but he knew nowt about it for all that. When he felt his heead gettin'
mazy, he consated he were fallin' asleep; his een gat that dazed he
couldn't see t' squirrels no more, an' he thowt he mun be liggin' i' his
bed at home under t' clothes. Then suddenly he bethowt him that he were
fallin' asleep without sayin' his prayers. You see, his mother had larnt
him a prayer, an' telled him he mun say it to hissen every neet afore he
gat into bed. Well, Doed aimed to say his prayer, but t' words had
gotten clean out o' his heead. That made him a bit unaisy, for he were a
gooid lad an' it hooined him to think that he'd forgotten t' words. All
that he could call to mind was an owd nominy that he'd heerd t' lads an'
lasses say when they were coomin' home fra schooil. He reckoned 'twere
more like a bit o' fun nor a prayer, but all t' same, when he couldn't
bethink him o' t' words his mother had larnt him, he started sayin' t'
nominy, an' sang out, as loud as he could:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
Bless the bed that I lig on.

"He'd no sooiner said t' words when all on a sudden Melsh Dick gav ower
playin', t' squirrels gav ower lowpin', t' bats gav ower fleein' across
t' dub, t' mooin gat behind a gert thunner-cloud, an' t' wood an' t'
watter were as black as a booit. Then there com a scufflin' an' a
skrikin' all ower t' wood. T' squirrels started spittin' an' sweerin'
like mad, t' ullets yammered an' t' wind yowled, an' there was all maks
an' manders o' noises owerheead. Then, efter a minute, t' mooin gat
clear o' t' thunner-pack, an' Doed glowered around. But there was nowt
to be seen nowheer. Melsh Dick was no langer sittin' anent him, an'
there was niver a squirrel left i' t' trees; all that he could clap een
on was t' espin leaves ditherin' i' t' wind an' t' lile waves o' t' dub
wappin' agean t' bank.