The Antique Scythe

Not many suburban Mums will have received a scythe from their daughters. But that is what happened in our family. It is an old and beautiful scythe (with blade still wrapped for safety here) which will be used on the grass and rough stuff outside the back of our garden. And it will be the most treasured gift received.

No longer will she be 'she who must be obeyed': I suspect she may become 'the grim reaper'.

There is a tradition in part of the Highlands that a man cut off his head with a scythe by accident and this inspired the poem that accompanied the scythe itself: -

Geoffrey Johnston Pilkington Smythe,
Cut off his head with an antique scythe.
Thinking this was rather foolish
His wife called a friend from Ballachulish.
Lackie was know the whole world over,
Fot sewing folks heads back onto their shoulders.
Tis true he occasionally took a dram
And things didn't always go according to plan.
The wife took Goeff's head from out the freezer,
Lackie sowed it on just to please her.
Now Geoff in the best of health is found
Except that his head's on the wrong way round!