Blackhall, Sheena
This is a musical version of the Scottish fairy story Whuppity Stoory
A lang lang time ago a coorse king bedd in a gowden toon wi a handsome young prince fur a son. The king wis aye lookin fur mair siller or shelties or jewels, an ae day fin he wis oot hawkin wi his coortiers, he spied three bonnie shelties. Noo the shelties belanged tae Milk White Jeannie, a puir fermer's dother, an they war aa she ained o value in the wand. Their names war Star Dauncer, Moon Prancer, an Lady Rainbow Hooves, an fin the coorse auld king saw them he winted tae hae them fur himsel. 'Gin ye wint tae keep yer three shelties' quo he, 'ye maun come back wi me tae ma castle an wyve three carpets o gowd fae the straa in ma byres.' Weel Milk White Jeannie follaed the coorse king back tae the gowden city an he lockit her up in his dungeon wi only a loom fur company an a pile o straa fae the byre.
The puir lassie fell tae the fleer an grat sair, fur she didna ken foo tae makk straa inno gowd, an she wished oot lood that somebody'd cam tae help her. Nae suner hid she spukken than there wis a wee, wee scrattin at the fit o the dungeon door, an fin Milk White Jeannie luikit doon, there wis a mannickie dressed in green waukin in as bold's ye like, tae see her.
'I can weave straa inno gowd' quo the fey wee mannickie. Bit fit'll ye gie me tae dee't?'
I'll gie ye ma fine green caimb,' quo Milk White Jeannie, an she sterted tae sing:
Tune: The Golden City
'Let the sun shine doon an the win blaw by
An the rain come tummlin fae the sky
Here in the dungeon masel sit I
While the king's upstairs ettin pumpkin pie.
I am bonnie, I am pretty,
I am the quine in the gowden city
I hae shelties een twa three
Dinna let the king takk ma shelts fae me.'
Weel, the wee wee mannickie set tae wark, an Milk White Jeannie helpit him, him, an thegither they wove aa the straa inno gowd, an Milk White Jeannie sang:
Tune: In and Out the Dusty Bluebells
'In an oot the shuttles weavin
In an oot the shuttles weavin
In an oot the shuttles weavin
Makkin the gowden carpet'
Back an font back an forrit gaed the shuttles till the gowden carpet wis feenished. Bi noo, Milk White Jeannie wis affa weariet. She rubbit her een, curled up on a bed o straa, an fell soun asleep.
Neist mornin, the coorse king opened the door o the dungeon an fit a begeck he got tae the gowden carpet!
'Ah,' sez he.'Bit ye still hae twa tae weave afore I set ye free. An if ye dinna feenish the job, ye'll niver see Star Dauncer, Moon Prancer an Lady Rainbow Hooves again.'
The puir lassie fell tae the fleer an grat sair, fur she didna ken foo tae makk straa inno gowd, an she wished oot lood that somebody'd cam tae help her. Nae suner hid she spukken that there wis a wee, wee scrattin at the fit o the dungeon door, an fin Milk White Jeannie luikit doon, there wis a mannickie dressed in green waukin in as bold's ye like, tae see her.
'I can weave straa inno gowd' quo the fey wee mannickie. Bit fit'll ye gie me tae dee't?'
I'll gie ye ma bonnie wee mirror,' quo Milk White Jeannie, an she sterted tae sing:
Tune: The Golden City
'Let the sun shine doon an the win blaw by
An the rain come tummlin fae the sky
Here in the dungeon masel sit I
While the king's upstairs ettin pumpkin pie.
I am bonnie, I am pretty,
I am the quine in the gowden city
I hae shelties een twa three
Dinna let the King takk ma shelts frae me'
Weel, the wee wee mannickie set tae wark, an Milk White Jeannie helpit him, an thegither they wove aa the straa inno gowd, an Milk White Jeannie sang:
Tune: In and Out the Dusty Bluebells
'In an oot the shuttles weavin
In an oot the shuttles weavin
In an oot the shuttles weavin
Makkin the gowden carpet'
Back an forrit back an forrit gaed the shuttles till the gowden carpet wis feenished. Bi noo, Milk White Jeannie wis affa weariet. She rubbit her een, curled up on a bed o straa, an fell soun asleep.
Neist mornin, the coorse king opened the door o the dungeon an fit a
begek he got tae see the gowden carpet.
