started,
ther'd varry sooin be nooan left. We tuk her advice, an awm thankful to
say ther wor plenty for us all, an when we'd finished we went an sat ith
garden, an David filled his pipe an sed if awd noa objections he'd tell
me hah it happened 'at he coom to live oth moor, an th' reason fowk
called him Owd Moorcock. Aw sed nowt could suit me better, soa he began.

"Yo mun know," sed David, "'at befoor aw gate wed an coom to live here,
aw lived in a little haase in a fold cloise to Halifax Parish
Church,--it isn't thear nah, for it's been pool'd daan to mak way for
improvements o' differernt sooarts,--an awd an idea at that time 'at aw
should like to live thear all mi life, an awd noa thowts aw should iver
get wed."

"Its a pity tha ivver altered thi mind," said Dolly.

"Well, happen soa,--but let me tell mi tale i' mi awn way an it'll be
finished soa mich sooiner. One Setterdy aw donn'd misen up i' mi Sundy
clooas an went for a walk throo th' market, an when aw coom to th'
butter-cross aw saw a chap 'at had a cock an two hens in a basket for
sale, an he offered 'em to me for ten shillin'. 'Ten fiddlesticks!' aw
sed, 'awl gie thee five,' an he put on a luk as if awd stab'd him to th'
heart, an begun tellin' me hah mich they'd cost him, an 'at he'd nivver
ha tried to sell 'em but he wor behund wi his rent, an wor foorced to
pairt wi 'em to keep th' bums aght, an he assured me they wor layin'
ivvery day. But th' fact wor, aw didn't want 'em at onny price, for aw'd
noa place to put 'em, an aw tell'd him soa. 'Well,' he sed, 'gie me
three hawf craans an tha shall have 'em, for aw think tha'll luk weel
after 'em an aw wodn't like 'em to be ooined.' 'Nay,' aw sed, 'aw weant
gie aboon five shillin', for awm nooan i' want on 'em.' 'If tha weant,
tha weant,' he sed, soa that settles it, but awd rayther let th' bums
tak away nearly ivvery stick aght o'th' haase nor awd take a farden less
nor seven shillin'; that's th' lowest aw ivver will tak, an if tha
doesn't buy'em at that price tha'll rue, for tha'll niver have sich a
chonce ageean.' 'Well, then, awst be like to rue,' aw sed, 'for aw weant
gie thee a hawpny moor nor five shilin'.' 'Tha'rt a hard un,' he sed,
'but If tha'll promise me tha'll treat 'em weel, an at tha'll nivver
tell anybody what tha's gien for 'em, tha shall have 'em for six
shillin'; nah, tha cannot say noa to that. Two hens an' a cock! Why it's
nobbut two shillin' a-piece, an they're as cheap as muck at haw