ay it flew, clean ovver ther heeads, daan th' ginnel an aght into
Westgate.

"Tha young taistrel!" sed Sammywell, but he off after it as hard as he
could, an a fine race it gave him. Up one street an daan another they
went, but Sammywell's blooid wor up an he worn't gooin to be lickt wi a
bit ov a chicken. Th' streets wor lined wi fowk gooin to chapel or
church, an they shook ther heeads in a varry meeanin way, an some on em
turned up th' whites o' ther een as if they wor tryin to see th' inside
o' ther heeads, but Sammywell went on an nivver lost seet o'th chicken.
They'd ommost getten to th' taan hall, when they coom to a spice shop an
th' door wor oppen, an in it popt. "Nah, aw've getten thi!" he sed, an
he follered it in an shut th' door.

Th' young woman i'th shop wor capt when it jumpt onto th' caanter.
"Catch it, mistress!" sed Sammy, an shoo clickt at it, but it flew i'th
winder, an nivver mind if it didn't mak th' mint drops fly! Then it gate
aght an swept all th' glass ornaments off th' shelf an peearked up on
th' shandileer; Sammy struck at it wi his umberell, but he missed it, an
gave th' young woman's heead sich a crack wol it rang like a pot. Then
he oppened th' door an as luck wod have it, it flew aght. Sammy flew
aght too, an th' woman ran after him, holdin booath hands to her heead
an cryin "Murder!"

That wor enough to start all th' lads 'at should ha been at Sundy
schooil after Sammywell, but he didn't care. After it he ran an at last
it flew into a ass-middin, an nah he felt sewer on it. It tried to fly
aght but it couldn't, but ther wor noa way to get it but to goa in after
it. He wished he hadn't had on his best Sundy suit, but ther wor no help
for it. He managed to crawl in, an in a minnit he wor up to his knees i'
ass an puttaty pillins. Th' chicken raised sich a dust wi flutterin
abaat wol he wor ommost chooaked an blinded, but he grabbed it an wor
sooin aght, lukkin as if somedy'd been shakin a flaar seck ovver his
heead. Th' lads set up a shaat, but he tuk noa nooatice, an made th'
best of his way towards hooam, takkin care net to goa past th' spice
shop, for he didn't think it wor a proper day for business like that 'at
wod be waitin for him. Mally an Hepsabah follered bi a lot o'th naybors,
wor commin to see what had become on him, an when they saw what a pictur
he'd made ov hissen, they fairly skriked wi laffin--all but Mally. Shoo
wor soa mad wol shoo couldn't spaik.

Just as they'd ge