THE LITTLE CHICKEN
Br'er Scare-crow's built to suit 'is jobWid flappin' legs an' arms dat bob;He ain't got brains for discontentSo he works widout no argument.An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE SCARE-CROW
THE SCARE-CROW
Dey's a sweet plantation, yaller-buff roseDat in my ricollection grows;In my ol' dreams she seems to waitWhar she stood an' bloomed by de love-vine gateAn' I ain't by myself in dreams like dat—No, I ain't by myself in dat.
THE AMBITIOUS COW
Sis' Twis'-horn Brindle is a bothersome cow,She's boun' to raise a ruction an' she don't keer how;She craves to be de bell-cow an' lead off wid a clang,So it's all a man kin do to make 'er gallup wid de gang.An' she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat—An' she ain't by 'erself in dat.
TRIED BY FIRE
De sugar-cane stands so proud an' smart,You'd nuver suspicion it sweet at de heart,But to prove its sweets it yields its willTo be tried by fire an' ground in de mill.An' it ain't by itself in dat, in dat—No, it ain't by itself in dat.
JACK-O'LANTERN
Sence he los' 'is brains to git 'is smile,Brer Jack-o-lantern grins lak a wilderin' chileWidout no secrets out or in;An' de lighter in de head de broader 'is grinAn' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Look out for Mr. Po'-trash Flea!Ef you let 'im come in, he'll make too free;He'll chase yo' dog till he makes 'im pant,An' he'll take yo' skin for a restaurant.An' he ain't by isself in dat, in dat—An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Look out for Mr. Po'-trash Flea!Ef you let 'im come in, he'll make too free;He'll chase yo' dog till he makes 'im pant,An' he'll take yo' skin for a restaurant.An' he ain't by isself in dat, in dat—An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Ef de Wul o' de Wust would cuss an' swearAn' take some shape, an' rip an' tear,It wouldn't sen' col' chills down a nigger's spineLike de changeable expression of a mystery shine.An' it ain't by its ghostly self in dat—No, it ain't by itself in dat.
WILL O' THE WISP
De blind mole tunnels straight ahead,An' he gits whar he gwine wid a trustful tread,But he nuver is yit got nowhar else,An' he'll nuver view de skies whar glory melts.But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
De blind mole tunnels straight ahead,An' he gits whar he gwine wid a trustful tread,But he nuver is yit got nowhar else,An' he'll nuver view de skies whar glory melts.But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE RUNT
You'll sometimes trace de loudes' gruntIn de horg-lot down to de littles' runt,Lak as ef he'd 'nounce whilst he gulps 'is swill,"A pompious horg is as big as 'is will."An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE MONKEY
De organ plays an' Br'er Monkey struts,An' he takes high pride in de capers he cuts,While folks draps picayunes into 'is han'For fallin' so short o' bein' a man.An' he ain't by 'isself, misled like dat—No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE ARISTOCRAT
Dat three-name chicken wid de feathery legsWha' 'merged f'om de ten dollar settin' of eggs,Is a lonesome bird an' I s'picion he frets'Ca'ze he can't outgrow dem pantalettes.An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er Crawfish th'ows a racklass bluff,An' he sho do look like fightin' stuff;But turn 'im loose on a battle-groun',An' he'll bow 'isself out, an' nuver turn roun'.But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE CRAWFISH
"I could stand de hook," says de angleworm,"An' a lily-brook wouldn't make me squirm,But I can't help wrigglin' ag'in' my fate;It breaks me all up to be used for bait."An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE ANGLEWORM
THE CHIMNEY-SWALLOW
Wid 'is nest in de flue whar de suctions blow,Storms due above an' fire below,No wonder Br'er Swaller sags an' swaysLike a pusson ableeged to dodge bofe ways.An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
CATCHING DOODLE-BUGS
Little picaninnies, fishin' in de doodle-bug holes.Wid a "spit for luck," an' straws for poles,Show pyore delight in de fisherman's aimAll disp'opo'tioned to de game.An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat—An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Sis' Porcupine, wid 'er bristles all setIn a pompado' style, is waitin' yet,An' she can't understan', whilst she puckers 'er mug,De sca'city o' kisses an' de absent hug.But she ain't by 'er lonesome self in dat—No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
THE PORCUPINE
Dem Ants is sho' got savin' waysAn' even de Scripture 'lows 'em praise;But dey hoa'ds for deyselves f'om day to dayAn' dey stings any man wha' gits in de way.An' dey ain't no new co'poration in dat—No, dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Dem Ants is sho' got savin' waysAn' even de Scripture 'lows 'em praise;But dey hoa'ds for deyselves f'om day to dayAn' dey stings any man wha' gits in de way.An' dey ain't no new co'poration in dat—No, dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
Sis' Tin-cage Polly wid de roamin' noseDat roams f'om 'er eyes tel it p'ints to 'er toes,She keeps up a ratlin' talkin' paceTo turn off attention f'om de shape of 'er face.An' you ain't by yo'self, Sis' Polly, in dat—No, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Sis' Tin-cage Polly wid de roamin' noseDat roams f'om 'er eyes tel it p'ints to 'er toes,She keeps up a ratlin' talkin' paceTo turn off attention f'om de shape of 'er face.An' you ain't by yo'self, Sis' Polly, in dat—No, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
THE RATTLE-SNAKE
Br'er Rattle-snake rattles befo' he springs,But he warns too late to 'scape 'is stings;His high-class manners don't count for much'Ca'ze dey grafted on to a sarpent's touch.An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE PERSIMMON
Is you little gals, growin' into women,Ever tasted a snappy young persimmin?It takes a hard frost to make it sweet,An' it's ol' an' swiveled 'fo' it's fit to eat!But it ain't by itself, sharp chillen, in dat—No, it ain't by itself in dat.
