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Land Girls (a Para Handy Tale)
"If my wife was to go aboot in troosers wi' her hair
cowed, I would bring her before the session," said the
Captain. "It's not naiture! There is not wan word aboot
women wearin' breeches between the two boards o' the Bible."
"You look at the Book o Hezekiah! said Hurricane
Jack. "In the fifteenth chapter ye'll see that a time would
come, accordin' to the prophets, when women would arise in Babylon
and put their husbands garments on, and the men go forth in
frocks."
The captain was plainly staggered. He had overlooked that
bit. "Go you down, Doogie," he said, "and look your
Bible to see if Jeck iss right. I thocht I knew every word o'
Hezekiah by he'rt."
Twenty minutes later the mate came back with the Bible and
his specs on. "I canna put my hand on Hezekiah at aal, at
aal," he admitted. "What way do you spell it?"
Hurricane Jack hurriedly took the Bible from him and
hurriedly flicked through it's pages; then he turned to the
dedication to 'The Most High and Mighty Prince James by the Grace
of God, King of Britain, France, Ireland, Defender of the Faith.'
"Tach!" he said; "no wonder ye canna find
it! You might as well look in last years almanac for the Battle of
Waterloo, as look in a Bible that's oot o'date completely for the
Prophet Hezekiah."
From "Para Handy Tales" by Neil Munro ©
Executors of the late Dr Neil Munro. Published by Pan Books Ltd
1969.
Note: In a totally different context, the Geneva
Bible, published in 1560 was popularly called the "Breeches Bible"
because Genesis 3:7 reads, "Then the eyes of them bothe were
opened, & they knewe that they were naked, and they sewed fig
tree leaves together, and made them selves breeches." The Geneva Bible was
issued as late as 1644 and had at least 160 editions. Many early editions of the "authorised version" contained study notes from the Geneva Bible
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