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.