Thanks and I am glad you like it. I have the painting referred to in the
piece. I have mentioned elsewhere that I am collecting these for my
grandchildren. The oral arts of storytelling fades I fear and these tales
are part of our family's mythology. having said that they are as true as
when told to me many years ago. As to their exact truth, well.... I went
with my brother to the old tea rooms, at Ogden Water,  this summer and
actually met the man, very old man, who bought the place from my great
grandad, he took us to the mound and said he never knew who was there but
the bitten post is still there as Is Jerry's stable. We found the house
where my mother was born.I have a picture of my grandad with his father and
mother and Rufus sat on Jerry outsdie the tearooms. My grandmother is off to
one side and she is a young wife and pregnant with my mum. Grandma was the
first person I saw dead. We buried her in a graveyard just over from Ogden
Water. The church is now flats and the graveyard overgrown. I am subbing a
poem apart from this which refers to that death and that time. I had been
eating an orange when I went to see her body and my hands were smelling of
zest. I have always associated ornges with death since that time.
I have not really considered the Yorkshire dialect society but a friend of
mine is a member so I might just. Again I am glad you enjoyed the tale.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sally James" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 11:36 AM
Subject: Re: New Sub: Tales at my Mother's knee No.4


> I really love this Arthur and can hear a woman's voice coming through in
> your words and accent I think you have captured her very nicely and the
> donkey story is lovely. My mother used to tell me poems about donkeys.
Must
> be something about the age group that had an affinity to tales about these
> animals. Just wondered if you belong to the Yorkshire dialect society? I
am
> sure they would love this. I belong to the Lancashire dialect society and
> though I haven't written any new poems for a long time I still go around
and
> read from time to time. A good read thanks Sally J
>
> >From: Arthur Seeley <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: New Sub: Tales at my Mother's knee No.4
> >Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:39:45 +0100
> >
> >Tales at my Mother's knee, No 4: Undefeated Jerry.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Yer Great Granddad Thomas, now,
> >
> >he had some tea rooms up at Mount Pleasant
> >
> >just above Ogden Water,
> >
> >with tables outside and seats and swings and things.
> >
> >Donkeys and all, four or five of them, as I recall
> >
> >but I wur only a lass an' it wur a long while since
> >
> >so I'm not so certain just how many there wuh
> >
> >but yuh couldna count Jerry, anyroad
> >
> >because no one rode Jerry except yur Uncle Rufus.
> >
> >
> >
> >Jerry wuh special, yuh see!
> >
> >
> >
> >Undefeated Jerry! That's what they called him, yuh know.
> >
> >Undefeated Jerry! Fastest donkey in West Yorkshire an' all,
> >
> >and that's got to be t'fastest in t'world, 'an't it?
> >
> >
> >
> >Harden, Wilsden, Bingley Fair and Keighley Gala,
> >
> >Bradford and Elland,
> >
> >they all had races there
> >
> >and he won 'em all.
> >
> >He never looked pleased nor nowt,
> >
> >no, nor proud even.
> >
> >Donkeys don't look owt but miserable.
> >
> >I've never seen one that looked owt but miserable,
> >
> >as though it wuh summat they knew that we didn't
> >
> >and it wuh summat that med 'em sad.
> >
> >
> >
> >I have his picture up there, see.
> >
> >That's yuh granddad there holding Jerry's head;
> >
> >he's got his best bowler on, though he called it his derby,
> >
> >when they wuh racin' like,
> >
> >and a carnation,special for t' picture
> >
> >See how smart he wuh when he wuh sober.
> >
> >That's your Uncle Rufus
> >
> >sat in t'cart with his best cap on.
> >
> >Yur Uncle Rufus med that cart hissen, do yuh know.
> >
> >Clever wi' his hands wuh Rufus
> >
> >he's only young there
> >
> >but he could mek owt outta wood.
> >
> >
> >
> >Yuh can see all t' prizes Jerry won
> >
> >on that board Rufus is holding.
> >
> >All First Prizes, do yuh see?
> >
> >Look, he doesn't even look happy for his picture does he?
> >
> >
> >
> >Gow! He wur a champion though,
> >
> >wuh Jerry, fast as some 'osses, they reckon,
> >
> >pulling yur Uncle Rufus along
> >
> >in that painted cart.
> >
> >
> >
> >They bowt him in Oxenhope, I heard tell,
> >
> >and brung him home over t'top to Mount Pleasant
> >
> >and put him in t' shed outside,
> >
> >on a chain  for t'first night.
> >
> >When they came down in t'morning
> >
> >he'd nearly bitten through t'beam they'd tied him to.
> >
> >Home sick, I suppose, that's what they reckund anyroad.
> >
> >
> >
> >Burree soon settled in
> >
> >when he met a jenny called Bertha,
> >
> >that lived at t' tea-rooms,
> >
> >though she kicked up a bit.
> >
> >Love at first bite, thi Grandad allus said.
> >
> >
> >
> >When Jerry died,
> >
> >thi granddad wouldn't sell him fuh glue, yuh know,
> >
> >not like he did with t'others
> >
> >he had too much respect for Jerry, yuh see.
> >
> >He wuh buried proper like
> >
> >at t'back of t'tearooms,
> >
> >by t'side of that gurt sycamore there.
> >
> >Yuh can still see t' mound
> >
> >although them that has t' rooms now
> >
> >don't know whose under there.
> >
> >
> >
> >Bah Gum, Undefeated Jerry,
> >
> >he wuh a donkey and half, you know.
> >
> >
> >
> >Nathen, finish your cocoa
> >
> >and off to bed like good lads.
>
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