Part 2 (1/2)

”An' we kairs it because foki pens our Saviour, the tikno Duvel was born apre the Boro Divvus, 'pre the puv, avree in the te--(_Why you can dick dovo adree the Scriptures_!)

”The ivy and holly an' pine rukks never pookered a lav when our Saviour was gaverin' of his kokero, an' so they tools their jivaben saw (sar) the wen, and dicks selno saw the besh; but the ash, like the surrelo rukk, pukkered atut hiaverin, so they have to hatch mullo adree the wen And so we Ro saw the Boro Divvuses For the tickno duvel was chivved a wadras 'pre the puvius like a Rommany chal, and kistered apre a in his moro like a Rom An' he was always a pauveri choro ios

”An' he kistered apre a ht kister her, but she pookered hirai wouldn't rikker hiainsus never to be a dye or lel tiknos So she never lelled kek, nor any cross either

”Then he putchered the myla to rikker him, and she penned: 'Avali!' so he pet a cross apre laki's duo drurai has kek So the s of the Roo two or three et ash-wood for the fire That hen I was a small boy, for my father alould do it

”And we do it because people say our Saviour, the small God, was born on the Great Day, in the field, out in the country, like we Roht up by an ash-fire”

Here a sudden sensation of doubt or astonishnorance seemed to occur to my informant, for he said,--

”Why, you can see that in the Scriptures!”

To which I answered, ”But the Gipsies have Scripture stories different froion Go on with your story Why do you burn ash-wood?”

”The ivy, and holly, and pine trees, never told a here our Saviour was hiding hireen all the year But the ash, like the oak (_lit_ strong tree), told of hi, so they have to reh the winter And so we Gipsies always burn an ash- fire every Great Day For the Saviour was born in the open field like a Gipsy, and rode on an ass like one, and went round the land a begging his bread like a Rom And he was always a poor wretched man like us, till he was destroyed by the Gentiles

”And He rode on an ass? Yes Once he asked the ht ride her, but she told him no So because the mule would not carry him, she was cursed never to be a mother or have children So she never had any, nor any cross either

”Then he asked the ass to carry him, and she said 'Yes;' so he put a cross upon her back And to this day the ass has a cross and bears young, but theto (are peculiar to) the Gipsies”

There was a pause, when I reudlo_--a fine story; and all of it about an ash tree

Can you telltree--the oak?”

”Only what I've often heard our people say about its life”

”And what is that?”

”Dui hundred besh a hatchin, dui hundred besh nasherin his chuckko, dui hundred besh 'pre he mullers, and then he nashers sar his ratt and he's kekooreat ”

”_Tacho_, true But an old coat can hold out better than a ets a hole in him he dies, but his _chukko_ (coat) can be _toofered_ and _sivved apre_ (et a new life every year, as they say the _hepputs_, the little lizards do, he needn't hope to live like an oak”

”Do the lizards get a new life every year?”

”_Avali_ A _hepput_ only lives one year, and then he begins life over again”

”Do snails live as long as lizards?”

”Not when I find 'e {32} You can find plenty on the hedges When they're going about in the fields or (are found) under wood, they are not good eating The best are those which are kept, or live through (literally _sleep_) the winter

Take 'em and wash 'em and throw 'eood for the yellow jaundice”