 | A Dream |  |
140
NOT 'CAUSE HE TOLE DE TRUF.
From Eugene's Story.
An old man said to son, one night,
“A watermelyon let us fine',”
Across de fields not far from here,
Days riply growin on de bine.
“A watermelyon let us fine',”
Across de fields not far from here,
Days riply growin on de bine.
And when the father plucked one off,
It caused a watering of the mouth;
It made them sigh, it beat corn-bread,
It took them back away down south.
It caused a watering of the mouth;
It made them sigh, it beat corn-bread,
It took them back away down south.
Then homeward went they, on their way
A-talking of the thing so good,
They smiled, and laughed, and talked of it,
And put it in the coolest place they could.
A-talking of the thing so good,
They smiled, and laughed, and talked of it,
And put it in the coolest place they could.
“Now, den,” the father said to son,
“We'll let dat watermelyon cool;
We'll hab a feast when dat gets right.
Den, now, we'll sing, yo' take dat stool.”
“We'll let dat watermelyon cool;
We'll hab a feast when dat gets right.
Den, now, we'll sing, yo' take dat stool.”
141
They sang long songs, and stories told,
And then the father said to son
“Now, here, my boy, am story ole,
It am of him, George Washington.
And then the father said to son
“Now, here, my boy, am story ole,
It am of him, George Washington.
“De man who nebber tole a lie.
When he was young, a boy of five,
He gets a little hatched sharp,
An' at a cherry tree did stribe.
When he was young, a boy of five,
He gets a little hatched sharp,
An' at a cherry tree did stribe.
“At last he downed dat little tree.
All o'er de groun' de chips did fly.
‘Did you, my George?’ his father asked,
‘I did, I cannot tole a lie.’
All o'er de groun' de chips did fly.
‘Did you, my George?’ his father asked,
‘I did, I cannot tole a lie.’
“Now, den, my son, remember dat
An' all us tell de truf, my boy,
'Twill sabe yo' lots of trials,
An make de worst' all full of joy.
An' all us tell de truf, my boy,
'Twill sabe yo' lots of trials,
An make de worst' all full of joy.
And then the two went forth to bed,
The father went soon sound asleep;
The boy with only covered head
Soon out from there began to peep.
The father went soon sound asleep;
The boy with only covered head
Soon out from there began to peep.
142
And finding that his dad had gone
Far in the lands of happy dreams,
He jumped right out of bed to see
Just how cool watermelon seems.
Far in the lands of happy dreams,
He jumped right out of bed to see
Just how cool watermelon seems.
And then he went out to the well
To get the watermelon cool,
Then got a knife and cut his prize,
And thus the old man did he fool.
To get the watermelon cool,
Then got a knife and cut his prize,
And thus the old man did he fool.
Just when he'd downed the last sweet slice,
He heard his father gently rise.
He caught his son, who bravely said
“I did, my paw, I'll tell no lies.”
He heard his father gently rise.
He caught his son, who bravely said
“I did, my paw, I'll tell no lies.”
The old man grabbed the youngster's neck
Then reached and got his razor strap.
He drew him up and turned him round,
And pulled the youngster 'cross his lap.
Then reached and got his razor strap.
He drew him up and turned him round,
And pulled the youngster 'cross his lap.
Oh! friends, I shall not tell you more,
But when he'd done with that young felon
He sobbed: “Why whip, de truf I tole,”
“Not fo' de truf, but fo' de melon!”
But when he'd done with that young felon
He sobbed: “Why whip, de truf I tole,”
“Not fo' de truf, but fo' de melon!”
| A Dream | |