 | The tar-baby and other rhymes of Uncle Remus |  |
47
“IT'S GOOD TO BE OLD IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DO”
49
Some fifty year ago, ef I'd 'a' been tol'
Dat some fine day I'd be glad ter be ol',
I'd 'a' sassed um all, an' laughed in der face,
An' 'a' dar'd um ter run me a mile foot-race;
I'd 'a' up an' 'a' cut de pidjin-wing,
Kaze I allers felt like a colt in de spring;
I'd 'a' whirled in de a'r an' lit on my feet,
Fer when it come ter dat I couldn't be beat;
I'd 'a' grinned right at um—but now I know
Lots better dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
Dat some fine day I'd be glad ter be ol',
I'd 'a' sassed um all, an' laughed in der face,
An' 'a' dar'd um ter run me a mile foot-race;
I'd 'a' up an' 'a' cut de pidjin-wing,
Kaze I allers felt like a colt in de spring;
I'd 'a' whirled in de a'r an' lit on my feet,
Fer when it come ter dat I couldn't be beat;
I'd 'a' grinned right at um—but now I know
Lots better dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
Kaze now I kin set right flat in my cheer,
An' call back de days fum year ter year—
An' wid no need ter call, kaze, time I sets down,
Dey all comes a-flittin' an' a-flyin' 'roun',
An' all wid der Sunday doin's on,
An' all der troubles done clean gone,
An' I sets up wid um, er I draps ter sleep,
Glad fer ter git my fun so cheap;
It's de same ez a frolic—fer now I know
Lots better dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
An' call back de days fum year ter year—
50
Dey all comes a-flittin' an' a-flyin' 'roun',
An' all wid der Sunday doin's on,
An' all der troubles done clean gone,
An' I sets up wid um, er I draps ter sleep,
Glad fer ter git my fun so cheap;
It's de same ez a frolic—fer now I know
Lots better dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
No shade fer me! I kin set in de sun,
An' hear dem chillun, an' see um run;
An' over de hills when de day is long
I kin hear de plough-han's homin' song,
An' in de creek bottom—go-bing! go-bang!
I kin hear de racket er de new-groun' gang,
An' it seem mighty quare dat it come ter pass,
Kaze chillun an' niggers is under de grass—
Dey er dar, dey er here, an' one thing sho,
I never would 'a' b'lieved it fifty year ago!
An' hear dem chillun, an' see um run;
An' over de hills when de day is long
I kin hear de plough-han's homin' song,
An' in de creek bottom—go-bing! go-bang!
I kin hear de racket er de new-groun' gang,
An' it seem mighty quare dat it come ter pass,
Kaze chillun an' niggers is under de grass—
51
I never would 'a' b'lieved it fifty year ago!
Little chillun die, an' you think dey er gone,
An' you weep an' wail wid de mournin' on;
Fambly an' frien's, dey er tooken, too,
An' it seem like de reaper won't never git thoo;
Bofe big an' little, bofe young an' ol',
Dey all got ter answer ter de call er de roll;
Dey answer an' go. Does you speck dat's all?
Is de oak tree sorry when de acorns fall?
Bless you, honey! I know what I know
Lots better dan I did some fifty year ago.
An' you weep an' wail wid de mournin' on;
Fambly an' frien's, dey er tooken, too,
An' it seem like de reaper won't never git thoo;
Bofe big an' little, bofe young an' ol',
Dey all got ter answer ter de call er de roll;
Dey answer an' go. Does you speck dat's all?
Is de oak tree sorry when de acorns fall?
Bless you, honey! I know what I know
Lots better dan I did some fifty year ago.
Dey all comes back, an' dey comes ter stay,
An' you has um wid you bofe night an' day—
An' I dunner whar yo' eyes ef you can't see
Dem chillun a-stan'in' right at my knee,
Wid shinin' eyes an' ha'r fallin' free,
One little gal, an' little boys three;
An' mos' eve'y day when de light gits pale
I ketch myse'f a-tellin' um a tale,
An' I goes on an' tells it—fer now I know
Lots better dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
An' you has um wid you bofe night an' day—
An' I dunner whar yo' eyes ef you can't see
Dem chillun a-stan'in' right at my knee,
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One little gal, an' little boys three;
An' mos' eve'y day when de light gits pale
I ketch myse'f a-tellin' um a tale,
An' I goes on an' tells it—fer now I know
Lots better dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
“Unc' Remus! Unc' Remus!” dey hollers at me,
“Please tell 'bout de Rabbit what clomb de tree!”
An' den dey laughs an' claps der han's,
Wid “Dis is de way dat Brer B'ar stan's!”
An' den dey mingles wid de chillun dat's new,
An' I gits so dazed I dunner what ter do;
An' when dey plays at hidin'-switch
I scratches my head ter tell t'other fum which,
An' I never could tell ef I didn't know
Lots mo' dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
“Please tell 'bout de Rabbit what clomb de tree!”
An' den dey laughs an' claps der han's,
Wid “Dis is de way dat Brer B'ar stan's!”
An' den dey mingles wid de chillun dat's new,
An' I gits so dazed I dunner what ter do;
An' when dey plays at hidin'-switch
I scratches my head ter tell t'other fum which,
An' I never could tell ef I didn't know
Lots mo' dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
53
Some fifty year ago, ef I'd 'a' been tol'
Dat some fine day I'd be glad ter be ol',
Dey'd 'a' been a quoil; yit I'm sholy glad,
Fer I can't make a move but it's “Please wait, Dad!”
“Run, git Daddy's hat!” “Run, git Daddy's cane!”
“Come, bresh Daddy's coat!” “Ain't you 'fraid it'll rain?”
I waits fer it all, an' den I has ter wait
Twel some un um runs an' opens de gate!
An' it makes me laugh—fer now I know
Lots mo' dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
Dat some fine day I'd be glad ter be ol',
Dey'd 'a' been a quoil; yit I'm sholy glad,
Fer I can't make a move but it's “Please wait, Dad!”
“Run, git Daddy's hat!” “Run, git Daddy's cane!”
“Come, bresh Daddy's coat!” “Ain't you 'fraid it'll rain?”
I waits fer it all, an' den I has ter wait
Twel some un um runs an' opens de gate!
An' it makes me laugh—fer now I know
Lots mo' dan I know'd some fifty year ago.
An' it's des dat a-way, day in an' day out,
Eve'y time I turn 'roun' eve'y time I walk about;
No matter when I come, no matter when I go,
It's des like dancin' ter Jim-along-Joe!
It's des like skippin' ter Jim-along-Jeems,
All day when I'm 'wake, all night when I dreams!
Dey er playin' close by, no matter whar I stan',
An' when I doze off dey er holdin' my han';
Dey er allers wid me—kaze now I know
Lots better dan I know'd some fifty year ago!
Eve'y time I turn 'roun' eve'y time I walk about;
No matter when I come, no matter when I go,
It's des like dancin' ter Jim-along-Joe!
It's des like skippin' ter Jim-along-Jeems,
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Dey er playin' close by, no matter whar I stan',
An' when I doze off dey er holdin' my han';
Dey er allers wid me—kaze now I know
Lots better dan I know'd some fifty year ago!
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