human
Can you write a poem for me in the style of Madame de (Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne) La Fayette?
assistant
Sure, here's a poem in the style of Madame de (Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne) La Fayette:
  To the Memory of those faithful brown
slave-men of the plantations throughout the
South, Daddy's contemporaries all, who during
the war while their masters were away fighting
in a cause opposed to their emancipation,
brought their blankets and slept outside their
mistresses' doors, thus keeping night-watch
over otherwise unprotected women and children--a
faithful guardianship of which the
annals of those troublous times record no
instance of betrayal.
Even so late as this year of grace, a full half century after
"emancipation," there are still to be found on many of the larger
But Daddy's place among the gentle Knights and Ladies of the
As an example of his rambling talk, much of which seems at least
semivagarious on transcription, I recall one of his meandering
But more than as philosopher, satirist or seer was the old man
But Daddy's moralizing, besides its saving grace of imagery, was
And then he added with a mischievous smile:
"You-all smarty undergrowth, you ain't chawed life yit. You jes
'speramintin' wid yo' milk-toofs.
But perhaps we cannot get nearer the soul of the old man than by
recalling a conversation which occurred during an invasion of the
Obviously, the children began it:
"Ol' Daddy Do-funny,
How do you come on?"
"Po'ly, thank Gord, honey,
Po'ly dis morn.
My ol' spine it's sort o' stiff,
An' my arms dey 'fuze to lif'.
An' de miz'ry 's in my breas',
An' I got some heart-distress.
An' de growin' pains dey lingers,
In my knee-j'ints an' my fingers,
But I'm well, praise Gord, dis mornin'."
"Ol' Daddy Do-funny,
What cuyus talk!
How is you well, when you
Can't even walk?"
"Hush, you foolish chillen, hush!
What's dat singin' in de brush?
Ain't dat yonder blue de sky?
Feel de cool breeze passin' by!
Dis ol' painful back an' knee,
Laws-a-mussy, _dey ain't me!
I'm well, praise Gord, dis mornin'!_"
Daddy's Weather Prayer
Dat's De Way My Lady'll Do
One asks for sun, an' one for rain,
An' sometimes bofe together;
I prays for sunshine in my heart,
An' den forgits de weather.
Ef de hoa'se ol' rooster wouldn't crow so loud
He mought pass for yo'ng in de barn-yard crowd;
But he strives so hard an' he steps so spry
Dat de pullets all winks whilst he marches by.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Sis' Butterfly aimed to work all right,
But 'er wings dey was heavy, an' 'er head too light;
So she riz in de air, 'ca'ze she see she was made
Jes' to fly in de sun in de beauty parade.
An' she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat--
An' she ain't by 'erself in dat.
She's a citizen-bird, Sis little brown Wren,
She nests in de spring an' de fall again;
"Race suicide" talk nuver fazes her,
'Ca'ze she's good for 'er ten little wrens a year.
An' she ain't by 'erself, my ladies, in dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
Oh, Watermilion sho' is good to eat!
But de darkie rates it twice-t mo' sweet,
'Ca'ze it's ap' to b'long to de yether man,
An' it's mighty hard to lif' by sleight o' han'.
An' it ain't by itself, made sweet like dat--
No, it ain't by itself like dat.
De green gou'd on de sunny shed
Was mighty proud of his pethy head,
So he nuver pondered or studied or trained,
An' now he's ol' an' rattle-brained.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Jedge Owl 's so pompious on 'is limb,
You'd s'pose dey was nobody roun' but him;
He's afeard ef he was too polite
You'd ax 'im whar he spent de night.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Wid so much Christian blood in 'is veins,
You'd think Br'er 'Skitty would take some pains
To love 'is neighbor an' show good will,
But he's p'izenin' an' back-bitin' still.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Dat whale wha' gulped Br'er Jonah down
Was bleeged to swim close-t to de groun'
Ontel he riz up an' confessed
He'd swallered mo' 'n he could digest.
