Songs of two centuries :: :: University of Virginia Library

They brought the biggest oxen that you ever ever see,
They fed 'em an' they combed 'em in a manner new to me;
They stood 'em up together like a row of checker-corns,
Fur to play a game o' primiums fur some ribbins on their horns.
Mac was there, an' Jack was there,
Si was there, an' I was there,
An' vowed that bulls of Bashan, or of any town or nation,
Couldn't match us what was doin' in the bellowin' an' the mooin',
That was floatin' through the air, at the Cobb County Fair.

They brought the biggest roosters that had ever ever crowed,
An' the hens that cackled loudest when you met 'em in the road,
An' the butter that is yellerest when you yank it from the churn,
An' the cheese that when you bite it gives your mouth the most concern.
Sal was there, her gal was there,
An' Lu was there, an' Sue was there,
Fan was there, an' Ann was there,
An' the Sarys an' the Marys, with selections from their dairies,
While of eggs the finest pickin's—Natur's vain attempts at chickens,
There was plenty an' to spare, at the Cobb County Fair.

They brought the sleekest hosses that we'd ever sighted yet,
An' they trotted 'em an' run 'em, an' forbid the folks to bet;
As is oft in human natur', in that case it did befall
That the one we tuk fur smartest was the slowest of 'em all.
'Than, he guessed, an' Dan, he guessed,
An' Sim computed, an' Jim computed,

An' Lo, he wagered, an' Jo, he wagered,
U-ry bet, an' I bet;
An' 'twan't what you'd be seekin' in a church-trustee or deakin;
An' we didn't do any winnin' that was big enough fur sinnin';
But we couldn't take a dare, at the Cobb County Fair.

They got a pig an' greased it, though I think 'twould run without,
An' whoever grabbed an' held it, 'twould be his, beyond a doubt.
So we neighbors 'greed to try it, jest to show what we could do,
An' to salt it in our barrels fur to help the winter through.
Smalley grabbed it, an' Hawley grabbed it,
An' Whaley missed it, an' Bailey missed it,
Lafe Calkins clutched it, Sam Hawkins clutched it,
Abe Maxson fell over it, Frank Jackson fell over it,
Jim Fry rolled under it, an' I rolled under it;
But it shifted its position sleek as any polertician,
An' where'er we flung our mettle, there the grease appeared to settle
So we suffered wear an' tear, at the Cobb County Fair.

There come the finest maidens you would notice any day,
An' I didn't take the trouble fur to look the other way:
E'en a nettle or a thistle, if possessed of human power,
Wouldn't turn their eyes a minute from a sweet an' bloomin' flower.
Taller gals an' smaller gals,
Comely gals an' humly gals,
Giddy gals an stiddy gals,
Gold-made gals an' old maid gals,
Blue-eyed gals an' true-eyed gals,
Spread-haired gals an' red-haired gals—
All a-losin' of their mothers, an' a-goin' round with others,
Walkin', runnin', flirtin', dancin', an' invar'ably entrancin':
'Twas excitement to be there at the Cobb County Fair.

I took some fall pippins big as ever tempted Eve,
An' they tempted everybody that beheld 'em, I believe:
No, the jedges didn't jedge 'em, an' they've never jedged 'em yet:
For before they come acrost 'em, ev'ry single one was e't!
Lon e't 'em, an' John e't 'em,
An' Grace e't 'em, an' Ace e't 'em,

An' Horner e't 'em, an' Warner e't 'em,
Old Phœbe e't 'em, Bill Beebe e't 'em,
The Ryans e't 'em, th' O'Briens e't 'em,
The Sloanses e't 'em, the Joneses e't 'em,
Tom Griggs e't 'em, an' the pigs e't em:
There was ev'rybody chankin' without e'en a sign of thankin';
An' I driv home a-rippin', 'thout a primium or a pippin;
An' a mighty little share of the Cobb County Fair.