Sae white and bonnie,

Nae doubt they'll rive it wi' the plew; split

They'll ruin Johnie!’

The creature grain'd an eldritch laugh, groaned, weird

And says: ‘Ye needna yoke the pleugh,

Kirk-yards will soon be till'd eneugh,

Tak ye nae fear;

They'll a' be trench'd wi' mony a sheugh ditch

In twa-three year.

‘Where I kill'd ane, a fair strae-death, straw (i.e., bed)