The tar-baby and other rhymes of Uncle Remus :: :: University of Virginia Library

DE OL' STAND-BYS

101

Watermillions fresh fum de vine—
Anybody will say deyer fine;
An' Rabbit in hash is nice,
Stirred up wid a han'ful er rice;
An' down in dis neighborhood
Dey say Brer Possum is good.

An' den dar's de big pole-beans,
An' ol'-time collard-greens,
Wid leaf blue-stemmed an' wide—
You kin have um biled or fried!
An' turnips, purple an' white—
I wish I had some dis night!

102

Yit 'millions, possums, rabbits,
Dey has der ways an' habits,
An' der seasons one an' all,
Summer an' winter an' fall,
An' likewise collard greens.
An' turnips an' pole-beans.

An' some come twice a year,
An' some er deze last don't keer
Ef dey come er not: dat's why
Folks watch fer de clouds in de sky.
But dey all good 'nough in der place
Fer ter make a sinner say grace.

But den dar's de long-come-shorts,
When you haf ter put up wid all sorts;
Den gimme de corn-bread pone,
An', please, 'm, make it full-grown;

103

An' a dish full er whipperwill peas
Biled up wid plenty er grease;

An' buttermilk fresh fum de churn,
Er sour 'nough fer ter burn
An' tingle on yo' tongue an' creep
Twel it tas'e like yo' foot 's asleep.
De ol' stand-bys is here;
Dey're wid us all de year.

You don't haf ter wait er hunt:
Dey 're right at han' eve'y eve'y mont';
Dey're wid you rain er drouf,
Ef de win' blow norf er souf—
Shucks! I done 'gun ter dribble at de mouf!