Stories
Where Are You Going Today, Lively Little Bird?
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Another story again, you see. There was a man in these parts, from Pont Rhyd-y-cyff, and he was coming home from work. He had a level on the mountain, across from the little village down here. And he was the boss. It was he who ran the level, you see. He was the boss. He was coming home from work, after finishing for the day, and he saw a bird making its way up to the Dyran - the Dyran is a little wooded area, you know. And he was thinking to himself as he was on his way home like that, and he started to string a word or two together. And he went on and said:
TRANSLATION:
'Where are you going today, lively little bird?'
'Up towards the Dyran, if I should live.'
'What do you want in the Dyran, lively little bird?'
'To cut a switch, if I should live.'
'What do you want with a switch, lively little bird?'
'To strike my horse, if I should live.'
'What do you want with a horse, lively little bird?'
'To go to the fair, if I should live.'
'What do you want with a fair, lively little bird?'
'To buy salt, if I should live.'
'What do you want with salt, lively little bird?'
'To put in my soup, if I should live.'
'Well, what do you want with soup, lively little bird?'
'To put in my belly, if I should live.'
'What do you want with a belly, lively little bird?'
'If it weren't for [my] belly, I couldn't live.'
