Open Writing

Nah, when Jesus 'eeard 'at 'is 'awf-cousin, John, 'ad been put i' prison fer sayin' 'at Herod owt ter bi ashamed of 'issen, instead o' cahrin' quiet Jesus started goin' abaht preychin'. An' 'e preyched t' same as John 'ad done, abaht 'ah fowk should repent — turn from the'r sinful ways an' believe t' Gospil — t' Gooid News 'at God luved 'em an' would fergive 'em.

Though Jesus wor born i' Bethle'em, 'e grew up i' Nazareth, tha knaws — t' 'ill country i' t' north, nut far from t' Sea o' Galilee. This 'ere's a grand big lake — fresh watter, an' full o' fish.

Nah, one day Jesus is walkin' along t' shooare, when 'e sees two young fishermen — Simon, an' 'is brutther, Andrew, agate thrawin' aht the'r nets inter t' lake ter catch fish. Jesus calls aht tul 'em:
'Come wi' me, lads! Ah'm bahn ter learn yer 'ah ter catch fowk!'

Well, as sooin as the' 'ear Jesus say that the' just drop the'r nets inter t' watter an' go streight after 'im. Some fowk 'ould say what a daft thing ter do — goin' off ter foller a complete stranger. But — ter my way o' thinkin' — Jesus 'ad talked tul 'em afooare, an' this wor t' final challenge, like. It's as though 'e 'd said: 'Come on, lads! Mak yer minds up!'

Well, Jesus walks a bit further along t' shore till 'e comes to a big fishin'-booat awned bi a chap called Zebedee. In t' booat are Zebedee's two sons, James an' John, agate wi't' nets, ready ter go aht fishin'. Jesus calls across tul 'em — an' i' two shakes of a lamb's tail, the' leave t' nets an' all t'
the'r fatther an't' other fishermen gawpin' at 'em, off the' go ter join Jesus, along wi' Simon an' Andrew.

Nah, that's t' tale as it's telled bi Sent Mark — but i' Sent Lewk's Gospil it says 'at it all really started one day when Jesus wor preychin' to a gurt crahd o' fowk on t' shooare o' Galilee. Ther' wor that monny on 'em 'at the' wer' practic'Iy pushin' Jesus inter t' watter. So, 'e axed Simon — 'oo wor agate weshin' an' mendin' 'is nets — if 'e could 'ave a lend of 'is booat. Jesus got in, an' then Simon shoved t' booat aht onter t' watter, an' Jesus taught crahds from theeare, wi' plenty o' space between 'im an' 'is congregation, like, so the' could all 'ear 'im as plain as owt.

Nah, when Jesus 'ad finished — just ter thank Simon, Ah suppooase — 'e axed 'im ter shove t' booat further aht inter t' lake. An' 'e telled Simon's mates, James and John, ter do t' same wi' their booat. When the' wer' ower deep watter Jesus telled 'em ter let dahn the'r nets.

'Nay, Lord', says Simon. 'We've been fishin' all neet long — an' we've caught nowt. But, go on, then. If it's thee 'at tells us ter do it, we'll try ageean.'

So the' let dahn the'r nets — an' would yer credit it? When the' pull 'em up ageean the're that full the're fit ter bust! An' when t' fisher-lads 'ad finished teemin' aht all t' fish from t' nets, booath the'r booats wer' that brussen the' looked as if the' wer' bahn ter sink! Simon wor thunner-struck — 'e'd seen nowt like it in all 'is born days. 'E gat dahn on 'is knees i' front o' Jesus an' blurted aht:
'Tha mun't 'ave owt ter do wi' me, Lord! Ah'm nobbut a sinful man!'

Simon an't' others wer' that flabbergasted at t' size o' t' catch 'at the' just gawped, flaid as owt.

'There's nowt ter bi flaid on', said Jesus. 'From nah on yer'U bi catchin' mooare ner this — yer'll bi catchin' fowk!'