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| THE BAIRNIES cuddle doon at nicht | |
| Wi’ muckle faught an’ din; | |
| “Oh try and sleep, ye waukrife rogues, | |
| Your faither’s comin’ in.” | |
| They never heed a word I speak; | 5 |
| I try to gie a froon, | |
| But aye I hap them up an’ cry, | |
| “Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon.” | |
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| Wee Jamie wi’ the curly heid— | |
| He aye sleeps next the wa’— | 10 |
| Bangs up an’ cries, “I want a piece;” | |
| The rascal starts them a’. | |
| I rin an’ fetch them pieces, drinks, | |
| They stop awee the soun’, | |
| Then draw the blankets up an’ cry, | 15 |
| “Noo, weanies, cuddle doon.” | |
| |
| But, ere five minutes gang, wee Rab | |
| Cries out, frae ’neath the claes, | |
| “Mither, mak’ Tam gie ower at ance, | |
| He ’s kittlin’ wi’ his taes.” | 20 |
| The mischief’s in that Tam for tricks, | |
| He ’d bother half the toon; | |
| But aye I hap them up and cry, | |
| “Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon.” | |
| |
| At length they hear their faither’s fit, | 25 |
| An’, as he steeks the door, | |
| They turn their faces to the wa’, | |
| While Tam pretends to snore. | |
| “Hae a’ the weans been gude?” he asks, | |
| As he pits aff his shoon; | 30 |
| “The bairnies, John, are in their beds, | |
| An’ lang since cuddled doon.” | |
| |
| An’ just afore we bed oorsels, | |
| We look at our wee lambs; | |
| Tam has his airm roun’ wee Rab’s neck, | 35 |
| And Rab his airm round Tam’s. | |
| I lift wee Jamie up the bed, | |
| An’ as I straik each croon, | |
| I whisper, till my heart fills up, | |
| “Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon.” | 40 |
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| The bairnies cuddle doon at nicht | |
| Wi’ mirth that ’s dear to me; | |
| But soon the big warl’s cark an’ care | |
| Will quaten doon their glee. | |
| Yet, come what will to ilka ane, | 45 |
| May He who rules aboon | |
| Aye whisper, though their pows be bald, | |
| “Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon.” | |
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