An' darklins grapit for the bauks, An' aye she win't, an' aye she swat, Or whether 'twas a bauk-en', To spier that night. Wee Jennie to her Grannie says, * Whoever would, with success, try his spell, must strictly observe these directions: Steal out, all alone, to the kiln, and, darkling, throw into the pot a clue of blue yarn; wind it in a new clue off the old one; and, towards the latter end, something will hold the thread; demand, wha hauds? i. e. who holds ? an answer will be returned from the kiln-pot, by naming the christian and surname of your future spouse. Take a candle, and go alone to a looking-glass; eat an apple before it, and some traditions say, you should comb your hair all the time; the face of your conjugal companion, to be, will be seen in the glass, as if peeping over your shoulder. She noticet na, an aizle brunt Out-thro' that night. "Ye little skelpie-limmer's face! On sic a night. Ae hairst afore the Sherra-moor, The simmer had been cauld an' wat, An' stuff was unco green; An' aye a rantin kirn we gat, An' just on Halloween It fell that night. Our stibble-rig was Rab M'Graen, A clever, sturdy fallow; His sin gat Eppie Sim wi' wean, That lived in Achmacalla: Steal out unperceived, and sow a handful of hemp-seed; harrowing it with any thing you can conveniently draw after you. Repeat now and then, "Hemp-seed, I saw thee; hemp-seed, I saw thee; and him (or her) that is to be my true-love, come But monie a day was by himsel, Then up gat fechtin Jamie Fleck, For it was a' but nonsense: The auld guidman raught down the pock, He marches through amang the stacks, An' her that is to be my lass, He whistled up Lord Lenox' march after me and pou thee." Look over your left shoulder, and you will see the appearance of the person invoked, in the attitude of pulling hemp. Some traditions say, "Come after me, and shaw thee," that is, show thyself: in which case it simply appears. Others omit the harrowing, and say, "Come after me, and harrow thee." Till presently he hears a squeak, Out-owre that night. He roar'd a horrid murder-shout, An' young an' auld came rinnin out To hear the sad narration: He swoor 'twas hilchin Jean M'Craw, Till stop! she trotted through them a'; Asteer that night! Meg fain wad to the barn gane To win three wechts o' naething*; She pat but little faith in : This charm must likewise be performed unperceived, and alone. You go to the barn, and open both doors, taking them off the hinges, if possible; for there is danger, that the being, about to appear, may shut the doors, and do you some mischief. Then take that instrument used in winnowing the corn, which, in our country dialect, we call a wecht; and go through all the attitudes of letting down corn against the wind. Repeat it three times; and the third time an apparition will pass through the barn, in at the windy door, and out at the other, having both the figure in question, and the appearance or retinue, marking the employment or station in life. She gies the herd a pickle nits, And twa red-cheekit apples, To watch, while for the barn she sets, That vera night, She turns the key wi' canna thraw, An' she cried, L-d preserve her! They hoy't out Will, wi' sair advice; A wanton widow Leezie was, As canty as a kittlen; * Take an opportunity of going, unnoticed, to a bear-stack, and fathom it three times round. The last fathom of the last time, you will catch in your arms the appearance of your future conjugal yokefellow. |