Wp/nth/Lambton Worm

The Lambton Worm is a legend frae Coonty Durham i north-east England i the United Kingdom. The story tykes plyece aroond the River Wear, and is yen of the myest weel-knawn Northumbrian folkloric creaturs. It hes been adapted frae written and oral tradition inte pantomime and sang.

Sang

 * One Sunda morn young Lambton went
 * A-fishin in the Wear;
 * An catched a fish upon his heuk
 * He thowt leukt vary queer.
 * But whatt'n a kind ov fish it was
 * Young Lambton cudn't tell-
 * He wadn't fash te carry'd hyem,
 * So he hoyed it doon a well


 * Owerword:
 * Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
 * An aa'll tell ye aal an aaful story,
 * Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
 * An aa'll tell ye 'boot the worm.


 * Noo Lambton felt inclined te gan
 * An fight i foreign wars.
 * He joined a troop ov Knights that cared
 * For nowther woonds nor scars,
 * An off he went te Palestine
 * Where queer things him befell,
 * An varry seun forgat aboot
 * The queer worm i the well.


 * (Owerword)


 * But the worm got fat an grewed an grewed,
 * An grewed an aaful size;
 * He'd greet big teeth, a greet big gob,
 * An greet big goggly eyes.
 * An when at neets he craaled aboot
 * Te pick up bits o news,
 * If he felt dry upon the road,
 * He'd milk a dozen coos.


 * (Owerword)


 * This feorful worm wad often feed
 * On caalves an lambs an sheep,
 * An swally little bairns alive
 * When they laid doon te sleep.
 * An when he'd eaten aal he cud
 * An he had had his fill,
 * He craaled away an lapped his tail
 * Ten times roond Pensha Hill.


 * (Owerword)


 * The news ov this myest aaful worm
 * An his queer gannins on
 * Seun crossed the seas, gat te the ears
 * Ov brave an bowld Sor John.
 * So hyem he cam an catched the beast,
 * An cut 'im in twee haalves,
 * An that seun stopped hes eatin bairns
 * An sheep an lambs an caalves.


 * (Owerword)


 * So noo ye knaa hoo aal the foaks
 * On byeth sides ov the Wear
 * Lost lots o sheep an lots o sleep
 * An leeved i mortal feor.
 * So let's hev one te brave Sor John
 * That kept the bairns frae harm,
 * Saved coos an caalves by myekin haalves
 * O the famis Lambton Worm.


 * Final owerword:
 * Noo lads, aa’ll haad me gob,
 * That's aal aa knaa aboot the story
 * Ov Sir John's clivvor job
 * Wi the aaful Lambton Worm.