Negro Folk Rhymes Part 27

My wife go: "Row-row!"

My guinea go: "Potrack! Potrack!"

My chicken go: "Gymsack! Gymsack!"

My duck go: "Quack-quack! Quack-quack!"

My dog go: "Bow-bow!"

My hoss go: "Whee-whee! Whee-whee!"

My cat go: "Fiddle-toe! Fiddle-toe!"

WHEN I WAS A "ROUSTABOUT"

W'en I wus a "Roustabout," wild an' young, I co'ted my gal wid a mighty slick tongue.

I tol' her some oncommon lies dere an' den.

I tol' her dat we'd marry, but I didn' say w'en.

So on a Mond'y mornin' I tuck her fer my wife.

Of co'se I wus 'spectin' an agreeable life.

But on a Chuesd'y mornin' she chuned up her pipe, An' she 'bused me more 'an I'd been 'bused all my life.

On a Wednesd'y evenin', as I come 'long home, I says to myse'f dat she wus all my own; An' on a Thursd'y night I went out to de woods, An' I cut me two big fine tough leatherwoods.

So on a Frid'y mornin' w'en she roll me 'er eyes, I retched fer my leatherwoods to give 'er a s'prise, Dem long keen leatherwoods wuked mighty well, An' 'er tongue, it jes rattle lak a clapper in a bell.

On a Sadd'y mornin' she sleep sorter late; An' de las' time I see'd her, she 'us gwine out de gate.

I wus feedin' at de stable, lookin' out through a crack, An' she lef' my log cabin 'fore I could git back.

On a Sund'y mornin', as I laid on my bed, I didn' have no n.i.g.g.e.r wife to bother my head.

Now whisky an' brandy jug's my biges' bes' friend, An' my long week's wuk is about at its end.

MY FIRST AND MY SECOND WIFE

My fust liddle wife wus short an' fat.

Her face wus as black as my ole hat, Her nose all flat, an' her eyes sunk in, An' dat lip hang down below her chin.

Now wusn't I sorrowful in mind?

W'en I went down to dat wife's brother; He said: "She 'us tired. Gwineter marry 'nother."

If I ever ketches dat city c.o.o.n, He railly mought see my razzer soon.

Den I 'spec's he'd be troubled in mind!

My nex' wife hug an' kiss me, She call me "Sugar Plum!"

She throw her arms 'round me, Lak a grapevine 'round de gum!

Wusn't dat glory to my soul!

Her cheeks, dey're lak de cherry; Dat Cherry, it's lak de rose.

Wid a liddle dimple in her chin, An' a liddle tu'ned up nose!

Oh, hain't I happy in mind!

I'se got you, Lou, now fer my wife.

Keep new c.o.o.ns 'way, "My Pie!"

Caze, if you don't, I tells you now, Dat we all three mought die.

Den we'd be troubled in min'!

GOOD-BY, WIFE!

I had a liddle wife, An' I didn' want to kill 'er; So I tuck 'er by de heels, An' I throwed 'er in de river.

"Good-by, Wife! Good-by, Honey!

Hadn' been fer you, I'd a had a liddle money."

My liddle fussy wife Up an' say she mus' have scissors; An' druther dan to fight, I'd a throwed 'er in three rivers.

But she crossed dem fingers, w'en she go down, An' a liddle bit later She walk out on de groun'.

NURSERY RHYME SECTION

[36]AWFUL HARBINGERS

W'en de big owl whoops, An' de screech owl screeks, An' de win' makes a howlin' sound; You liddle wooly heads Had better kiver up, Caze de "hants" is comin' 'round.

[36] This little rhyme is based upon a superst.i.tion once current among Negroes, to the effect that bad luck would come when a screech owl called near your home at night unless, upon hearing him, you would stick the handle of a shovel into the fire about which you were sitting, or would throw salt into it. The word "hant" means ghost or spirit.

THE LAST OF JACK

I had a liddle dog, his name wus Jack; He run forty mile 'fore he look back.

W'en he look back, he fall in a crack; W'en he fall in a crack, he break 'is back; An' dat wus de las' o' poor liddle Jack.

LITTLE DOGS

I had a liddle dog; his name wus Ball; W'en I give him a liddle, he want it all.

I had a liddle dog, his name wus Trot; He helt up his tail, all tied in a knot.

I had a liddle dog, his name wus Blue; I put him on de road, an' he almos' flew.

I had a liddle dog, his name wus Mack; I rid his tail fer to save his back.

I had a liddle dog, his name wus Rover; W'en he died, he died all over.

I had a liddle dog, his name wus Dan; An' w'en he died, I buried 'im in de san'.

MY DOG, CUFF

I had a liddle dog, his name wus Cuff; I sent 'im to town to buy some snuff.