But you ain't by yo'self, Br'er Whale, in dat--
No, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Dey's some things square an' some things round,
An' little game cocks ain't sol' by de pound;
Dey's weighed by sand an' pluck an' grit
An' de number o' dead dey leave in de pit.
An' dey ain't by deyselves in rank like dat--
No, dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Ef you keep yo' eyes on Br'er Carrion Crow,
You'll wonder huccome he kin carry on so!
He flies in high circles an' chooses meat
Dat no honest workin'-man would eat.
An' he ain't no new high-flyer in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Ef you quiz Br'er Mule, you'll find dat he
Gits mixed on de subjec' of 'is fam'ly tree;
He'll brag about 'is mammy with a noble neigh,
An' deny 'is own daddy wid a ginuine bray.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Grubworm wrops 'isself in twine
An' swings in 'is shroud on a evergreen vine,
Becaze it's mortal death dat brings
His on'iest chance to git 'is wings.
But you ain't by yo'self, Br'er Worm, in dat--
Oh, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Ol' Mingo, on 'is knees, he say:
Else riconcile two kinds o' weather
For craps an' rheumatiz together!"
But you ain't by yo'self, ol' man, in dat--
Oh, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Little green tree-toad on banana leaf,
Plenty po' relations all aroun' 'im in de bog;
Dan to hold a conversation wid a "low-life" frog!
But he ain't no lonesome toady in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Dey say dem Sparrers come crost de seas
To eat our surplus grubs an' fleas;
But dey's whupped our birds off'n dis plantation,
Tell we craves to constric' dey immigration.
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat--
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Wid dem suctious foots, seem lak Br'er Fly
Mought draw down health ef he trod de sky;
But he's so onpartic'lar whar he roams
Dat he's got 'isself screened out o' quality homes.
An' he ain't by 'isself outcas' like dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Little yaller fluff-ball, one day out,
Steps mighty high while he picks all about;
Never sees de egg-shell layin' in 'is track,
Much less the little piece stickin' on 'is back.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Scare-crow's built to suit 'is job
Wid flappin' legs an' arms dat bob;
He ain't got brains for discontent
So he works widout no argument.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Dey's a sweet plantation, yaller-buff rose
Dat in my ricollection grows;
In my ol' dreams she seems to wait
Whar she stood an' bloomed by de love-vine gate
An' I ain't by myself in dreams like dat--
No, I ain't by myself in dat.
Sis' Twis'-horn Brindle is a bothersome cow,
She's boun' to raise a ruction an' she don't keer how;
She craves to be de bell-cow an' lead off wid a clang,
So it's all a man kin do to make 'er gallup wid de gang.
An' she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat--
An' she ain't by 'erself in dat.
De sugar-cane stands so proud an' smart,
You'd nuver suspicion it sweet at de heart,
But to prove its sweets it yields its will
To be tried by fire an' ground in de mill.
An' it ain't by itself in dat, in dat--
No, it ain't by itself in dat.
Sence he los' 'is brains to git 'is smile,
Brer Jack-o-lantern grins lak a wilderin' chile
Widout no secrets out or in;
An' de lighter in de head de broader 'is grin
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Look out for Mr. Po'-trash Flea!
Ef you let 'im come in, he'll make too free;
He'll chase yo' dog till he makes 'im pant,
An' he'll take yo' skin for a restaurant.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Ef de Wul o' de Wust would cuss an' swear
An' take some shape, an' rip an' tear,
Like de changeable expression of a mystery shine.
An' it ain't by its ghostly self in dat--
No, it ain't by itself in dat.
De blind mole tunnels straight ahead,
An' he gits whar he gwine wid a trustful tread,
But he nuver is yit got nowhar else,
An' he'll nuver view de skies whar glory melts.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
You'll sometimes trace de loudes' grunt
In de horg-lot down to de littles' runt,
Lak as ef he'd 'nounce whilst he gulps 'is swill,
"A pompious horg is as big as 'is will."
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
De organ plays an' Br'er Monkey struts,
An' he takes high pride in de capers he cuts,
While folks draps picayunes into 'is han'
For fallin' so short o' bein' a man.
An' he ain't by 'isself, misled like dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Dat three-name chicken wid de feathery legs
Wha' 'merged f'om de ten dollar settin' of eggs,
Is a lonesome bird an' I s'picion he frets
'Ca'ze he can't outgrow dem pantalettes.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Crawfish th'ows a racklass bluff,
An' he sho do look like fightin' stuff;
But turn 'im loose on a battle-groun',
An' he'll bow 'isself out, an' nuver turn roun'.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
"I could stand de hook," says de angleworm,
"An' a lily-brook wouldn't make me squirm,
But I can't help wrigglin' ag'in' my fate;
It breaks me all up to be used for bait."
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Wid 'is nest in de flue whar de suctions blow,
Storms due above an' fire below,
No wonder Br'er Swaller sags an' sways
Like a pusson ableeged to dodge bofe ways.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Little picaninnies, fishin' in de doodle-bug holes.
Wid a "spit for luck," an' straws for poles,
Show pyore delight in de fisherman's aim
All disp'opo'tioned to de game.
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat--
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Sis' Porcupine, wid 'er bristles all set
In a pompado' style, is waitin' yet,
An' she can't understan', whilst she puckers 'er mug,
De sca'city o' kisses an' de absent hug.
But she ain't by 'er lonesome self in dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
Dem Ants is sho' got savin' ways
An' even de Scripture 'lows 'em praise;
But dey hoa'ds for deyselves f'om day to day
An' dey stings any man wha' gits in de way.
An' dey ain't no new co'poration in dat--
No, dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Sis' Tin-cage Polly wid de roamin' nose
Dat roams f'om 'er eyes tel it p'ints to 'er toes,
She keeps up a ratlin' talkin' pace
To turn off attention f'om de shape of 'er face.
An' you ain't by yo'self, Sis' Polly, in dat--
No, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Br'er Rattle-snake rattles befo' he springs,
But he warns too late to 'scape 'is stings;
His high-class manners don't count for much
'Ca'ze dey grafted on to a sarpent's touch.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Is you little gals, growin' into women,
Ever tasted a snappy young persimmin?
It takes a hard frost to make it sweet,
An' it's ol' an' swiveled 'fo' it's fit to eat!
But it ain't by itself, sharp chillen, in dat--
No, it ain't by itself in dat.
Dat flee-bitten mule an' my bay mare
In de hay-wagon, sho is a mixtious pair;
But dey's pulled so long th'ough wind an' weather
Dat out in de field dey graze together.
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat--
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
De little yaller cage-bird preems 'is wings
An' he mounts 'is pyerch an' sings an' sings;
He feels 'is cage, but I s'pec' he 'low
To take what comes an' sing _anyhow_!
An' you ain't by yo'self, little bird, in dat--
No, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Br'er Pole-cat's got a s'ciety smile
An' he sho is dressed in scrumptious style,
But he keeps 'is own hat off de quality rack
By de scan'lous way he answers back.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
It ain't how many eyes you got,
'Les' needles could see an' potatoes, too;
An' "hookin' a' eye," as like as not,
Would be classed as a sin dat no lady'd do.
But it's keepin' yo' eyes turned to'des de right,
An' to'des de wrong jes' shettin' 'em tight--
Lookin' out for ways to be polite--
Dat's de way my lady'd do!
It ain't how many ears you got
Dat makes you listen an' learn an' do;
Else a hill o' corn in a garden plot
Would be 'way ahead o' me an' you;
But it's shettin' yo' ears to heartless speech,
An' listenin' whilst de teachers teach,
An' strivin' to practise mo' 'n to preach--
Dat's de way my lady'll do!
It ain't how many tongues you got,
'Les' shoes would talk an' wagons, too;
An' all de bells would gabble a lot,
An' tattle an' brag de long day th'ough;
But it's gyardin' yo' tongue f'om talk dat's wrong,
An' passin' a helpful word along,
An' maybe singin' a hopeful song--
Dat's de way my lady'll do!
Said de mammy alligator, wid a motherly grin:
"I nuver liked babies wid dey dimples tucked in,
But our little pet, wid its horny hide,
Like its mammy's an' its daddy's, is de fam'ly pride."
