Introduction

Here is a Doric poem. This is the dialect that used to be spoken in Aberdeenshire.

The Coo an the Peacock

A coo that ae day triet tae flee
Gat stucken haaf wye up a tree.
A bonnie beas pairt-fite, pairt-broon,
She wisna able tae get doon.

She criet upon her freen the meer;
Bit she wis deef an didna hear.
She thocht the pig micht stacher by;
Bit he wis sloch'rin in his stye.

It happent tee that that ilka sheep
Wis heid-doon chaain at a neep.
The caat wis shairpenin her clooks
The fulp wis busy fleggin deuks.

The hens war thrang wi clokin, fegs,
An didna wint tae leave their aigs;
An onywey, lick deuks an geese,
They widna hae been muckle eese.

A peacock syne cam nar te tree;
An kynly speirt fat he cud dee.
The coo criet "Help me! Dinn fail!"
"I ken!" says he. "I'll fan ma tail!"

The moral o the story's plain:
Fan tribble comes, ye're on yer ain!

pairt-fite = partly white;
meer = mare;
sloch'r = wallowing (good word eh?);
fulp = dog;
thrang = busy;
clockin = brooding

Author Unknown