Mystery Tour
We've come doon here fae a' the airts
Tae get some fish an chips.
It's mony a month since Cod or Haddie
Have passed these chappit lips.
Some cam doon fae Blairgowrie
An' ithers fae Dundee,
We've gaithered here in Cupar
Gaun tae Anstruther by the sea.
There's Harry an' there's Nancy
Wha's cam ower fae the States,
Tae see some friens an' family
An'ithers whae are mates.
Cyril Fyffe an' Mary
A beautiful, couthy couple.
As Cyril says, an' a' ken he's right
"She's niver ony trouble".
Jan & Jack here fae Dundee
Tae see wis fir a while.
Whilst Jack is big an' cuddly
Jan has a bonny smile.
Frank an' Irma, they're wir hosts
In Cupar, whits in Fife.
Frank is English, sad tae say
An' Irma his bonny wife.
Weel, we're a' sittin' yakkin
'boot the things we've done since yon
When Jan says "is it Anstruther
Plaicy whar wir gaun"?
If we're gaun doon fir Fish an' chips
It's no' juist half a croon,
It'll cost us a' aboit nine quid
Juist fir sittin' doon".
Weel, abdy wis up in airms
Aboot the price o' fish.
When Jan said "Eh ken juist the place
We'd go, if a' had meh wish.
We'll a' heid doon the watter
Tae the harbour in Arbroath,
They're the best in the hale o' Scotland
An' that's nae idle boast.
It's Marcos an' he's famous
An' so are a' his staff.
Ye git a great big poke o' chips
An' a Haddie an' a hauf".
Weel, we a' piled in tae wir caurs
Wi the minimum o fuss.
Frank left his caur there in Dundee
An' elected tae come wi' us.
We gote wir fish an' chips tae eat
At the harbour by the sea
When Cyril said "Dinnae bother
Yez can cam richt hame wi' me.
Carsnoutie's no' sae far fae here
It'll tak nae time ata,
Whaur ye can sit at at a table, set
Insteid o' a harbour wa.
Weel, we did juist that, an' ate wir fish
In the kitchen at the table.
Pitten greasy fingers tae wir lips
As fast as we were able.
we finished up an' sat aroun'
Juist blethering time away,
Seein it wis Seterday nicht,
We had church tae ging next day.
We telt some funny stories
boot the fowk that we a' kent.
We had a richt guid giggle
Buit the time we had wis spent.
We wir loath tae leave Carsnoutie
An' the time had wheecht richt by,
Sae we said good nicht an' cheerio
Wi' teardrops in the eye.
Nancy an' I had a fell guid time
An' we'll think in a quiet 'oor,
O' the time wi a' wir freins we went
Oan a fish an' chip mystery tour.
Harry Keen,
Great Falls Montana
8th October 2006