Dat flee-bitten mule an' my bay mareIn de hay-wagon, sho is a mixtious pair;But dey's pulled so long th'ough wind an' weatherDat out in de field dey graze together.An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat—An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
IN HARNESS
THE CANARY
De little yaller cage-bird preems 'is wingsAn' he mounts 'is pyerch an' sings an' sings;He feels 'is cage, but I s'pec' he 'lowTo take what comes an' singanyhow!An' you ain't by yo'self, little bird, in dat—No, you ain't by yo'self in dat.
Br'er Pole-cat's got a s'ciety smileAn' he sho is dressed in scrumptious style,But he keeps 'is own hat off de quality rackBy de scan'lous way he answers back.But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
ANSWERING BACK
It ain't how many eyes you got,'Les' needles could see an' potatoes, too;An' "hookin' a' eye," as like as not,Would be classed as a sin dat no lady'd do.But it's keepin' yo' eyes turned to'des de right,An' to'des de wrong jes' shettin' 'em tight—Lookin' out for ways to be polite—Dat's de way my lady'd do!It ain't how many ears you gotDat makes you listen an' learn an' do;Else a hill o' corn in a garden plotWould be 'way ahead o' me an' you;But it's shettin' yo' ears to heartless speech,An' listenin' whilst de teachers teach,An' strivin' to practise mo' 'n to preach—Dat's de way my lady'll do!It ain't how many tongues you got,'Les' shoes would talk an' wagons, too;An' all de bells would gabble a lot,An' tattle an' brag de long day th'ough;But it's gyardin' yo' tongue f'om talk dat's wrong,An' passin' a helpful word along,An' maybe singin' a hopeful song—Dat's de way my lady'll do!
DAT'S DE WAY MY LADY'LL DO
THE MAMMY ALLIGATOR
Said de mammy alligator, wid a motherly grin:"I nuver liked babies wid dey dimples tucked in,But our little pet, wid its horny hide,Like its mammy's an' its daddy's, is de fam'ly pride."An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat—An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
THE NEW RICH
Sis' Mush A. Roon sprung up over nightAn' to name whar she sprung f'om ain't polite;But she spreads 'erself wuss'n me or you,An' wid on'y one foot to stan' on, too.An she ain't by er new-come self in dat—No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
Cunnin' little donkey-baby—"Ye-haw! Ye-haw!" What a funny laugh!Soun' jes like a creaky, crankySeesaw—seesaw!Wasn't nothin' funny roun' datWe saw—we saw!'Tel we glimpsed de stagger-gait datHe saw—he saw!Brindle strikin' swagger-gait whenShe saw—she saw—her wibbly wabbly calf!
THE WIBBLY WABBLY CALF
Den we j'ined wid Mister Donkey,"He-haw! He-haw!" How we-all did laugh!But we laughed at some'h'n' mo' danHe saw—he saw!Donkey couldn't see de ears datWe saw—we saw!Rabbit lopin' down de road, weThree saw—three saw!Wagged his ears an' called him daddy!"Haw-haw! Haw-haw!" How dat—who dat laugh?An' de last to see de joke waswibbly wabbly calf!
THE WIBBLY WABBLY CALF
THE TURKEY-GOBBLER
Ol' Gobbly struts aroun' de stableAn' th'ows out hints o' de rich man's table,An' he h'ists his tail an' spreads it wide,To display his cuyus graveyard pride.But he ain't by 'isself in pride like dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
When de cabbage got ambitiom, in a uppish hourAn' lost 'is head an' bu'st into flowerWid 'is brains outside, an addled, at dat—He sot 'isself up for a 'ristocrat.An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE CAULIFLOWER
THE STEPMOTHER
Sis' Dominick follers her brood o' ducksTo de bayou's edge, an' she clucks an' clucks:'Dis stepmammy job, oh me, oh me!Ain't all dat it's quacked up to be!"But she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat—But she ain't by 'erself in dat.
THE FROG
Ol' Br'er Frog ain't much to sing,But he clairs a log in a single spring,An' jedgin' 'im by his bigoty ways,He's clean forgot 'is tadpole days!But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE RAT
Br'er Rat in de corn-bin over-fedAn' under-worked, an' now he's dead;He craved to live lak a bloated chief,An' now he ain't nothin' but a ol' dead thief.An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er mockin'-bird sings in de live-oak shade,A secon'-hand chant or a serenade;He'll take off a pa'tridge, a robin, or a jay,But he'd nuver make a name no other way.But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
Br'er mockin'-bird sings in de live-oak shade,A secon'-hand chant or a serenade;He'll take off a pa'tridge, a robin, or a jay,But he'd nuver make a name no other way.But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE MUSHROOM
Dey's many a musharoon good to de tas'eAn' rich for de table, dat goes to was'e'Ca'ze folks don't dast to gether it inFor de way it favors its dung-hill kin.An' it ain't by itself condemned like dat—No, it ain't by itself in dat
THE MEASURING WORM
When Br'er Measurin'-worm strikes out so brave,Makin' tend he kin measure you for yo grave,Wid all 'is stride an' all 'is stren'thHe can't measure mo'n 'is own little len'th.An' he ain't by 'isself made cheap like dat—No, he ain't by 'isself like dat.
THE TOP-KNOT HEN
Hit's a proper pride in Sis' Top-knot's breastDat makes 'er step to march 'er crest;Yit jalousy follers 'er 'roun' de shedOn de count o' dat innercent tufted head.An' she ain't by 'erself pursued lak dat—No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.
TOO FAMILIAR
De cantelope gits mighty biliousF'om runnin' wid punkins too familias,So it's banished out for its sociable sinAlong wid its yaller kitchen kin.An' it ain't by itself in dat, in dat—An' it ain't by itself in dat.
Br'er 'Possum makes pertend he's deadWhilst shots goes whizzin' over 'is head.But time de hounds is out o' sight,He's up an' "hongry for a fight!"An' he ain't by 'isself in a bluff like dat—No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE 'POSSUM
When de big owl calls out "Who—ooo—ooo—!!!!!"In de dark o' de moon, like night-owls do,De chillen, a-beggin' to play out late,Come tumblin' back into Daddy's gate.An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat—No, dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
When de big owl calls out "Who—ooo—ooo—!!!!!"In de dark o' de moon, like night-owls do,De chillen, a-beggin' to play out late,Come tumblin' back into Daddy's gate.An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat—No, dey ain't by deyselves in dat.
De camelia-lizard is a turn-coat man,An' he borries his colors where dey's "room to stan'";He mought keep solid as a county candidate,But you couldn't sca'cely find 'im on a map o' de State.But he ain't by 'isself lost out, like dat—No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE CHAMELEON
Whilst she eats de groun' f'om onder 'er feet,Sis' Caterpillar's weavin' 'er windin'-sheet;But 'er red eyes shine an' 'er grass-green-hair,An' 'er short life's bright, so she don't care.An' she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat—An' she ain't by 'erself in dat.
THE CATERPILLAR
Ol' Dr. Drake wid 'is college waddleAn' Latin inscriptioms on 'is noddle,Would part wid 'is gait an' 'is shimmerin' backTo perscribe acrowin'-powderan' nuver say "Quack!"But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
DR. DRAKE
Br'er Peacock 'lows he's a 'ristocrat,Wid mighty fine clo'es, an' vain at dat;He'll answer yo' glance wid col' surpriseAn' look you over wid a thousan' eyes!But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE PEACOCK
THE ALLIGATOR
Br'er Alligator kin grin a mile,But dey ain't no inducemint in his smile;Whilst he ain't no race-horse, yit dey sayA little alligator goes a mighty long way.But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat—But he ain't by 'isself in dat.
THE TERRAPIN
Br'er Tarrapin draws in 'is head so knowin',You can't tell whether he's comin' or goin',Buthismind ain't mixed—he's layin' lowTel he sees which way he's obleeged to go.An' he ain't no new politician in dat—No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.