, wol he hadn't mich o' a chonce o'
leearnin' even if he had some brains, an' ther' wor at sed he hadn't.

But his mother had faith ther wor summat in him, an' varry likely ther
wor, for nowt iver coom aght, an' what some fowk called
wrangheeadedness, shoo considered to be genius badly directed.

One day he wor at t'beckside, an' shoo went to see what he wor dooin',
an' as shoo saw he'd nobbut one clog, shoo axed him what he'd done wi'
tother, an' he sed he'd made it into a booat, an' it had sailed away
down t'beck, soa shoo tawked nicely, an' tell'd him he shouldn't do soa,
for it wor lost, an' he mud allus remember 'at if he put owt into
t'beck, he'd niver see it ony moor, for t'watter ran daan at sich a
rate; but he sed he'd fun aght a better way o' dooin' it next time, for
he'd put t'furst in wi' t'toa pointin daan t'hill, but when he put
t'next in, he'd point t'toa up t'hill, an' it wouldn't find it quite soa
easy gooin.

"A'a, Sammy lad," sed his mother, as shoo stroked his heead, "tha's a
deal moor i' this nop nor ivver thi fayther had, or me awther, for aw
should niver ha' thowt o' that." Sammy put tother in, takkin care to
point t'toe t'contrary way to what t'watter wor runnin, but as sooin as
he left lawse it turned raand an' foller'd tother, an' wor sooin aght o'
seet.

"Nah, then!" he sed "didn't aw tell yo? If it hadn't turned raand, it
'ud ha' been goin' up t'hill, but t'chap 'at made them clogs didn't mak'
'em reights an' lefts. Yo see they're booath left, an' aw believe that's
the reason aw've allus been lat to t'schooil."

"Niver heed, Sammy, tha shalln't go to t'school ony moor, for aw believe
tha'rt better able to taich t'maisters nor they are to taich thee."

"Awm sewer on it mother; for t'last maister aw had sed awd towt him
patience, an' awm sartin he niver towt me owt."

"Come thi ways, lad, an' awl buy thee some new clogs at another shop,
but dooant put any moor into that beck, unless tha tees a string to 'em,
if tha does awst ha' to give thee a lickin, soa tha knows; for even
knowledge can be bowt too dear."

After gettin his new clogs, shoo tuk him into a spice shop to buy a
penorth o' owt he liked, soa he ax'd t'old woman for a penorth o'
humbugs; but as sooin as he'd getten 'em, he altered his mind an' thowt
he'd have acid drops, soa shoo changed em'; but he'd hardly getten 'em
when he changed his mind, an' said he'd rayther have a rockstick, an'
when he'd gate that, he wor walkin' a