 | The tar-baby and other rhymes of Uncle Remus |  |
73
WHY THE FROG HAS NO TAIL
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Now, honey, you lissen, an' keep right still,
An' I'll tell you 'bout de Frog what live nigh de mill:
He stayed in de pon' when he wa'n't on de bank,
An' hot days he stayed whar de grass wuz rank;
He liked col' water, an' he liked de sun;
He wuz marked like a clown, an' full er fun—
When he stood up he sot, an' he hopped when he run.
Day in an' day out he wuz much de same—
Brer Bull-Frog dey named him, an' he answer ter der name.
An' I'll tell you 'bout de Frog what live nigh de mill:
He stayed in de pon' when he wa'n't on de bank,
An' hot days he stayed whar de grass wuz rank;
He liked col' water, an' he liked de sun;
He wuz marked like a clown, an' full er fun—
When he stood up he sot, an' he hopped when he run.
Day in an' day out he wuz much de same—
Brer Bull-Frog dey named him, an' he answer ter der name.
Pop-eyed he wuz, wid no ha'r on his head,
An' dey wa'n't no tellin' when he went ter bed,
Kaze he'd watch all day an' beller all night,
An' de creeturs all say dat dat wa'n't right;
An' mo' dan dat, dey say 'twuz a shame
Dat any kinder creetur shill ruin his name.
Brer Bull-Frog say, “Come along! Oh, come!
I ain't got nothin' but a jug er rum—
Jug-er-rum! Jug-er-rum! I'll gi' you some!”
An' dey wa'n't no tellin' when he went ter bed,
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An' de creeturs all say dat dat wa'n't right;
An' mo' dan dat, dey say 'twuz a shame
Dat any kinder creetur shill ruin his name.
Brer Bull-Frog say, “Come along! Oh, come!
I ain't got nothin' but a jug er rum—
Jug-er-rum! Jug-er-rum! I'll gi' you some!”
De creeturs dey say, “It's wuss an' wuss,
An' de fust news you know, he'll up an' cuss,
Er he'll git so mad dat he'll swell up an' bus'.”
Brer Rabbit he hear 'bout de jug er rum,
An' he smack his mouf wid a Nyum-nyum-nyum!
An' he study an' study how he'll git 'im a dram,
An' bimeby he went on de ol' mill-dam;
De water look so col' it make him shiver—
Bull-Frog say, “'Tain't col' ez de river.”
An' de fust news you know, he'll up an' cuss,
Er he'll git so mad dat he'll swell up an' bus'.”
Brer Rabbit he hear 'bout de jug er rum,
An' he smack his mouf wid a Nyum-nyum-nyum!
An' he study an' study how he'll git 'im a dram,
An' bimeby he went on de ol' mill-dam;
De water look so col' it make him shiver—
Bull-Frog say, “'Tain't col' ez de river.”
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De water lap-lap!—Brer Rabbit's skin creep—
Brer Bull-Frog beller, “Knee-deep! Knee-deep!”
Brer Rabbit jump in—ker-splish, ker-splash!
An' it like ter 'a' been de las' er his hash;
He fotch a snort, an' he fotch a sneeze,
It made 'im cough, an' it made 'im wheeze—
He allers strangle when it's deeper dan his knees.
Brer Rabbit put out, an' put out faster,
An' de Frog he laugh like a bull in de pastur'.
Brer Bull-Frog beller, “Knee-deep! Knee-deep!”
Brer Rabbit jump in—ker-splish, ker-splash!
An' it like ter 'a' been de las' er his hash;
He fotch a snort, an' he fotch a sneeze,
It made 'im cough, an' it made 'im wheeze—
He allers strangle when it's deeper dan his knees.
Brer Rabbit put out, an' put out faster,
An' de Frog he laugh like a bull in de pastur'.
Atter dat, Brer Rabbit he watch an' wait,
He riz mighty soon, an' he went ter bed late;
He watch by de poplar, an' by de mill-gate.
Dar wuz times when he'd laugh, an' times when he'd grin—
He wuz fixin' fer ter take dat Bull-Frog in.
Well, time flickered on, an' Brer Bull-Frog
'Gun ter think 'bout gwine fum de pon' ter de bog;
He wash his neck, an' wipe his feet,
So de gals would think he wuz mighty sweet.
He riz mighty soon, an' he went ter bed late;
He watch by de poplar, an' by de mill-gate.
Dar wuz times when he'd laugh, an' times when he'd grin—
He wuz fixin' fer ter take dat Bull-Frog in.
Well, time flickered on, an' Brer Bull-Frog
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He wash his neck, an' wipe his feet,
So de gals would think he wuz mighty sweet.
An' when he come out—Mon, he wuz drest!
A long green coat an' a white silk vest,
Britches fer ter match, an' shoes wid buckles,
An' a green umbrell' fer ter keep off de freckles,
An' a little cocked hat, full er green an' white speckles.
'Twuz a right smart piece fum de pon' ter de river,
So he done up his tail in de umbrell' kivver—
Ah-yi! dat's sump'n dat don't seem ter strike you:
Well, laugh on, honey, an' make folks like you!
A long green coat an' a white silk vest,
Britches fer ter match, an' shoes wid buckles,
An' a green umbrell' fer ter keep off de freckles,
An' a little cocked hat, full er green an' white speckles.
'Twuz a right smart piece fum de pon' ter de river,
So he done up his tail in de umbrell' kivver—
Ah-yi! dat's sump'n dat don't seem ter strike you:
Well, laugh on, honey, an' make folks like you!
Brer Rabbit see 'im comin', an' des fer fun
Made like he skeered, an' broke an' run—
Brer Bull-Frog bellered, “Whar my gun?”
An' hopped on atter ez hard ez he kin,
An' Brer Rabbit try hard fer ter hide a grin;
He led Brer Frog ter a holler tree,
An' in he went wid “You can't git me!”
An' out he popped on de yuther side,
Whiles de Frog hop in wid his umbrell' wide.
Made like he skeered, an' broke an' run—
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An' hopped on atter ez hard ez he kin,
An' Brer Rabbit try hard fer ter hide a grin;
He led Brer Frog ter a holler tree,
An' in he went wid “You can't git me!”
An' out he popped on de yuther side,
Whiles de Frog hop in wid his umbrell' wide.
De Frog holler out, “I dar' you ter come!”
An' he talk des like he wuz in a bass-drum;
Now, ol' smarty Rabbit had done brung his ax,
An' he hit de holler some right hard whacks—
I ain't tellin' nothin' but de natchul facts.
De Frog git skeered at so much maulin',
Kaze he thunk dat bimeby de tree'd be a-fallin';
Brer Rabbit wuz dar, an' when de Frog move
He chop his tail off smick-smack-smoove!
An' he talk des like he wuz in a bass-drum;
Now, ol' smarty Rabbit had done brung his ax,
An' he hit de holler some right hard whacks—
I ain't tellin' nothin' but de natchul facts.
De Frog git skeered at so much maulin',
Kaze he thunk dat bimeby de tree'd be a-fallin';
Brer Rabbit wuz dar, an' when de Frog move
He chop his tail off smick-smack-smoove!
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De Frog fotch a beller, an' make fer de river,
He lef' his tail an' de umbrell' kivver—
He lef' um dar, right on de groun',
An' de tail it wiggle twel de sun went down!
He lef' his tail an' de umbrell' kivver—
He lef' um dar, right on de groun',
An' de tail it wiggle twel de sun went down!
| The tar-baby and other rhymes of Uncle Remus | |