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat--
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Sis' Mush A. Roon sprung up over night
An' to name whar she sprung f'om ain't polite;
But she spreads 'erself wuss'n me or you,
An' wid on'y one foot to stan' on, too.
An she ain't by er new-come self in dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
Cunnin' little donkey-baby--
"Ye-haw! Ye-haw!" What a funny laugh!
Soun' jes like a creaky, cranky
Seesaw--seesaw!
Wasn't nothin' funny roun' dat
We saw--we saw!
'Tel we glimpsed de stagger-gait dat
He saw--he saw!
Brindle strikin' swagger-gait when
She saw--she saw--_her wibbly wabbly calf_!
Den we j'ined wid Mister Donkey,
"He-haw! He-haw!" How we-all did laugh!
But we laughed at some'h'n' mo' dan
He saw--he saw!
Donkey couldn't see de ears dat
We saw--we saw!
Rabbit lopin' down de road, we
Three saw--three saw!
Wagged his ears an' called him daddy!
"Haw-haw! Haw-haw!" How dat--who dat laugh?
An' de last to see de joke was _wibbly wabbly calf_!
Ol' Gobbly struts aroun' de stable
An' th'ows out hints o' de rich man's table,
An' he h'ists his tail an' spreads it wide,
To display his cuyus graveyard pride.
But he ain't by 'isself in pride like dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
When de cabbage got ambitiom, in a uppish hour
An' lost 'is head an' bu'st into flower
Wid 'is brains outside, an addled, at dat--
He sot 'isself up for a 'ristocrat.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Sis' Dominick follers her brood o' ducks
To de bayou's edge, an' she clucks an' clucks:
'Dis stepmammy job, oh me, oh me!
Ain't all dat it's quacked up to be!"
But she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat--
But she ain't by 'erself in dat.
Ol' Br'er Frog ain't much to sing,
But he clairs a log in a single spring,
An' jedgin' 'im by his bigoty ways,
He's clean forgot 'is tadpole days!
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Rat in de corn-bin over-fed
An' under-worked, an' now he's dead;
He craved to live lak a bloated chief,
An' now he ain't nothin' but a ol' dead thief.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er mockin'-bird sings in de live-oak shade,
A secon'-hand chant or a serenade;
He'll take off a pa'tridge, a robin, or a jay,
But he'd nuver make a name no other way.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Dey's many a musharoon good to de tas'e
An' rich for de table, dat goes to was'e
'Ca'ze folks don't dast to gether it in
For de way it favors its dung-hill kin.
An' it ain't by itself condemned like dat--
No, it ain't by itself in dat
When Br'er Measurin'-worm strikes out so brave,
Makin' tend he kin measure you for yo grave,
Wid all 'is stride an' all 'is stren'th
He can't measure mo'n 'is own little len'th.
An' he ain't by 'isself made cheap like dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself like dat.
Hit's a proper pride in Sis' Top-knot's breast
Dat makes 'er step to march 'er crest;
Yit jalousy follers 'er 'roun' de shed
On de count o' dat innercent tufted head.
An' she ain't by 'erself pursued lak dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
De cantelope gits mighty bilious
F'om runnin' wid punkins too familias,
So it's banished out for its sociable sin
Along wid its yaller kitchen kin.
An' it ain't by itself in dat, in dat--
An' it ain't by itself in dat.
Br'er 'Possum makes pertend he's dead
Whilst shots goes whizzin' over 'is head.
But time de hounds is out o' sight,
He's up an' "hongry for a fight!"
An' he ain't by 'isself in a bluff like dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
In de dark o' de moon, like night-owls do,
De chillen, a-beggin' to play out late,
Come tumblin' back into Daddy's gate.
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat--
No, dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
De camelia-lizard is a turn-coat man,
An' he borries his colors where dey's "room to stan'";
He mought keep solid as a county candidate,
But you couldn't sca'cely find 'im on a map o' de State.
