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Document 159

The Futterat

Author(s): Sheena Blackhall

Copyright holder(s): Sheena Blackhall

Text

The futterat snaps up mice fur a wager,
His mowser's braw as a serjeant major,
His een are hat preens, pink as yer crannie.
He likes bluid, sae ye'd best ca cannie.

He'd hae yer haun aff, flesh, thoom, been.
His teeth are sherp as a guillotine.
He guffs like a rotten, rottin doon a drain,
He lowps ben the girse like a rin -awa train.

Like a wee white brig staunin humfy ower a burn,
Wi his twa een bleezin, he'll stop an turn,
An 'Fa daur meddle wi me?' he'll spit.
'I'm nesty as a nettle an I'm faist o wit'

He can lowp, he can fecht,
He can rin upstairs.
Bide awa frae the futterat
Or look oot fur sairs!


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APA Style:

The Futterat. 2026. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 12 April 2026, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=159.

MLA Style:

"The Futterat." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2026. Web. 12 April 2026. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=159.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "The Futterat," accessed 12 April 2026, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=159.

If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2026. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 159

The Futterat

Text

Text audience

General public
Audience size 100+

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Word count 130

Text medium

Book

Text publication details

Published
Publisher Hammerfield Publishing
Publication year 1994
Place of publication Aberdeen

Text type

Poem/song/ballad

Author

Author details

Author id 112
Forenames Sheena
Surname Blackhall
Gender Female
Decade of birth 1940
Educational attainment University
Age left school 16
Upbringing/religious beliefs Brought up Protestant, now Buddhist
Occupation Writer and supply teacher
Place of birth Aberdeen
Region of birth Aberdeen
Birthplace CSD dialect area Abd
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Aberdeen
Region of residence Aberdeen
Residence CSD dialect area Abd
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Manager of Deeside Omnibus Service
Father's place of birth Aboyne
Father's region of birth Aberdeen
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Abd
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Private Secretary
Mother's place of birth Aberdeen
Mother's region of birth Aberdeen
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Abd
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes
Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic Yes Yes Yes Yes Elementary. Gaelic choir. Poetry.
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes

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