coals o' fire. Round an' round they went, as lish as could be, an' lile
Doed just hoddled his breeath an' glowered at 'em. He'd seen horses
lowpin' in a ring at Slaidburn Fair, but 'twere nowt anent squirrels
lowpin' i' t' espins round t' dub.

"Efter a while Doed thowt that Melsh Dick would sooin give ower playin'
tunes on t' whistle, but he did nowt o' t' sort. He just played faster
nor iver, an' all t' time he kept yan eye fixed on squirrels an' yan eye
fixed on lile Doed, to see if owt would happen him. An' t' faster he
played t' faster lowped t' squirrels. You see, they were foorced to keep
time wi' t' whistle. At lang length t' tune gat to be nobbut a shrike
an' a skreel. Doed had niver heerd sike-like afore; 'twere as though all
t' devils i' hell had gotten lowse an' were yammerin' through t' sky wi'
a strang wind drivin' 'em forrard. Eh! 'twere an uncouth sound, and an
uncouth seet, too, an' lile Doed's teeth started ditherin' an' every
limb in his body was tremmlin' like t' espin leaves on t' trees round t'
dub. An' nows an' thens a gert white ullet would coom fleein' through t'
boughs, an' all t' time there were lile bats flutterin' about ower t'
watter an' coomin' so close agean Doed they ommost brushed his face wi'
their wings.

"Doed was wellnigh flaid to deeath, but for all that he couldn't tak his
een off o' t' squirrels; they'd bewitched him, had t' squirrels. He put
his hand to his heead, and it felt as though 'twere twinin' round an'
round. Now that was just what Melsh Dick wanted, and why he'd set t'
squirrels lowpin' in a ring. He couldn't do nowt to Doed so lang as he
were maister o' his senses, but if he was to get fair giddy an' drop off
into a dwam, then, sure enif, Melsh Dick would have him i' his power and
could turn him intul a squirrel as he'd turned other lads an' lasses
afore. Wae's t' heart! but he were in a parlous state, were lile Doed,