Betty Poleson                                      SA1971.101.18

As one might expect many Whalsay mothers knew a variety of rhymes and tunes for entertaining and exercising infants.  This one is a bit of a mystery as no one could say much about it.  Rose Williamson tells us Paecock was the name of one of the old ruined cottages at the deserted township  of Treawick on the east side of the island north of Huxter.  As Betty tells us, it had a tune.

I bigged  me hoose upo’ Paecock’s muir                    [built]           [moor]
Siller  was da window and gold was da fluir           [silver]             [floor]
An’ t’ree peerie mudjicks couldno’ dance in dere;       [midgies]
An’ t’ree peerie mudjicks couldno’ dance in dere.

“Dey were a tune till it.  ….  Ee.”              [There was a tune for it]

 Rose also recently provided this rhyme which her aunt Chrissie sang ‘to the bairns’.

Dance, dance doos de fit              [stamp your foot]
An never mind de shun            [don’t worry about your shoes]
For do’ll get a new pair when dis pair is dun.