'The Bubblyjock', by Hugh MacDiarmid, is one of the poems from 'The Kist' -  an anthology of Scots (and Gaelic) poetry and prose that was digitised by Education Scotland and gifted to the Scots Language Centre so that teachers and learners can continue to benefit from this valuable resource.

The Bubblyjock

by Hugh MacDiarmid

It’s hauf like a bird and hauf like a bogle
And juist stands in the sun there and bouks.
It’s a wunder its heid disna burst
The way it’s aye raxin its chouks.

Syne it twists its neck like a serpent
But canna get oot a richt note
For the bubblyjock swallowed the bagpipes
And the blether stuck in its throat.

Learning Resources

Many or most of MacDiarmid's poems are not accessible to younger children. 'The Bubblyjock' is one of the exceptions. The poem portrays, very cleverly, the peculiarities of the turkey.

Creating

Draw or trace a favourite animal. Label its body parts in Scots.

Writing

Write a poem in Scots about an animal or creature

Think about:

• the parts of its body and how to describe the creature
• the movements, both large and small, that it makes
• the sounds it makes
• the place it lives

You can use Scots to make words like these: