A Hat Full Of Sky

going on, but they liked the sound of it.
    “How?” said Awf’ly Wee Billy.
    “Ye had to gae and ask that, eh?” said Rob Anybody bitterly. “An’ I wuz doin’ sae weel wi’ the thinkin’…”
    He turned. There was a scratching noise on the door above him.
    Up there, across the rows and rows of half-rubbed-out markings, freshly chalked letters were appearing one by one, as if an invisible hand was writing them.
    “Worrds,” said Rob Anybody. “She’s tryin’ tae tell us somethin’!”
    “Yes, they say—” Billy began.
    “I ken weel what they say!” snapped Rob Anybody. “I ha’ the knowin’ of the readin’! They say…”
    He looked up again. “Okay, they say…that’s the snake, an’ that’s the kinda like a gate letter, an’ the comb on its side, two o’ that, an’ the fat man standin’ still, an’ the snake again, and then there’s whut we calls a ‘space,’ and then there’s the letter like a saw’s teeth, and two o’ the letters that’s roound like the sun, and the letter that’s a man sittin’ doon. And onna next line we ha’…the man wi’ his arms oot, and the letter that’s you, an’ ha, the fat man again but noo he’s walkin, an’ next he’s standin’ still again, an’ next is the comb, an’ the up-an’-doon ziggy-zaggy letter, and the man’s got his arms oot, and then there’s me, and that ziggy-zaggy and we end the line with the comb again…. An’ on the next line we starts wi’the bendy hook, that’s the letter roound as the sun, them’s twa’men sittin’doon, there’s the letter reaching oout tae the sky, then there’s a space ’cuz there’s nae letter, then there’s the snaky again, an’ the letter like a hoouse frame, and then there’s the letter that’s me, aye, an’ another fella sitting doon, an’ another big roound letter, and, ha, oour ol’ friend, the fat man walkin’! The End!”
    He stood back, hands on hips, and demanded:
    “There! Is that readin’ I just did, or wuz it no’?” There was a cheer from the Feegles, and some applause.
    Awf’ly Wee Billy looked up at the chalked words:
    SHEEPS WOOL
TURPENTINE
JOLLY SAILOR
    And then he looked at Rob Anybody’s expression.
    “Aye, aye,” he said. “Ye’re doin great, Mr. Rob. Sheep’s wool, turpentine, and Jolly Sailor tobacco.”
    “Ach, weel, anyone can read it all in one go,” said Rob Anybody dismissively. “But youse gotta be guid to break it doon intae all the tricksie letters. And veera guid to have the knowin’ o’ the meanin’ o’ the whole.”
    “What is that?” asked Awf’ly Wee Billy.
    “The meaning, gonnagle, is that you are gonna go stealin’ !” There was a cheer from the rest of the Feegles. They hadn’t been keeping up very well, but they recognized that word all right.
    “An’ it’s gonna be a stealin’ tae remember!” Rob yelled, to another cheer. “Daft Wullie!”
    “Aye!”
    “Ye’ll be in charge! Ye ha’ not got the brains o’ a beetle, brother o’ mine, but when it comes tae the thievin’, ye hae no equal in this wurld! Ye’ve got tae fetch turpentine and fresh sheep wool and some o’ the Jolly Sailor baccy! Ye got tae get them to the big hag wi’ twa’ bodies! Tell her she must mak’ the hiver smell them, right? It’ll bring it here! And ye’d best be quick, because that sun is movin’ down the sky. Ye’ll be stealin’ fra’Time itself—aye? Ye have a question?”
    Daft Wullie had raised a finger.
    “Point o’ order, Rob,” he said, “but it was a wee bittie hurtful there for you to say I dinna hae the brains of a beetle…”
    Rob hesitated, but only for a moment. “Aye, Daft Wullie, ye are right in whut ye say. It was unricht o’ me to say that. It was the heat o’ the moment, an’ I am full sorry for it. As I stand here before ye now, I will say: Daft Wullie, ye do hae the brains o’ a beetle, an’ I’ll fight any scunner who says different!”
    Daft Wullie’s face broke into a huge smile, then crinkled into a frown.
    “But ye are the leader, Rob,” he said.
    “No’ on this raid, Wullie. A’m staying here. I have every confidence that ye’ll be a fiiinne leader on this raid an’ not totally mess it up like ye did the last seventeen times!”
    There was a general groan from the crowd.
    “Look at the sun, will ye!” said Rob, pointing. “It’s moved since we’ve been talkin’! Someone’s got tae stay wi’ her! I will no’ ha’ it said we left her tae die alone! Now, get