The Wee, Wee Mannie

Once upon a time, when all big folks were wee ones and all lies were
true, there was a wee, wee Mannie that had a big, big Coo. And out he
went to milk her of a morning, and said--

"Hold still, my Coo, my hinny,
Hold still, my hinny, my Coo,
And ye shall have for your dinner
What but a milk white doo."

But the big, big Coo wouldn't hold still. "Hout!" said the wee, wee
Mannie--

"Hold still, my Coo, my dearie,
And fill my bucket wi' milk,
And if ye 'll be no contrairy
I'll gi'e ye a gown o' silk."

But the big, big Coo wouldn't hold still. "Look at that, now!" said the
wee, wee Mannie--

"What's a wee, wee mannie to do,
Wi' such a big contrairy Coo?"

So off he went to his mother at the house. "Mother," said he, "Coo
won't stand still, and wee, wee Mannie can't milk big, big Coo."

"Hout!" says his mother, "take stick and beat Coo."

So off he went to get a stick from the tree, and said--

"Break, stick, break,
And I'll gi'e ye a cake."

But the stick wouldn't break, so back he went to the house. "Mother,"
says he, "Coo won't hold still, stick won't break, wee, wee Mannie can't
beat big, big Coo."

"Hout!" says his mother, "go to the Butcher and bid him kill Coo."

So off he went to the Butcher, and said--

"Butcher, kill the big, big Coo,
She'll gi'e us no more milk noo."

But the Butcher wouldn't kill the Coo without a silver penny, so back
the Mannie went to the house. "Mother," says he, "Coo won't hold still,
stick won't break, Butcher won't kill without a silver penny, and wee,
wee Mannie can't milk big, big Coo."

"Well," said his mother, "go to the Coo and tell her there's a weary,
weary lady with long yellow hair weeping for a cup o' milk."

So off he went and told the Coo, but she wouldn't hold still, so back he
went and told his mother.

"Well," said she, "tell the Coo there's a fine, fine laddie from the
wars sitting by the weary, weary lady with golden hair, and she weeping
for a sup o' milk."

So off he went and told the Coo, but she wouldn't hold still, so back he
went and told his mother.

"Well," said his mother, "tell the big, big Coo there's a sharp, sharp
sword at the belt of the fine, fine laddie from the wars who sits beside
the weary, weary lady with the golden hair, and she weeping for a sup o'
milk."

And he told the big, big Coo, but she wouldn't hold still.

Then said his mother, "Run quick and tell her that her head's going to
be cut off by the sharp, sharp sword in the hands of the fine, fine
laddie, if she doesn't give the sup o' milk the weary, weary lady weeps
for."

And wee, wee Mannie went off and told the big, big Coo.

And when Coo saw the glint of the sharp, sharp sword in the hand of the
fine, fine laddie come from the wars, and the weary, weary lady weeping
for a sup o' milk, she reckoned she'd better hold still; so wee, wee
Mannie milked big, big Coo, and the weary, weary lady with the golden
hair hushed her weeping and got her sup o' milk, and the fine, fine
laddie new come from the wars put by his sharp, sharp sword, and all
went well that didn't go ill.