 | [Uncle Remus addresses Brother Wind, in] Library of Southern literature |  |
2131
UNCLE REMUS ADDRESSES BROTHER WIND
Brer Wind, please stop yo' prankin',
Ez you go ridin' by!
You keer no mo' fer Chris'mus
Dan a mule in a patch er rye!
You make folks drop der bundles
Dat deyer totin' by;
Ef I could change my howdye,
I'd make it a short good-bye!
But 'fo' you go, please tell us
Whar you hid at last July?
De 9 er last July?
Ez you go ridin' by!
You keer no mo' fer Chris'mus
Dan a mule in a patch er rye!
You make folks drop der bundles
Dat deyer totin' by;
Ef I could change my howdye,
I'd make it a short good-bye!
But 'fo' you go, please tell us
Whar you hid at last July?
De 9 er last July?
De country roun' we panted—
You could hear de babies cry—
De Breeze you sont wuz feeble,
He couldn't do mo' dan sigh,
An' when we wanter cool off,
You never did come nigh!
Now, whiles youer here, please tell me
Whar you stayed at last July—
De 9 er last July.
You could hear de babies cry—
De Breeze you sont wuz feeble,
He couldn't do mo' dan sigh,
An' when we wanter cool off,
You never did come nigh!
Now, whiles youer here, please tell me
Whar you stayed at last July—
De 9 er last July.
You stayed 'way all de summer,
A-lettin' us sweat an' fry;
So please des stop yo' capers,
An' tell me de reason why;
Now, here you come at Chris'mus,
A-ridin' yo' hosses high!
I never did like sech doin's,
An' dis is de reason why:
I'd heap ruther tol' you howdye
Some time in last July—
De 9 er last July!
A-lettin' us sweat an' fry;
So please des stop yo' capers,
An' tell me de reason why;
Now, here you come at Chris'mus,
A-ridin' yo' hosses high!
I never did like sech doin's,
An' dis is de reason why:
I'd heap ruther tol' you howdye
Some time in last July—
De 9 er last July!
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It's gittin' close to Chris'mus,
Wid de chillun feelin' spry,
An' here you come wid yo' rippit,
A-blowin' san' in der eye,
An' tryin' ter drive ol' Santy
'Way off ter de Bye-an'-Bye,
An' leave de empty stockin's
A-hangin' high an' dry!
Des stop an' tell me, please, suh—
Whar wuz you last July?
De 9 er last July?
Wid de chillun feelin' spry,
An' here you come wid yo' rippit,
A-blowin' san' in der eye,
An' tryin' ter drive ol' Santy
'Way off ter de Bye-an'-Bye,
An' leave de empty stockin's
A-hangin' high an' dry!
Des stop an' tell me, please, suh—
Whar wuz you last July?
De 9 er last July?
Youer roarin' up de chimbleys,
An' a-rampin' throo de sky;
Youer whistlin' roun' de cornder,
An' folks kin hear you cry!
De chillun got de shivers,
Dey dunner how er why;
You make um think of ghostes
Dat come a-ramblin' nigh!
Now, stop an' le' me ax you,
Whar wuz you last July?
De 9 er last July?
An' a-rampin' throo de sky;
Youer whistlin' roun' de cornder,
An' folks kin hear you cry!
De chillun got de shivers,
Dey dunner how er why;
You make um think of ghostes
Dat come a-ramblin' nigh!
Now, stop an' le' me ax you,
Whar wuz you last July?
De 9 er last July?
Ez fur ez de birds an' furder,
You spread yo' wings an' fly;
An' you take along de snow-storm
Dat you've picked up on de sly!
Col' breff, col' feet an' fingers!
No wonder you cough an' cry;
It makes me sick fer ter hear you,
Whiles youer sailin' by!
But I wish you'd stop an' tell me
Whar you slep' at last July—
De 9 er last July!
You spread yo' wings an' fly;
An' you take along de snow-storm
Dat you've picked up on de sly!
Col' breff, col' feet an' fingers!
No wonder you cough an' cry;
It makes me sick fer ter hear you,
Whiles youer sailin' by!
But I wish you'd stop an' tell me
Whar you slep' at last July—
De 9 er last July!
Ef you'd 'a' been lyin' off some'rs
When de heat wuz a-risin' high,
I bet you'd 'a' heern us pantin'—
I bet you'd a' heern us fry!
Kaze all de green wuz a-wiltin',
An' de gyarden groun' wuz dry;
King Sun, he say, “I'll sizzle um,
Er I'll know de reason why!”
I wish you'd 'a' cum an' fanned us
Some time in last July—
De 9 er last July!
When de heat wuz a-risin' high,
I bet you'd 'a' heern us pantin'—
I bet you'd a' heern us fry!
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An' de gyarden groun' wuz dry;
King Sun, he say, “I'll sizzle um,
Er I'll know de reason why!”
I wish you'd 'a' cum an' fanned us
Some time in last July—
De 9 er last July!
Brer Wind, please stop an' lissen,
An' heed my Chris'mus cry—
Quit cuttin' up yo' capers
Under de wide blue sky!
You hear dem chillun singin'?
Well, you better min' yo eye!
Des save yo' strenk fer summer,
An' don't fergit fer ter try
An' wake us up an' cool us
Sometime in hot July—
De 9 er next July!
An' heed my Chris'mus cry—
Quit cuttin' up yo' capers
Under de wide blue sky!
You hear dem chillun singin'?
Well, you better min' yo eye!
Des save yo' strenk fer summer,
An' don't fergit fer ter try
An' wake us up an' cool us
Sometime in hot July—
De 9 er next July!
| [Uncle Remus addresses Brother Wind, in] Library of Southern literature | |