'By gow, lewk at this, lass, dosta knaw who's just deed?
It sez 'ere i' t'paper, 'at ah've nobbut just seed.
It's owd Tommy Sugden, who ah knew varry weel.
He went an' dropped deead i' t' bar o' t'Lord Peel.'

'Ah doan't think ah knew him; nivver heeard o' t'poor chap.
Unless it's that milkman that hed t'hoss an' trap.'
'Nowh, that wor Sam Oddy thra up Hoyland Moss.
He deed eighteen month sin'. He got pawsed bi his hoss.

'Tha must knaw who ah meean – a gurt brussen feller.
He gate shut o' them rats i' Wilf Barraclough's cellar.
Doan't tha remember? He once selled us a pig,
That he gate thra a chap dahn i' Sawerba Brig.

'Aye, ah knaw who tha meeans, we saw him last spring.
When he joined that theer choir, 'cos he thowt he could sing.
Bud they wodn't hev him in, an' they telled him to goa.'
'Nay, that wor John Ambler thra Cocklebeck Moor.'

'Is it that chap then, 'at used to sell logs?
He lived up bi t'quarry, an' allus wore clogs.'
'Nowh, he wor a thin chap, as sly as a ferret.
He still sups i' t'Bull an' laiks doms wi' Jack Sterrett.'

'It i'n't that poor chap who's noan reight i' his 'eead,
Who gat put away when his mother wor deead?'
'Nay, ther wor nowt wrang wi' Tom; he wor sane as a judge,
Though when he wor druffen, wor an 'ard man to budge.

'Tom wor a tall chap, abaht six fooit three.
An' when he wor young, he ran off to sea.
He cou'n't settle after, an' he nivver liked wark.
Tho' did a few odd jobs an' swept t'leaves up i' t'park.'

'Oh aye, nah ah knaw him. Eeh, just fancy that!
Ah'm reight sorry to hear it. it's med me feel flat.
'Cos ah walked aht wi' 'im afore ah met thee.
Bud he didn't want to wed, said he liked to be free.

'Ah'm glad ah di'n't wed him, t'soart o' chap he turned aht.
Onny wife of his would be just a dish claht.
Bud ah'm sorry he's deead, i' spite of all that.
Here, tak this owd fish-'eead an' gi' it to t'cat.'