 | The tar-baby and other rhymes of Uncle Remus |  |
89
WHY THE BUZZARD'S HEAD IS BALD
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T-u, Turkey, t-u, ti,
T-u, Turkey Buzzard's eye!
You kin see her a-sailin' way up in de sky!
Ef she wuz ter shet her wings an' fall
You'd see fer yo'se'f dat 'er head is bal';
P-o, Peter, P-o, pan!
Her head des ez bal' ez de pa'm er yo' han',
An' a mighty good reason—but dat's a tale,
Ez de 'possum said ter de slippery rail.
T-u, Turkey Buzzard's eye!
You kin see her a-sailin' way up in de sky!
Ef she wuz ter shet her wings an' fall
You'd see fer yo'se'f dat 'er head is bal';
P-o, Peter, P-o, pan!
Her head des ez bal' ez de pa'm er yo' han',
An' a mighty good reason—but dat's a tale,
Ez de 'possum said ter de slippery rail.
Brer Rabbit, in dem days, wuz monstus gay,
An' he had bofe a home an' a place fer ter stay
Ef he y'ever git cotch out night er day;
He fin' 'im a poplar wid two big rooms
Dat Miss Breezy keep clean wid 'er bran'-new brooms,
An' he grabbled a place whar he kin hide,
An' sleep wid bofe eyes open wide;
He lick his chops, an' he wash his face,
Wid, “Uv all de places dish yer's de place!”
An' he had bofe a home an' a place fer ter stay
Ef he y'ever git cotch out night er day;
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Dat Miss Breezy keep clean wid 'er bran'-new brooms,
An' he grabbled a place whar he kin hide,
An' sleep wid bofe eyes open wide;
He lick his chops, an' he wash his face,
Wid, “Uv all de places dish yer's de place!”
Now, he been a-gwine dar fer some little time,
An' 'twuz all so quiet dat he liked it prime,
An' he feel like singin' a ol'-time hime:
But one day, whiles he pirootin' 'roun',
A-huntin' fer dat what never is foun',
Ol' Miss Buzzard come a-struttin' by,
An' view de holler fum de cornder er her eye;
She been a-huntin' a place fer 'er nes',
An' uv all de places she like dis de bes'.
An' 'twuz all so quiet dat he liked it prime,
An' he feel like singin' a ol'-time hime:
But one day, whiles he pirootin' 'roun',
A-huntin' fer dat what never is foun',
Ol' Miss Buzzard come a-struttin' by,
An' view de holler fum de cornder er her eye;
She been a-huntin' a place fer 'er nes',
An' uv all de places she like dis de bes'.
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She grinned a grin an' she clucked a cluck,
Wid, “Laws-a-massy! what luck! what luck!”
An' she laugh an' laugh twel her top-knot shuck;
Den in she went wid a swish an' a flop,
Wid a spraddlin' walk, an' a hippity-hop;
She look ter de eas', she look ter de wes',
An' wid 'lev'm little splinters she built her nes';
A han'ful er trash an' a bunch er fuzz—
She whirl 'roun' twice, an' dar she wuz!
Wid, “Laws-a-massy! what luck! what luck!”
An' she laugh an' laugh twel her top-knot shuck;
Den in she went wid a swish an' a flop,
Wid a spraddlin' walk, an' a hippity-hop;
She look ter de eas', she look ter de wes',
An' wid 'lev'm little splinters she built her nes';
A han'ful er trash an' a bunch er fuzz—
She whirl 'roun' twice, an' dar she wuz!
Bimeby Brer Rabbit come a-lopin' in,
Ez smoove ez silk, an' slicker dan sin,
A-chawin' his terbacker wid a chuckle an' a grin;
'Twuz dark ez Flugens, an' yit 'twan't long
'Fo' Brer Rabbit know'd dat sump'n wuz wrong;
'Twuz, “Somebody been here, an' I ain't glad,
Kaze, whoever 'twuz, dey breff mighty bad!”
Miss Buzzard she kinder squirm on her nes',
Kaze she got de idee she's good ez de bes'.
Ez smoove ez silk, an' slicker dan sin,
A-chawin' his terbacker wid a chuckle an' a grin;
'Twuz dark ez Flugens, an' yit 'twan't long
'Fo' Brer Rabbit know'd dat sump'n wuz wrong;
'Twuz, “Somebody been here, an' I ain't glad,
Kaze, whoever 'twuz, dey breff mighty bad!”
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Kaze she got de idee she's good ez de bes'.
Brer Rabbit he slap his foot on de flo,
Wid, “I dunner who 'twuz, but what I does know
Is, he better hunt de doctor wharsomever he go!”
“Oh, thanky, Brer Rabbit!” sez Miss Buzzard, se' she,
“De way you make frien's sholy 'stonishes me;
Ef you don't watch out you'll lose yo' meat!”
“Not whiles I kin wiggle all er my feet!”
