ACT ONE — SCENE ONE

(LIZA, SARA, JENNY, TOTTIE in the market place, for the Hiring Fair. MAGGIE at home)

   

VOICES: (ALL the cast, cutting in on each other’s phrases, some of the phrases can be repeated. Low whispers at first, growing louder)

The Hiring, the Hiring, the Hiring… Hiring Fair, Hiring Fair, Hiring Fair…  What a folk/What a crowd/What a carts/What a people/What a noise! 

Ye get a’ the clash at the Hiring.

Ye get a’ the fun at the Fair.

I’m blythe to see ye

Tam / Andra / Jenny / Meg / William / Neil / Geordie / Joe / Jane / Jack.

What fettle? Fine fettle. How’s the cow? Doing grand. How’s a’ wi you? How’s the bairns… and the cow? How’s the wife… and the cow?

Did you ken about Davie / Jockie / Tam / Sandy / Nathan /

Ned / Mary / Betsy / Bob?

What’s the crack? / Heard the crack from Langriggs / Redriggs / Smiddyhill / Smiddyford / Horsecleugh / Oxencleugh / Whitehas / Blacksheils / East Mains / Westlea.

(During this LIZA is wandering, jostled by the crowd, looking for a place to stand)

VOICES (these phrases more distinct)

The Hiring, the Hiring Fair.

First Monday in February.

Coldest Monday in February. Eight o’clock. Soon as it’s licht.

See the farmers bargain wi the hinds.

See the hinds bargain wi the bondagers.

See the bonny bondagers stand in a row.

(LIZA has chosen her place, waits to be hired. SARA and

TOTTIE are also standing now together, waiting to be hired)

FIRST VOICE: (low whisper) The coldest Monday. Soon as it’s licht. (Louder, taunting) No bondager worth a puckle’s left after ten o’clock.

LIZA: (outwardly defiant — not in answer to the voice, and never speaking directly to the audience) I’ll be gone long afore ten. Bound over. Hired. See if I’m not. Broad shoothers, short back, strong legs.

SARA: Stand here Tottie, stand still now.

LIZA: — I’ll not take the arle from the first that comes.

I’m only going to a well-kept hind.

I can shear come harvest. I’m good with the horses.

I’ll fettle the horses — but not your bairns.

I’ll redd up the steading — but not your house.

I’ll work a’ day — but not in your bed.

SARA: Tut, lass, dinna talk that way.

LIZA: — Broad shoothers, short back, strong legs.

The good name of Tam Kerr, deceased, to live up to,

And my brother Steenie, over the seas.

JENNY: No bondager worth a puckle’s left after ten o’clock.

LIZA: I’ll be hired by ten of the clock… I’ll take the arle by ten of the clock.

SARA: Stand straight, Tottie, dinna look sweer.

JENNY: No cottar wife’s hired till the back o twelve. Gin she’s hired.

SARA: (to TOTTIE:) Look sonsie, can’t you?

TOTTIE: I’m hungry.

SARA: Maybe we’ll buy a tuppeny loaf after?

TOTTIE: After what?

SARA: After we’re hired.

JENNY: Gin she’s hired!

TOTTIE: There’s the Maister o Langriggs — maybe we’ll get to Langriggs.

SARA: Maybe. Look sonsie, now.

VOICES: (each line spoken singly, in turn, by the cast)

Ten bolls of oatmeal

Fifteen bushels barley

Six bushels pease

Twelve hundred yards potatoes, planted

A peck of lint, sown

Three pounds sheep siller

Grass for the cow

The privilege of keeping hens

Four carts of coals

FIRST VOICE: It is customary to give them their meat during one month of harvest. They may keep a pig. Their wives must shear in harvest. The hinds are also bound to hire and keep a field worker, a female servant called a bondager, commonly paid ten pence a day. (…) The hinds complain of this; the wives even more so.

MAGGIE: (at home. Very busy. Washing clothes, churning butter — or knitting — she knits on the hoof, whilst she’s watching a porridge pot, or rocking the cradle. Not directly to audience) Coldest Monday since Hallowe’en. I should have put straw in his shoon. He’s well respected, my man Andra. Any farmer would be thankful to hire him. He was up afore dawn to be there for the Hiring. Kirk claes. Kirk shoon. And a shave like he hasnae had since the kirn. Three things a hind depends on: a good wife, a good cow — and a good razor.

FIRST VOICE: A good hind needs a good maister.

MAGGIE: He can take his pick ο maisters.

FIRST VOICE: A good hind needs a good bondager.

MAGGIE: He can take his pick o bondagers… gin he knows how. But some o those lassies wear two faces — one for the hiring, and another for the farm! Just so long as the lass can shear — I can’t work harvest, not with the bairns. Just so long as she takes to the bairns!

LIZA: I’m not going to any place hoatchin wi bairns!

SARA: (to LIZA) Tuts, lassie — there’s bound to be bairns!

MAGGIE: See and pick right, Andra. Pick a good maister! Dinna say yes to the first farmer that slaps your hand and offers a dram. There’s questions to be asked! Two rooms! I’d like a house with two rooms. The maister at Langriggs bigged a new row of houses — all with the two rooms…

SARA: We don’t hope for much, Tottie and me. Day and way.

LIZA: I want a place on a big farm. Plenty lassies for the crack. Plenty plooman for the dancing!

MAGGIE: A house near the pump. A roof without holes.

SARA: (coming in on Maggie’s line) A roof without holes.

SARA and MAGGIE: Good pasture for the cow.

SARA: Kindness for Tottie — she’s slow — she has days.

TOTTIE: Bad days! Bad days!

LIZA: No bairns underfoot.

MAGGIE: And if it’s a good place — maybe we’ll stay — not just the year… longer. Same house, same farm, same kirk, same neighbours… (Realising it’s an unlikely notion) Aye! Well! — so long as it’s dry for the flitting.

SARA: (coming in on her last line) So long as it’s dry for the flitting.

TOTTIE: I doubt it’ll rain for the flitting, Mammy! 

LIZA: I’ll buy a new hat for the flitting.