. "Tha mud ha' thowt owd Labon wor callin o'th' steak
to goa wi' him!" But poor Joa couldn't get a word off. Drops o' sweat
stood ov his foreheead as big as pays, an' he couldn't tak his een off
th' mait. "Is ther summat th' matter wi' that steak, makes thi 'at tha
connot touch it?" said his wife; "awm sure it's nicely enuff; what is
ther to do wi' thi?"

"Oh, th' steak's reight enuff," said Joa, raisin' courage to spaik, "th'
steaks all reight, but aw'm nut i'th' knife an' fork line to-neet.
What's that noise i'th' cellar?" he said, starting aght ov his chear,
wi' his hair ommost studden ov an end, an' his een starin', an' his
teeth girnin', like a sheepheead between a pair o' tangs!

"What noise! Does ta mean that rawtin' daan i'th' cellar?"

"Eea!"

"Oh, it's nobbut th' childer 'at's laikin, some on 'em's recknin' to be
donkeys an' t'other's drivin' 'em; they've been at it iver sin they'd
ther drinkin'; it's that mait 'at's suited 'em soa, mun, woll they
dunnot know what to do."

"Aw mun goa hooam," said Sam, "aw can't bide, aw'm varry poorly."

"Why yo booath luk awther poorly or summat," said his wife. "An' aw
think th' sooner yo get to bed an' th' better."

Sam an' his wife and childer went hooam, an' it wornt long afoor Joa wor
burrying his heead under th' blankets, an' tryin' to fall asleep; but he
couldn't, for as sooin as he began to dooaz off, he began dreamin' 'at
he wor tryin 'to swallow a donkey an' wakkened wi' it stickin' in his
throit.

Th' next mornin' when they met ther faces luk'd moor like two dazed
cakes nor owt, for they'd hardly a mite o' color left. "We're reight in
for it this time, Sam," said Joa. "Aw believe this job 'll tell ov
itsel'. Does ta think 'at it makes ony difference wi' fowk aiting donkey
beef?"

"Well, aw dooant know; but aw did once know a chap 'at wor a reglar cauf
heead, an' he hardly iver ait owt but veal, an' tha knows th' bass
singer at awr church gets bacon to ommost ivery meal, an' he grunts as
ill as a pig, bi'th' heart does he;--an', awm sure, my childer's ears
luk'd longer to me this mornin', or else aw thowt soa!"

"Well, an aw'm sure my wife snoor'd i'th neet moor like a donkey rawtin
nor owt else, an' th' fust thing awr Isaac axed me this marnin' wor to
buy him some panniers so as he could be a mule. But what are we to do
wi' yond t'other pairt o'th' leg?"

"Oh, we mun burry that, we'll ha' noa moor truck wi' that, an' aw think
we'd better ax some advi