But most of all he loved the little shy creatures that lived in the sunshine among the flowersthe small birds and butterflies, and little beasties and creeping things he was accustomed to see outside the gate among the tall, wild sunflowers.

I were very small then, and used to go and play all day in the marshes, and I loved the cows and water-rats and all the little beasties, same as you, Martin.

TO A MOUSE ON TURNING HER UP IN HER NEST WITH THE PLOUGH, NOVEMBER, 1785 Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O what a panic's in thy breastie!

poor beastie, thou maun live!

Then there is a general hubbub, servants rush together with the longest sticks they can find, the children are hurried away to a place of safety, the master appears on the scene, armed with his gun, and the Wee, sleekit, cowrin', tim'rous beastie, trying to slip away from the fuss which it dislikes so much, is headed, and blown, or battered, to pieces.

Our bonnie rigs theirsel', Reca' my waes to mind, Our puir dumb beasties tell O' a' that I ha'e tyned; For whae our wheat will saw, And whae our sheep will shear, Sin' my a' gaed awa', In the fa' o' the year?

Weel, what think ye that I did wi' the beastie?

" Nae sooner had I spoken the word, than the twa, looking round the shop, spied the beastie sitting upon the shelf girning at them, and putting out his tongue, and wiggle-waggling his walking-stick ower his left elbow, as if he had been playing upon the fiddle.

I take the beastie in my fingers and suck out the meat.

Mind you I don't want to lose the old moke altogether, because, to tell the truth, I'm a biteen fond of him now that I know his thricks, but I figure Mr. Monk will be a severely cured character inside a week, an' return the beastie himself with tears an' apologies on vellum so long.

"I don't wonder the beasties curl up and die; I'd like to myself.

But poor Stickeen, the wee, hairy, sleekit beastie, think of him!

what a beautiful green and gold beastie running out there in the wet!

o' the beasties that furnish us wi' beef.

And a man, by his lane, was in trouble always wi' the great beasties they had in yon days.

Round up's when they brand the beasties.

So we apologetically put the gallant greys in again, poor beasties, and they took us up well.

Amélie loves beasties better than humans.

You see Amélie knows beasties better than I do.

"A weel, there's nae mischief done," continues my interlocutor; "but it's nae good a stalking Epaminondas, for he's just a sagacious beastie altogether.

A body can aye streitch himself doon under a tree for a bit sleep withoot getting wasps and wee beasties crawling up inside his kilt, and puddocks craw-crawing in his ear!

I have seen mony are o' them in Drumshorlin Muir; it is a little black beastie, about the size of my thoom-nail.