It was aye late 'at the soond began, an' we never saw naething, we juist heard it.

The masons said they wouldna hae been sae fleid if they could hae seen't, but it never was seen.

It had the soond o' a cradle rockin', an' when we lay in our beds hearkenin', it grew louder an' louder till it wasna to be borne, an' the women-folk fair skirled wi' fear.

The mester was intimate wi' a' the stories aboot ghosts an' water-kelpies an' sic like, an' we couldna help listenin' to them.

But he aye said 'at ghosts 'at was juist heard an' no seen was the maist fearsome an' wicked.