I met four chaps yon birks amang,
Wi' hingin lugs and faces lang;
I speer'd at neebour Bauldy Strang,
What are they these I see?
Quo' he, ilk cream-fac'd, pawky chiel,
Thinks himsel' cunning as the de'il,
And here they came, awa to steal
Jenny's bawbee.
The first, a captain to his trade,
Wi' skull ill-lin'd, but back weel clad,
March'd round the barn and bye the shed,
And pap'd on his knee:
Quo' he, "My goddess, nymph, and queen,
"Your beauty's dazzled baith my e'en!"
But de'il a beauty he had seen
But -- Jenny's bawbee.
A lawyer niest, wi' bletherin gab,
Wha speeches wove like ony wab,
In ilk ane's corn ay took a dab,
And a' for a fee.
Accounts he ow'd through a' the town,
And tradesmen's tongues nae mair cou'd drown,
But now he thought to clout his gown
Wi' Jenny's bawbee.
A Norland laird niest trotted up,
Wi' bawsen'd naig and siller whup,
Cried, "There's my beast, lad, had the grup,
Or tie't till a tree.
"What's gowd to me, I've walth o' lan',
"Bestow on ane o' worth your han';"
He thought to pay what he was awn
Wi' Jenny's bawbee.
Dress'd up just like the knave o' clubs,
A thing came niest, (but life has rubs),
Foul were the roads, and fou the dubs,
And jaupit a' was he.
He danc'd up, squintin through a glass,
And grinn'd "I' faith a bonnie lass!"
He thought to win, wi' front o' brass,
Jenny's bawbee.
She bade the laird gae kaim his wig,
The soger no to strut sae big,
The lawyer no to be a prig,
The fool cry'd "Tehee!
"I kent that I could never fail!"
But she prin'd the dish-clout to his tail,
And sous'd him wi' a water-pail,
And kept her bawbee!