Literature

The Strange Visitor

The Strange Visitor

A woman was sitting at her reel one night, and still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a pair of broad soles, and sat down at the fireside;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a pair of small legs, and sat down on the broad soles;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a pair of thick knees, and sat down on the small legs;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a pair of thin thighs, and sat down on the thick knees;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a pair of huge ships, and sat down on the thin thighs;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a wee waist, and sat down on the huge hips;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a pair of broad shoulders, and sat down on the wee waist;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a pair of small arms, and sat down on the broad shoulders;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a pair of huge hands, and sat down on the small arms;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a small neck, and sat down on the broad shoulders;

And still, she sat, and still, she reeled, and still, she wished for company.

In came a huge head, and sat down on the small neck.

“How did you get such broad feet?” quoth the woman.

“Much tramping, much tramping” (gruffly).

“How did you get such small legs?”

“Aih-h-h!-late and wee-e-e moul” (whiningly).

“How did you get such thick knees?”

“Much praying, much praying” (piously).

“How did you get such thin thighs?”

“Aih-h-h! Late and wee-e-e moul” (whiningly).

“How did you get such big hips?”

“Much sitting, much sitting” (gruffly).

“How did you get such a wee waist?”

“Aih-h-h! Late and wee-e-e-moul” (whiningly).

“How did you get such broad shoulders?”

“With carrying a broom, with carrying broom” (gruffly).

“How did you get such small arms?”

“Aih-h-h! Late and wee-e-e moul” (whiningly.)

“How did you get such huge hands?”

“Threshing with an iron flail, threshing with an iron flail” (gruffly).

“How did you get such a small neck?”

“Aih-h-h! Late wee-e-e moul” (pitifully).

“How did you get such a huge head?”

“Much knowledge, much knowledge” (keenly).

“What do you come for?”

“ForYou!”

At the top of the voice, with a wave of the arm and a stamp of the feet.