But he ain't by 'isself lost out, like dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Whilst she eats de groun' f'om onder 'er feet,
Sis' Caterpillar's weavin' 'er windin'-sheet;
But 'er red eyes shine an' 'er grass-green-hair,
An' 'er short life's bright, so she don't care.
An' she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat--
An' she ain't by 'erself in dat.
Ol' Dr. Drake wid 'is college waddle
An' Latin inscriptioms on 'is noddle,
Would part wid 'is gait an' 'is shimmerin' back
To perscribe a _crowin'-powder_ an' nuver say "Quack!"
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Peacock 'lows he's a 'ristocrat,
Wid mighty fine clo'es, an' vain at dat;
He'll answer yo' glance wid col' surprise
An' look you over wid a thousan' eyes!
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Alligator kin grin a mile,
But dey ain't no inducemint in his smile;
Whilst he ain't no race-horse, yit dey say
A little alligator goes a mighty long way.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Tarrapin draws in 'is head so knowin',
You can't tell whether he's comin' or goin',
But _his_ mind ain't mixed--he's layin' low
Tel he sees which way he's obleeged to go.
An' he ain't no new politician in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
De dandelion flower blooms out so young
Wid a look in its face like a sassy tongue,
Den it grows light-headed wid self-conceit
Wid a flighty ol' age, for full defeat.
An' it ain't by itself, pert chillen, in dat--
No, it ain't by itself in dat.
"Life's give an' take," Sis' Cow, she laugh.
So I gives my milk an' dey takes my calf."
An' when contentment's hard to fin',
She chaws 'er cud to ease 'er min'.
And you ain't by yo'self, Sis' Cow, in dat--
No, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Br'er Donkey, drinkin' at de brook,
Surveys hisself wid offish look,
An' 'low: "You Jackass makes too free!
Huccome you dast to drink wid me!"
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
Oh, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
De purty yaller goslin's say:
"Oh, what--oh, what's de use!
When Mama say, 'Come, walk dis way
An' ac' jes like a goose!'
Oh, what's de use--oh, what's de use?
I's boun' to grow a noddle,
Like every goosey, goosey, goose,
An' waddle, waddle, waddle!
"But Mama say: 'Don't talk dat way!
Come, waddle like a mild goose,
F'om side to side, wid proper pride--
Not like a woodsy wild goose!
Dey's plenty use--dey's plenty use!
Come, git yo' education!
See how to waddle an' tote yo' noddle
Accordin' to yo' station!'"
De little white chicken dat's petted too much
Gits stunted in growth f'om de sp'ilin' touch.
An' she'll nuver make a hen so brave an' good
As ef she went a-pickin', an' worked wid de brood.
An' she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
Sis' Guinea, in proud week-day clo'es
Forgits how she was hatched outdo's;
Wid 'er red boot chicks, she cuts a dash,
An' calls 'er neighbors "_Po' trash! Po' trash!_"
But she ain't by 'erself in dat--
But she ain't by 'erself in dat.
Dey say Sis' Moon daresn't shine at night
Cep'n by Marse Sun's allowance o' light,
An' whilst he's away whar de yether moons are
She don't even dast to wink at a star.
An' she ain't de onies' wife like dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
De Hen-roost Man he'll preach about Paul,
An' James an' John, an' Herod, an' all,
But nuver a word about Peter, oh, no!
He's afeard he'll hear dat rooster crow.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Dat little yaller pup 's got so many lickin's
For pesterin' all de ducks an' chickens,
Dat whenever he hears any barn-yard strife,
He looks over his shoulder an' runs for 's life.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Bat flaps out in de gloomin' dark,
An' even ef he's boun' for a harmless lark,
He favors de devil an' he keeps sech hours
Dat he seems in cahoot wid de evil powers.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Dem inkybator chickens dat's hatched by de clock,
Wid a lamp for love, is lonesome stock;
Dey feeds in droves, but dey envies de others
Dat scratches for grubs wid any ol' mothers.
