettle Ae spring brought aff her master hale, But left behind her ain 6 grey tail: The carlin claught her by the rump, And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.

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And roars out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!"" And in an instant all was dark:

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Thou minds me o' the happy days, When my fause luve was true.

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