A Dream :: :: University of Virginia Library

We did foun' a lille dog,
A lille white folk dog,
Wid a nose dat wasen' bigger
Dan a puff ball on a log.
An' we sicked him on a rabbit;
But de dog he woul' not hab it,
Dis good fir nuffin' white folks' dog.

Yes, de tail upon dis dog,
Was a skurious sort o' ting,
Curled up useless on his back
In a hairy lille ring,
An' he woulden' chase a rabbit,
Cause it hadden' been de habit,
Ob dis good fir nuffin' white folks' dog.

Den ah wondered what's de cause,
Dat he wouldent chase no game,
Do it bounce up neaf his nose,
It wus to de dog de same.
Do we fru him on a rabbit,
De dog he woulden't nab it,
Dis good fir nuffin' white folks' dog.

201

Den ah says toe brudder Ras'
Dat air tail am jist what ails.
Dar's de bull pup an' de houn,
Day haint got sich curley tails,
And yo' sick dem on a rabbit,
Day is allus sho toe grab it,
Not dis good fir nuffin' white folks' dog.

Now dar wuz de bull pups' nose,
Hit wuz jist de same ez pug's,
An' de fault wuz all in tail,
Cos day wuz de same in mugs,
Still he woulden't ketch a rabit.
Coz hit hadden been de habit,
Ob dis good flr nuffin' white folks' dog.

Dar's de bull pup an' de houn,
Dar's de short tail and de long,
An' de reason's all in tail,
Cos de pug's tail 's twisted wrong;
Cos we sicked him on a rabit,
An' de dog he woulden't nab it,
Dis good fir nuffin' white folks' dog.

202

An' we fetched him toe a log,
Stretched de tail frum off his back,
An' den Rasbin got de ax,
An' we chopped de tail off whack,
Still he woulden't ketch a rabit
Cos it hadden' been de habit,
Ob dis good fir nuffin' white folks' dog.