SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 540 Title : Craiters: 16 - Hairt Sorry Author(s): Alexander Fenton Copyright holder(s): Alexander Fenton Text A body dis a lot o things ey dinna wint tae dee. I left e hoose ae mornin, it wis intill e second wik o June, aifter a nicht o shooery rain. E day wisna bad, jist a coolness fin I opent e door. E leafs on e geen tree hid a drap at ilky pint, ere wis silver ballies o water on e heids o e girse, an e grun wis fine an sappy. E kinna wither at gangs tae growth, though I will admit ere's times ye feel aafa crivvt in fin aathing roon ye's jist a carant o green foggitch. I dinna ken bit fit I like e openness o winter better, haad awa fae e caal. Onywye, I haivt up e garage door an got ma car oot. Ere's at muckle trock at e sides at ye've tae steer gey cannie, an ye've tae see tee at ye dinna knack e side mirror on e frame o e door as ye come oot backlins. Eence I wis clear, I stoppit in e run-in an climmt oot tae steek e door. I jist happent tae look doon as ma fit landit on e graivel an there begod wis twa snails wi eir bonny strippit shallies, linkit egither in a state o holy matrimony. Ye cd see e silver roadies ey'd made ower e steens at e rain hid sypit. They werena hashed bit I wis, so I shut e door an back intill e car, watchin ma feet nae tae disturb em. Back I cam at nicht, wheekin intill e run-in at a fair lick, as I ay dee. I'm eest till't, bit it's ill for giein onybody wi's a fleg, an e openin looks tichter wi e growth o wallflooer an antirrhiniums at ilky side an up e middle. I jist minet on e snails fin I geed tae tak ma paperies oot o e back seat an aye, e craiters wis ay ere, niver an upple or divall e hale o e day. ‘Ye're deein weel, ma birkies', said I tae masel, as I held in for ma supper. Aa weel, it wis een o is nichts fin baby-sittin hid tae be deen at ma dother's. I saa tae ma ain tae, syne quarriet a file amon ma byeuks or e phone rang tae gie's ma mairchin orders. Aff I set till e far side o e toon, newsed a filie at e hoose, syne back again. Throwe e evenin, fin e traffic's lichter, it disna haad lang, though it jist braks up yer time fin ye're tryin tae get on wi things. Onywye, fit's deen's nae tae be deen; bit ma heid wis wirkin awa at fit I’d been deein, writin something at wis tae gang intill a byeuk, an afore I minet I pit ma fit on tap o e snailies. Een wis get flattent an e ither hid a crackit shall. I pat ma finger till em, bit baith hid eir sookers ticht till e grun. Nae eese tryin tae meeve em. I niver spak, jist pat e car in, leave em be wis aa I cd dee. In e mornin I set aff again as I ay dee. Ae snail wis faar I’d left em. E idder, crackit shall or no, hid gotten craalt a maitter o gey near three feet, leavin its bonny trackie, an syne dee’t. Ir nicht e birds an e beetles hid clearet e lot. I wis jist hairt sorry. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Adults (18+): General public: Informed lay people: Specialists: Males: Females: Audience size: 1000+ Text details Method of composition: Wordprocessed Year of composition: 1994 Word count: 606 Text medium Book: Periodical/journal: Text publication details Published: Publisher: Tuckwell Press Publication year: 1995 Place of publication: East Linton ISBN/ISSN: 1898410739 Edition: First Part of larger text: Contained in: Craiters. Or Twenty Buchan Tales Text setting Education: Other: Putting the dialect on record, Aberdeenshire Text type Prose: fiction: Prose: nonfiction: Short story: Author Author details Author id: 27 Forenames: Alexander Surname: Fenton Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1920 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Academic/Writer/Editor Place of birth: Shotts Region of birth: Lanark Birthplace CSD dialect area: Lnk Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Edinburgh Region of residence: Edinburgh Residence CSD dialect area: Edb Father's occupation: Shoemaker Father's place of birth: Aberdeen Father's region of birth: Aberdeen Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Abd Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Housewife\Crofter Mother's place of birth: Keith Mother's region of birth: Banff Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Bnf Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: At work Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: At home and wherever possible