22 OCTOBER 1927, Page 18

• Poetry

The Yellow Hammer

[The Scottish interpretation of the yellow hammer's song is: Deil, dell, deil take ye

ONCE, within an elfin smithy

Underneath a roof of withy, Lived a goblin, who was flunkey To a good-for-nothing spunky* ; And he shod his raging horses (Kelpies) by the water courses, Till he dropped his golden hammer In the dyke and 'gan to yammer : "Limb o' Satan, fey and crookit 1 Deil, deil, deil tak ye ! Deil talc' ye ! "—Deil took it I Now, in livery of amber, Where the purple vetches clamber, Bird for aye, of time unheeding, Still he looks for what he's needing.

You can see him flitting, perching, Zipping, dipping, flipping, searching, Hunting for his yellow hammer.

You can- hear him fret and stammer, Till the golden corn is stookit,

"Deil, deil, dell tak ye

Drat the deil! Deil's took it I"

BARBARA EUPBAN TODD.

* Will o'-the-wi,3p.