'Ah,' sez he.' Bit ye still hae een tae weave afore I set ye free. An if ye dinna feenish the job, ye'll niver see Star Dauncer, Moon Prancer an Lady Rainbow Hooves again.'
The puir lassie fell tae the fleer an grat sair, fur she didna ken foo tae makk straa inno gowd, an she wished oot lood that somerbody'd cam tae help her. Nae suner hid she spukken that there wis a wee, wee scrattin at the fit o the dungeon door, an fin Milk White Jeannie luikit doon, there wis a mannickie dressed in green waukin in as bold's ye like, tae see her.
'I can weave straa inno gowd' quo the fey wee mannickie. Bit fit'll ye gie me tae dee't?'
I'll hae naethin left tae gie ye,' quo Milk White Jeannie, an she sterted tae sing:
Tune: The Golden City
'Let the sun shine doon an the win blaw by
An the rain come tummlin fae the sky
Here in the dungeon masel sit I
While the king's upstairs ettin pumpkin pie.
I am bonnie, I am pretty,
I am the quine in the gowden city
I hae shelties een twa three
Dinna let the king takk ma shelts fae me.'
'Weel,' sez the wee, wee mannickie, if ye promise tae gie me yer first born bairnie, I'll help ye weave the straa inno gowd.'
An Milk White Jeannie agreed, fur she wisna mairriet then an didna hae a bairnie at her bosie. Weel, the wee wee mannickie set tae wark, an Milk White Jeannie helpit him, an thegither they wove aa the straa inno gowd, an Milk White Jeannie sang:
Tune: In and Out the Dusty Bluebells
'In an oot the shuttles weavin
In an oot the shuttles weavin
In an oot the shuttles weavin
Makkin the gowden carpet'
Back an forrit back an forrit gaed the shuttles till the gowden carpet wis feenished. Bi noo, Milk White Jeannie wis affa weariet. She rubbit her een, curled up on a bed o straa, an fell soun asleep.
Neist mornin, the coorse king opened the door o the dungeon an fit a begeck he got tae the gowden carpet!
'Mercy me,' sez the king, ye hae deen sae weel I'll mairry ye tae my auldest loon, an ye can hae aa yer shelties back again!'
Fur a lang time Milk White Jeannie an the prince were happy, till a wee bairnie wis born tae them, an the mannickie appeared again at the castle richt aside the cot. An he wastit nae time in tellin Milk White Jeannie that he'd come tae takk her bairnie awa fae her.
'Oh ye mauna takk ma bairnie awa', cried Milk White Jeannie. An she made sic a soun wi her greetin that the wee wee mannickie promised tae leave her alane fur seeven days.
'If ye can guess my name afore I cam back,' quo he, 'I'll let ye keep yer bairnie.'
Nae suner hid he left than Milk White Jeannie set aff on the road tae speir o ilkie beast that she met, if they kent fit the mannickie's name wis.
First on the stoory road, she met in wi a gollach:
'Div ye ken a wee green mannickie, an hiv ye heard his name?' she speired.
'Oh, that I hinna' said the gollach, an left the lassie greetin.
Weel efter thon she fell in wi puckles o beasts, bit nane o them kent the name o the wee wee mannikin.
Last on the stoory road, she met in wi a puddock:
'Div ye ken a wee green mannickie, an hiv ye heard his name?' she speired.
'Oh, that I dinna' said the puddock, an left the lassie greetin.
Bit jist then, the lassie heard a soun fae ahin the dyke. She teetit ower, an dauncin up an doon spikkin tae himsel, wis the wee green mannickie. An this wis fit he said:
Naebody kens, fin I'm at hame
Whuppity Stoorie is my name!
An Milk White Jeannie niver let on she'd heard him, creepit aff tae the castle tae wyte fur the wee green mannickie tae come tae claim her bairnie.
On the seeventh day, he chappit at the door, an the servants took him ben tae the bairnie's cot.
'Fit's my name?' he speired at Milk White Jeannie.
'Is it Jason?' quo she. Bit it wisna.
'Is it Terry?' quo she. Bit it wisna.
'It is Damion,' quo she. Bit it wisna.
'Is it Whuppity Stoory' she speired at last, an the wee green mannickie stampit his fit wi rage an disappeared like a puff o rikk up the lum an wis nivver seen again. An the prince an Milk White Jeannie, an their bonnie wee bairn an the three bonnie shelties aa lived happily ivver efter.