# Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect/Uncle out o' Debt an' out o' Danger

UNCLE OUT O’ DEBT AN’ OUT O’ DANGER.
Ees; uncle had thik small hwomestead,  The leäzes an’ the bits o’ mead,
 Besides the orcha’d in his prime,  An’ copse-wood vor the winter time.  His wold black meäre, that draw’d his cart,  An’ he, wer seldom long apeärt;  Vor he work’d hard an’ païd his woy,  An’ zung so litsom as a bwoy,  As he toss’d an’ work’d,  An blow’d an’ quirk’d,
 “I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,  An’ I can feäce a friend or stranger; I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peäir Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meäre.
His meäre’s long vlexy vetlocks grow’d  Down roun’ her hoofs so black an’ brode;  Her head hung low, her taïl reach’d down  A-bobbèn nearly to the groun’.  The cwoat that uncle mwostly wore  Wer long behind an’ straïght avore, ​ An’ in his shoes he had girt buckles,  An’ breeches button’d round his huckles;  An’ he zung wi’ pride,  By’s wold meäre’s zide,  “I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,  An’ I can feäce a friend or stranger; I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peäir Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
An’ he would work,—an’ lwoad, an’ shoot,  An’ spur his heaps o’ dung or zoot;  Or car out haÿ, to sar his vew  Milch cows in corners dry an’ lew;  Or dreve a zyve, or work a pick,  To pitch or meäke his little rick;  Or thatch en up wi’ straw or zedge,  Or stop a shard, or gap, in hedge;  An’ he work’d an’ flung  His eärms, an’ zung  “I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,  An’ I can feäce a friend or stranger; I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peäir Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
An’ when his meäre an’ he’d a-done  Their work, an’ tired ev’ry bwone,  He zot avore the vire, to spend  His evenèn wi’ his wife or friend;  An’ wi’ his lags out-stratch’d vor rest,  An’ woone hand in his wes’coat breast,  While burnèn sticks did hiss an’ crack,  An’ fleämes did bleäzy up the back,  There he zung so proud  In a bakky cloud,  “I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,  An’ I can feäce a friend or stranger; ​I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peäir Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
From market how he used to ride,  Wi’ pot’s a-bumpèn by his zide  Wi’ things a-bought—but not vor trust,  Vor what he had he païd vor vu’st;  An’ when he trotted up the yard,  The calves did bleäry to be sar’d,  An’ pigs did scoat all drough the muck,  An’ geese did hiss, an’ hens did cluck;  An’ he zung aloud,  So pleased an’ proud,  “I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,  An’ I can feäce a friend or stranger; I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peäir Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”
When he wer joggèn hwome woone night  Vrom market, after candle-light,  (He mid a-took a drop o’ beer,  Or midden, vor he had noo fear,)  Zome ugly, long-lagg’d, herrèn ribs,  Jump’d out an’ ax’d en vor his dibs;  But he soon gi’ed en such a mawlèn,  That there he left en down a-sprawlèn,  While he jogg’d along  Wi’ his own wold zong,  “I’m out o’ debt an’ out o’ danger,  An’ I can feäce a friend or stranger; I’ve a vist vor friends, an’ I’ll vind a peäir Vor the vu’st that do meddle wi’ me or my meare.”