Sez ol' Brer Rabbit, an' den he wheeze—
“I bet you a thrip I'm gwineter sneeze!”
Wid, “I dunner who 'twuz, but what I does know
Is, he better hunt de doctor wharsomever he go!”
“Oh, thanky, Brer Rabbit!” sez Miss Buzzard, se' she,
“De way you make frien's sholy 'stonishes me;
Ef you don't watch out you'll lose yo' meat!”
“Not whiles I kin wiggle all er my feet!”
Sez ol' Brer Rabbit, an' den he wheeze—
“I bet you a thrip I'm gwineter sneeze!”
He try ter hol' in, but he snoze an' he snoze,
An' he work his y'ear, an' he wiggle his nose,
Wid, “Dis gits wusser de furder it goes!”
Well, time loped on, an', when her aigs hatch,
Miss Buzzard she sho had to grub an' scratch,
Ez de sayin' is, but de grubbin' she done
Wuz de kinder grubbin' dat wa'n't much fun;
An' her chillun wuz greedy; ter hear der cries
You'd 'a' thunk dey wuz starvin' right 'fo' yo' eyes!
An' he work his y'ear, an' he wiggle his nose,
Wid, “Dis gits wusser de furder it goes!”
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Miss Buzzard she sho had to grub an' scratch,
Ez de sayin' is, but de grubbin' she done
Wuz de kinder grubbin' dat wa'n't much fun;
An' her chillun wuz greedy; ter hear der cries
You'd 'a' thunk dey wuz starvin' right 'fo' yo' eyes!
Miss Buzzard much'd um up, an' talk mighty sweet,
An' promise um a dinner er right fresh meat—
Brer Rabbit he chuckle, “Ez good ez wheat!
But de j'inin' holler will des fit me,
An' I'll set in dar whar I kin see.”
An' he sot so still, you'd 'a' thunk he wuz 'sleep,
An' he fool Miss Buzzard when she come ter peep;
So she stop up de holler wid mud an' sticks—
But ol' Brer Rabbit know'd all er her tricks.
An' promise um a dinner er right fresh meat—
Brer Rabbit he chuckle, “Ez good ez wheat!
But de j'inin' holler will des fit me,
An' I'll set in dar whar I kin see.”
An' he sot so still, you'd 'a' thunk he wuz 'sleep,
An' he fool Miss Buzzard when she come ter peep;
So she stop up de holler wid mud an' sticks—
But ol' Brer Rabbit know'd all er her tricks.
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She named his name, but he lay back an' sno',
An' do like he ain't gwineter wake no mo',
An' den she say, “You're my meat, sho!”
Brer Rabbit he 'low, “Oh, please, 'm, le' me out!
You say you won't? Well, I think you mought,
In 'membunce er ol' times, well ez de new;
Ef you won't you won't, so it's good-by ter you!”
An' den he went slippin' outer his back-do',
An he lef' Miss Buzzard a-walkin' er de flo'.
An' do like he ain't gwineter wake no mo',
An' den she say, “You're my meat, sho!”
Brer Rabbit he 'low, “Oh, please, 'm, le' me out!
You say you won't? Well, I think you mought,
In 'membunce er ol' times, well ez de new;
Ef you won't you won't, so it's good-by ter you!”
An' den he went slippin' outer his back-do',
An he lef' Miss Buzzard a-walkin' er de flo'.
When Brer Rabbit runs he sho' is a flyer,
An' he put out ter whar Mr. Man had a fier
Fer ter burn off de new groun' brush an' brier,
An' he got 'im a pan er red-hot embers,
De sort what warms you in de col' Decembers;
An' den he run home ez hard ez he kin,
Wid, “Oh, Miss Buzzard! Please, 'm, le' me in!”
She flew'd right at 'im, wid wing an' claw,
An' he plunked de embers on her jaw!
An' he put out ter whar Mr. Man had a fier
Fer ter burn off de new groun' brush an' brier,
An' he got 'im a pan er red-hot embers,
De sort what warms you in de col' Decembers;
An' den he run home ez hard ez he kin,
Wid, “Oh, Miss Buzzard! Please, 'm, le' me in!”
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An' he plunked de embers on her jaw!
An' on her neck! an' on her head!
An' in her house! an' on her bed!
An' dey scorched her so dat her eye got red!
An' she flung a flutter, an' she fetched a squall,
“Laws-a-massy, Brer Rabbit! you burnin' me bal'!”
An' fum dat day ter dis, bofe fur an' wide,
Whar de Buzzards had top-knots it's mos'ly hide!
An' in her house! an' on her bed!
An' dey scorched her so dat her eye got red!
An' she flung a flutter, an' she fetched a squall,
“Laws-a-massy, Brer Rabbit! you burnin' me bal'!”
An' fum dat day ter dis, bofe fur an' wide,
Whar de Buzzards had top-knots it's mos'ly hide!
| The tar-baby and other rhymes of Uncle Remus | |