Why woonce, at Chris'mas-tide, avore
The wold year wer a-reckon'd out,
The humstrums here did come about,
A-sounden up at ev'ry door.
But now a bow do never screaepe
A humstrum, any where all round,
An' zome can't tell a humstrum's sheaepe,
An' never heaerd his jinglen sound.
As ing-an-ing did ring the string,
As ang-an-ang the wires did clang.
The strings a-tighten'd lik' to crack
Athirt the canister's tin zide,
Did reach, a glitt'ren, zide by zide,
Above the humstrum's hollow back.
An' there the bwoy, wi' bended stick,
A-strung wi' heaeir, to meaeke a bow,
Did dreve his elbow, light'nen quick,
Athirt the strings from high to low.
As ing-an-ing did ring the string,
As ang-an-ang the wires did clang.
The mother there did stan' an' hush
Her child, to hear the jinglen sound,
The merry maid, a-scrubben round
Her white-steaev'd pail, did stop her brush.
The mis'ess there, vor wold time's seaeke,
Had gifts to gi'e, and smiles to show,
An' meaester, too, did stan' an' sheaeke
His two broad zides, a-chucklen low,
While ing-an-ing did ring the string,
While ang-an-ang the wires did clang.
The players' pockets wer a-strout,
Wi' wold brown pence, a-rottlen in,
Their zwangen bags did soon begin,
Wi' brocks an' scraps, to plim well out.
The childern all did run an' poke
Their heads vrom hatch or door, an' shout
A-runnen back to wolder vo'k.
Why, here! the humstrums be about!
As ing-an-ing did ring the string,
As ang-an-ang the wires did clang.