 | The tar-baby and other rhymes of Uncle Remus |  |
39
HOW BRER TARRYPIN LEARNED TO FLY
41
Brer Tarrypin tired er prom'nadin' roun',
An' he lay in de sun right flat on de groun';
His foots wuz col', an' his eyes wuz red,
An' it look like sump'n done bunged up his head;
But he watch Brer Buzzard a-sailin' in de sky,
An' he wisht fum his heart dat he could fly—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
An' he lay in de sun right flat on de groun';
His foots wuz col', an' his eyes wuz red,
An' it look like sump'n done bunged up his head;
But he watch Brer Buzzard a-sailin' in de sky,
An' he wisht fum his heart dat he could fly—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
He frown an' he grunt, he grunt an' he groan,
He sniffle an' snuffle, he wheeze an' he moan;
He drapt a big tear in de acorn-cup,
An' de bug dat run out, he gobble 'im up;
Brer Buzzard flew'd, an' he flew'd mighty high,
He flop his wings an' he wink his eye—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
He sniffle an' snuffle, he wheeze an' he moan;
He drapt a big tear in de acorn-cup,
An' de bug dat run out, he gobble 'im up;
Brer Buzzard flew'd, an' he flew'd mighty high,
42
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
He see Brer Tarrypin layin' flat,
An' he chuckle ter hisse'f, “Oh-ho! look at dat!
It's a mighty funny place fer ter make a bed,
An' he may be sick, an' he may be dead!”
So he drap down slow, an' he drap down sly,
But Tarrypin watchin' wid his red eye—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
An' he chuckle ter hisse'f, “Oh-ho! look at dat!
It's a mighty funny place fer ter make a bed,
An' he may be sick, an' he may be dead!”
So he drap down slow, an' he drap down sly,
But Tarrypin watchin' wid his red eye—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Buzzard he lit a little up de slope,
An' hit de gait call de buzzard-lope,
An' den Brer Tarrypin tuck in his head
An' lay des like he done gone ter bed.
Brer Buzzard he holler, “Hey! hi-hi!”
An' Tarrypin 'spon', “Ah-yi! ah-yi!”
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
An' hit de gait call de buzzard-lope,
An' den Brer Tarrypin tuck in his head
An' lay des like he done gone ter bed.
Brer Buzzard he holler, “Hey! hi-hi!”
An' Tarrypin 'spon', “Ah-yi! ah-yi!”
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
43
“You keep yo'se'f shot up in yo' shell,”
Brer Buzzard 'low, “but I hope you er well?”
Brer Tarrypin say he feelin' ez smart
Ez what a man kin wid a swelled-up heart,
An' a liver all blue, an' a blood-red eye;
An' he moaned an' groaned, an' he cried, “Oh, my!”
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Brer Buzzard 'low, “but I hope you er well?”
Brer Tarrypin say he feelin' ez smart
Ez what a man kin wid a swelled-up heart,
An' a liver all blue, an' a blood-red eye;
An' he moaned an' groaned, an' he cried, “Oh, my!”
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
“Better git de doctor!” Brer Buzzard says;
“He'll kyo you, sho, ef dey's any way.”
“I done been saw 'im,” Brer Tarrypin 'low,
“An' he up an' tol' me dat my onliest how
Is to fin' somebody dat'll tote me high
An' turn me loose so I'll l'arn how ter fly”—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
“He'll kyo you, sho, ef dey's any way.”
“I done been saw 'im,” Brer Tarrypin 'low,
“An' he up an' tol' me dat my onliest how
Is to fin' somebody dat'll tote me high
An' turn me loose so I'll l'arn how ter fly”—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Brer Buzzard he say, “Why, bless you, chile!
You kin count on me!” an' he smole a smile.
“When it comes ter heft you er right smart chunk,
But I speck I kin tote you”—an' den he wunk.
“I'll tote you low, an' I'll tote you high;
I'll tote you past, an' I'll tote you by”—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
You kin count on me!” an' he smole a smile.
44
But I speck I kin tote you”—an' den he wunk.
“I'll tote you low, an' I'll tote you high;
I'll tote you past, an' I'll tote you by”—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
He ruffle his fedders, an' he flop his wings,
Wid “Dis is de trouble dat frien'ship brings;
But I'll take it all an' ax fer mo',
Ef so be I kin git you ter go.”
Brer Tarrypin study, an' look at de sky,
Kaze his heart wuz sot on l'arnin' ter fly—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Wid “Dis is de trouble dat frien'ship brings;
But I'll take it all an' ax fer mo',
Ef so be I kin git you ter go.”
Brer Tarrypin study, an' look at de sky,
Kaze his heart wuz sot on l'arnin' ter fly—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Down on his hunkers Brer Buzzard squot,
An' on his back Brer Tarrypin got;
'Twuz slip an' fall, but he got on,
An' de nex' news you know dey bofe wuz gone!
A-sailin' low, an' a-sailin' high,
A-sailin' fur, an' a-sailin' nigh—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
An' on his back Brer Tarrypin got;
'Twuz slip an' fall, but he got on,
45
A-sailin' low, an' a-sailin' high,
A-sailin' fur, an' a-sailin' nigh—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
“Now, how shill I l'arn?” Brer Tarrypin say.
Brer Buzzard 'spon', “I'll show you de way.
I'm a-flyin' high, but I'll start down,
Den you turn loose an' sail all roun'.”
Brer Tarrypin say—an' he shot his eye—
“Ef we go much higher we'll 'sturb de sky!”
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Brer Buzzard 'spon', “I'll show you de way.
I'm a-flyin' high, but I'll start down,
Den you turn loose an' sail all roun'.”
Brer Tarrypin say—an' he shot his eye—
“Ef we go much higher we'll 'sturb de sky!”
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Tarrypin turn loose an' down he come,
Wid a blip an' a blap an' a blim-blam-blum!
He come wid a squeal, he come wid a squall—
Dey ain't nobody y'ever had sech a fall!
An' a mighty good reason: he wuz up so high
Dat when he hit de groun' he wuz dead, mighty nigh—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Wid a blip an' a blap an' a blim-blam-blum!
He come wid a squeal, he come wid a squall—
Dey ain't nobody y'ever had sech a fall!
46
Dat when he hit de groun' he wuz dead, mighty nigh—
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Buzzard he foller fer ter see it done well,
Wid “La, ol' frien'! it seem like you fell!
An' all you hatter do wuz ter flop yo' wings!”
Tarrypin groan; he say, “By jings!
I know one thing, an' dat ain't two—
I know one thing wid my fil-a-mo-loo!
I know one thing, an' I know it right—
I know how ter fly, but I dunner how ter light!
Sump'n n'er tol' me ez I sail in de sky,
‘L'arn how ter light 'fo' you l'arn how ter fly!’”
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
Wid “La, ol' frien'! it seem like you fell!
An' all you hatter do wuz ter flop yo' wings!”
Tarrypin groan; he say, “By jings!
I know one thing, an' dat ain't two—
I know one thing wid my fil-a-mo-loo!
I know one thing, an' I know it right—
I know how ter fly, but I dunner how ter light!
Sump'n n'er tol' me ez I sail in de sky,
‘L'arn how ter light 'fo' you l'arn how ter fly!’”
Fil-a-ma-looner-leener! fil-a-ma-leener-li!
| The tar-baby and other rhymes of Uncle Remus | |