The Tattie Howkers

The Tattie Howkers

Addison, Hazel L. R.

The craap hid aa been cuttit,
The stooks hid aa been ledd,
The rucks hid aa been biggit,
An the binder in the shed,
The parks lay bare an teem
Aa ready for the ploo,
Anither hairst wis daen,
Time tae lift the tatties noo.

Wi pail in haan neist morning
An the wither nae ower bad,
I trekkit tae the road ein
Tae jine the tattie squad,
I climm't aboord the bogie
Tae taak's tae Bunkie's fairm,
Dress't in welly-beits an dungers
An aul jacket ower my airm.

The park hid aa been peggit oot,
In twaa's we took wir stunce,
The digger it gaed ricklin by,
The tatties flew an dunced,
Heids doon we startit pickin,
We ful't an teem't wir pails,
Wir finger pints wer dirlin
Wi the yird aneth wir nails.

We pickit faist, we pickit clean,
Nae time tae rax wir back,
Bit we wer jist a bunch o' quines
An we wer fine an swack,
We sung an crackit jokes,
Threw tatties at the loons,
We aa thocht it wis fun,
We forgot aboot the stoons.


Wir backs boo'd tae the wither
We gaither't up the craap,
Till the skiffie caam tae gie's
A cup o' tay an jammie bapp,
The braak wis aye ower short,
We ate as faist's we cwid,
Pit wir cup back in the basket
An made a quick dash tae the wid.

Wi bellies fu' an bladders teem
We yokit tee aince mair,
We aa the trailin up an doon
Wir legs wer growin sair,
For as seen's we reach't wir peg
The digger wis back roon,
Nae seener wis wir back up
Than it wis bint back doon.

The efterneen wis laang,
I wis on my knees an tired,
My beits they wye't a ton,
My saaft bits wer aa fired,
I wis hippit an forfochan
Or it caam tae lousin time,
My first day at the tatties
Oh! Lord I myne on't fine.