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Listen In — Nursery Rhymes and a Riddle

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Listen In — Nursery Rhymes and a Riddle

A recording of three nursery rhymes and a riddle from Orkney.
The Scots transcription uses the traditional literary conventions described in Wir Ain Leed, it is a transcription of what was said, not an attempt at phonetic accuracy.

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Recording used courtesy of and hosted by the School of Scottish Studies Archive.

Kirstie, Kirstie kringlock,
Gie ma nieve a tinglock,
Whit shall ye for supper hae?
Deer, shear, breid or smear?
Mince meat smaw or nane ava?
Kirstie kringlock, rin awa.

Eenty peenty halligolum,
The cat gaed oot tae hae some fun,
It haed some fun on Todo's grund
Eenty peenty halligolum.

Baa the bairns o Beaton
For Minnie's awa tae Seaton,
For tae pluck and for tae pou
and for tae gaither laum's oo
and for tae buy a bull's skin
Tae baa the bairns o Beaton in.

As I cam ower the hill o heather
Thare I met a man o laither
Throu a rock, throu a reel,
Throu an auld wife's spinnin wheel,
Throu a sheep's shank bane,
Sic a man wis niver kent.