Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/255

2. the child that in the wods retiar
is lost while parants moarn,
and othars are consumd by fiar
or into peses toarn.

3. permit my febel pen to rite
what has ben lanly dun,
a man who plast his cheaf delight
in his beloved son.

4. in man Chester whare he ingoys
provision for this life,
he had two dafters and three boys
by his beloved wife.

5. his second son, robbens by name,
was ten years old and moar,
on him this sad distraction came,
who was in peses toar.

6. the fathar said, my children thair
if you will clear sum land,
you shall posess all it doth bair
to be at your command.

7. the parants then did both agree,
to tinmouth took their way,
a moarning sister for to see,
but long they did not stay.

8. the prity boys, wee understand,
did lovingly agree
all for to clear the peas of land
set fiar to a tree.

9. the chunk was thirty feat in length
and was exceding dry,
so rotten it had not much strength
did burn most vemantly.

10. the boys against a log did lean
or on it setting all,
and nothing was for to be seen
untill the tree did fall.

11. but oh, alass, the dismall blow
struck robbens to the ground,
his head was masht two peses soo,
a deep and deadly wound.