An' dey ain't by deyselves, po' orphans, in dat--
No, dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Br'er Lightnin'-bug is a gay yo'ng spark,
But he nuver is yit put out de dark;
He shines for 'isself in 'is zigzag flight,
An' he's middlin' sho he's de sou'ce of light.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
De thistle-stalk sends up a noble bloom
Wid de shape of a flower an' de thought of a plume,
But its prickle-y ways turn friendship down;
So it stands all alone, in its velvet gown.
An' it ain't by its lonesome self in dat--
No, it ain't by itself in dat.
De gray squir'l lives a nachel life,
Wid friends an' foes an' chillen an' wife;
But whenever he gits his picture took,
He snatches dat nut, to appear in de book.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Look out for Mister Bee in de punkin-flower!
Plenty gallinippers in de grass!
Mighty close tie 'twix' wings an' stings
Better let de honey-bee pass!
Better let de honey-bee pass!
White-face bumblebee--white folks' ways--
Never give a sassy answer back!
But don't you trus' de black-face, no matter what he says!
When Sis' Rose th'ows open her heart _too proud_,
She blooms mighty brief in Beauty's crowd;
'Ca'ze the rains beat in an' de bees make free
'Tel de heart o' de rose is sad to see.
An' you ain't by yo'self, Sis' Rose, in dat--
No, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Dey say Sis' Ingine's fiercest scream
Don't mean nothin' but lettin' off steam,
But wid so much wrackage behin' 'er back,
Seem like she say: "Git out o' my track!"
An' she ain't by 'erself, old Mis, in dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
No matter how much she strive to 'spire,
Sis' Nannie Goat's measured 'g'inst some'h'n' higher;
"First cousin to a sheep" an' "de po' man's cow,"
Is hol'-down luck, come when, come how.
An' she ain't by 'erself helt down like dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
De fig dat's "sweet enough to eat"
Is _sweet enough_, but _not too sweet_;
But de honey-lip fig in de blazin' light
Is a battle-ground whar de varmints fight.
An' it ain't by itself in dat, in dat--
An' it ain't by itself in dat.
Dat frizzledy chicken, he steps so spry,
An' he totes 'is head so pompious high,
Like as ef he tries, wharever he goes,
To rise above dem rough-dried clo'es.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Oh, I used to sing a song,
An' dey said it was too long,
So I cut it off de en'
To accommodate a frien'
To accommodate a frien' nex' do'.
But it made de matter wuss
Dan it had been at de fus,
'Ca'ze de en' was gone, an' den
Co'se it didn't have no en'
Oh, it didn't have no en' any mo'!
So, to save my frien' from sinnin',
I cut off de song's beginnin';
Still he cusses right along
Whilst I sings _about_ my song
Jes so, jes so--
Whilst I sings _about_ my song _jes so_.
How to please 'im is my riddle,
So I'll fall back on my fiddle;
For I'd stan' myself on en'
To accommodate a frien'
To accommodate a frien' nex' do'.
But maybe he ain't so much to blame;
He couldn't squirm out ef he nuver ventured in,
An' he resks his all when he resks his skin.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Rain-crow sho kin prophesy,
Caze he reads his wisdom f'om de page on high;
His mind ain't clogged wid secon'-hand facts,
But de moon an' de skies is his almanacs.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Gy-raffe don't make no pertense
O' not seein' over 'is neighbor's fence,
An' ef he'd listen close-t, I 'spec'
He'd hear somebody say: "Rubber-neck!!!"
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
De black sheep says, "Oh, what's de use
To shun de mire an' de muddy sluice?
For whether I walks for praise or blame,
Dey'll call me 'black sheep,' jes de same!"
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Dat Berkshire horg in de blue ribbon pen
Come home wid de heavy-weight prize again;
He looks mighty pompious in 'is stall,
But he's on'y a fat horg, after all.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
I can't talk dog an' he can't talk man,
Yit Rover an' me, we onderstan';
I wag my tongue an' he wags 'is tail,
An' Love explains whar grammars fail.
An' we ain't by ourselves in dat, in dat--
No, we ain't by ourselves in dat.
 The guinea-fowl strays away from home and makes her nest in the
 The white-faced bee does not sting.