ooant
know, aw think it's all ovver me, dooant yo think aw luk ill, mother?"
"Luk ill! why tha knows lad, aw dooant think it's allus safe to judge
fowk bi ther luks, but aw mun say aw nivver saw thi lookin better i' mi
life." "Why but aw must be poorly, mother, for two or three fowk has
tell'd me soa this marnin." Just then three or four heeads pop'd off th'
side o' th' jawm an' set up a gurt laff. Billy luk'd an' saw it wor th'
same chaps 'at had been tell in him ha ill he luk'd. "A'a Billy!" sed
his mother, "aw wonder when tha'll leearn a bit o' wit, tha sees they've
nobbut been makkin gam on thee." "Aw see," he sed, "but they've nooan
chaited me soa varry far after all, for aw'm blow'd if aw iver did
believe it! Gee up, Neddy!" an' away he went to his wark.

But like monny a chap 'at's considered rayther soft, he worn't all soft,
an' one bit ov a trick he did is worth tellin. He'd been aght one day
tryin to sell some red yearin, but it seemed as if noabdy wanted owt o'
that sooart that day, an' as he wor commin back, a lot o' chaps wor
stood at th' corner o' th' fold, an' one on 'em stop'd him an says, "Ha
is it tha'rt bringin thi yearin back agean?" "Coss ther's noabdy 'll
buy' em," sed Billy. "Well what does ta want for em?" "Aw'l tak owt aw
can get, if aw can find a customer, but aw'st net find one here aw
know." "Come dooant tawk so fast, Billy!" sed th' chap, winkin at his
mates, "ha mich are they worth?" "They should be worth ninepence." "Well
aw'l bet thee hauf a crown 'at aw can find thee a customer, if tha'll
take what he offers thee for em." "Well aw dooant oft bet," sed Billy,
"but aw'l bet thee haulf a craan if tha offers me a price aw'l tak it."
"Done," sed th' chap, an' th' stakes wor put into a friend's hand to
hold. "Nah then!" he sed, "aw'! gie thee a penny for th' lot." "They're
thine," sed Billy, an' he handed 'em ovver. "That's nooan a bad trade,"
he sed, "a penny an' hauf-a-craan for ninepennorth o' yearin." Th' chap
sa'w 'at he wor done, an' he luk'd rayther dropt on, an' ov coarse his
mates wor suited. "Niver heed," sed Billy "aw dooant like to be hard o'
anybody, soa if tha doesn't want 'em aw'l buy' em back at th' same
price." "By gow, Billy! tha'rt a trump," sed th' chap, "tak th' yearins
an' gie me hold o'th' brass." Billy took th' yearings, an' handed him a
penny. "Nay! gieme th' hauf-craan an' all," sed th' chap. "Nooan soa,
sed Billy, aw've gien thee th' same price for' em as tha gave me,