SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 622 Title : Dipper: 10 - Aippleringie Author(s): John Reid Copyright holder(s): John Reid Text Based upon 'The Herd's Tale', an old Galloway folk story, as told in “A Forgotten Heritage” (pp.131-133), edited by Hannah Aitken, Scottish Academic Press, 1973. "Ringan" was the Scots form of Ninian, hence the name of the herb (southernwood) connected with the saint and traditionally carried to church between the leaves of Bibles. Appelez Ringan - pray to Ringan - became first Appleringan, then Appleringie. It fell upon a Yule-tide nicht That I heard a tale by the peat-fire licht Frae a herd, as we sat by his warm hearthstane -An auld, auld tale frae days lang gane. It tauld o a herd lad left his lane, His maister tae a Yule-Fair gane, Wi the yowes still oot on the hillside cauld Tae be brocht, ere the mirk, tae the bield o the fauld. An bring them he did, aa but for ane, An he beddit them doun, then by licht o the mune He scourit the heather, the whins an the flowe, The briers an the breckens, but fand na the yowe. Disjaskit an dowie, sat doun tae his kail, He thocht o Sanct Ringan, o kind sancts the wale, Whase task is tae help tae fin ocht gane amissin, Sae he prayed tae the sanct for his help an his blessin. An he tuik his cogie o guid kail full Tae Sanct Ringan's well at the fuit o the hill, An he laid it doun on the braid well-stane Tae serve its turn as the guid sanct's kain. 'It's braw thick kail, though the cogie's wee, But it's aa that I hae, sae it e'en maun dae.' Midnicht was near, an his hert was sair As he turned tae seek the yowe aince mair, But he luikit back, an there by the well Wi cogie an spune was a gangrel chiel. 'He's nae sanct yon,' young Jamie said, 'Gin he was, I doot he'd be better cled. Puir sowl, he'll walcome kail an pease. A sanct micht weel be waur tae please. Said the fremit man, ‘A fair guid-een, But ye're worrit, lad. Whit hae ye dune?' 'I've tint a yowe, oot on the muir, A yowe that was lippent tae my care. 'Hoots,' quo the man, 'Nae fash ava! The yowe is nae sae faur awa. Ye'll fin her fast in the brammle bushes Doun by the saugh tree, yont the rashes.' 'But,' said the lad, 'That's havers, man! I trampit thae bushes before ye cam, Frae end tae end, an I fand nocht'. Said the man, 'Lat's see whit time has wrocht.' Sae doun they went, an fand her there, Leevin still, but founert sair. But the gangrel pit her ower his back Like a chapman liftin a hauf-tume pack, An back at the fauld they happit her weel Wi clean bere strae in the best o the bield. 'Will ye bide the nicht?' the wee herd said. 'Ye're walcome tae baith brose an bed.' 'Fain wad I, but I've faur tae gang. Eenou I've taigled here ower lang.' 'But whaur can ye gang sae late at nicht?' 'Whaur else but Bethlehem, ere licht.' The laddie turned, but the man was gane, An Jamie saw, neath the Yuletide mune A thing he'd never seen before - A yaird-high buss nearhaun the door . As he stuid dumfounert, we een a-stare, The scent o aippleringie filled the air. ___ his lane/alone yowes/ewes bield/shelter flowe/bog disjaskit/downcast dowie/sad kail/vegetable broth wale/choice,the best ocht/anything cogie/wooden stool kain/rent,tribute maun/must gangrel chiel/vagabond fellow fremit/strange,foreign lippent/entrusted fash/trouble,bother ava/at all saugh/willow havers/nonsense fand nocht/found nothing founert sair/sorely exhausted chapman/packman happit/covered,wrapped bere/barley brose/dish of oat- or pease-meal fain/willingly eenou/at the present time taigled/delayed buss/bush dumfounert/amazed,thunderstruck 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 General public: Audience size: 1000+ Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1987 Word count: 672 General description: Anthology of prizewinning and other Scots poems, and short stories in Ayrshire Scots. This poem was Second Prize Winner (Scots Section) S.N.O.P.C. 1988. Text medium Book: Radio: Other: Audiocassette Text publication details Published: Publisher: Luath Press Publication year: 1991 Place of publication: Barr, Ayrshire ISBN/ISSN: 0946487227 Edition: First Part of larger text: Contained in: The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils: Tales and Poems in Ayrshire Scots Editor: Authors: Dr. J. A. Begg and J. Reid Page numbers: 20-22 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 738 Forenames: John Surname: Reid Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1910 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Retired Head Teacher Place of birth: Dalry Region of birth: N Ayr Birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Lockerbie Region of residence: Dumfries and Galloway Residence CSD dialect area: Dmf Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Commmercial Traveller Father's place of birth: Dalry Father's region of birth: N Ayr Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Housewife Mother's place of birth: Beith Mother's region of birth: N Ayr Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: As necessary Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially