An' Bet, a-hoppèn back vor fear O' Tom, struck uncle zomewhere near, An' meäde his han' spill all his beer Right down her poll an' back; An' Joe, in middle o' the din, Slipt out a bit, an' soon come in Wi' all below his dapper chin A-jumpèn in a zack.
An' in a twinklèn tother chaps Jist hung en to a crook wi' straps, An' meäde en bear the maïdens' slaps, An' prickens wi' a pin. An' Jim, a-catchèn Poll, poor chap, In back-house in the dark, vell slap Athirt a tub o' barm,--a trap She set to catch en in.
An' then we zot down out o' breath, An' meäde a circle roun' the he'th, A-keepèn up our harmless me'th, Till supper wer a-come. An' after we'd a-had zome prog, All tother chaps begun to jog, Wi' sticks to lick a thief or dog, To zee the maïdens hwome.
How merry, wi' the cider cup, We kept poor Fanny's be'th-day up! An' how our busy tongues did run An' hands did wag, a-meäkèn fun! What plaÿsome anticks zome [=o]'s done! An' how, a-reelèn roun' an' roun', We beät the merry tuèn down, While music wer a-soundèn!
The maïdens' eyes o' black an' blue Did glisten lik' the mornèn dew; An' while the cider-mug did stand A-hissèn by the bleäzèn brand, An' uncle's pipe wer in his hand, How little he or we did think How peäle the zettèn stars did blink While music wer a-soundèn.
An' Fanny's last young _teen_ begun, Poor maïd, wi' thik day's risèn zun, An' we all wish'd her many mwore Long years wi' happiness in store; An' as she went an' stood avore The vier, by her father's zide, Her mother dropp'd a tear o' pride While music wer a-soundèn.
An' then we did all kinds o' tricks Wi' han'kerchiefs, an' strings, an' sticks: An' woone did try to overmatch Another wi' zome cunnèn catch, While tothers slyly tried to hatch Zome geäme; but yet, by chap an' maïd. The dancèn wer the mwost injaÿ'd, While music wer a-soundèn.
The briskest chap ov all the lot Wer Tom, that danc'd hizzelf so hot, He doff'd his cwoat an' jump'd about, Wi' girt new shirt-sleeves all a-strout, Among the maïdens screamèn out, A-thinkèn, wi' his strides an' stamps, He'd squot their veet wi' his girt clamps, While music wer a-soundèn.
Then up jump'd uncle vrom his chair, An' pull'd out aunt to meäke a peäir; An' off he zet upon his tooe, So light's the best that beät a shoe, Wi' aunt a-crièn "Let me goo:" While all ov us did laugh so loud, We drown'd the tuèn o' the croud, While music wer a-soundèn.
