down a nigger's spine
Like 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.
[Illustration]
THE MOLE
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.
[Illustration]
THE RUNT
You'll sometimes trace de loudes' grunt
In 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.
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration]
THE ARISTOCRAT
Dat three-name chicken wid de feathery legs
Wha' '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.
[Illustration]
THE CRAWFISH
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.
[Illustration]
THE ANGLEWORM
"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.
[Illustration]
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' sways
Like 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 aim
All disp'opo'tioned to de game.
An' dey ain't by deyselves in dat, in dat--
An' dey ain't by deyselves in
dat.
[Illustration]
THE PORCUPINE
Sis' Porcupine, wid 'er bristles all set
In 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.
[Illustration]
ANTS
Dem Ants is sho' got savin' ways
An' even de Scripture 'lows 'em
praise;
But dey hoa'ds for deyselves f'om day to day
An' 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.
[Illustration]
THE PARROT
Sis' Tin-cage Polly wid de roamin' nose
Dat roams f'om 'er eyes tel it
p'ints to 'er toes,
She keeps up a ratlin' talkin' pace
To 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.
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration]
IN HARNESS
Dat flee-bitten mule an' my bay mare
In de hay-wagon, sho is a
mixtious pair;
But dey's pulled so long th'ough wind an' weather
Dat 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.
[Illustration]
THE CANARY
De little yaller cage-bird preems 'is wings
An' he mounts 'is pyerch
an' sings an' sings;
He feels 'is cage, but I s'pec' he 'low
To take
what comes an' sing _anyhow_!
An' you ain't by yo'self, little bird, in dat--
No, you ain't by yo'self in
dat.
[Illustration]
ANSWERING BACK
Br'er Pole-cat's got a s'ciety smile
An' he sho is dressed in
scrumptious style,
But he keeps 'is own hat off de quality rack
By
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.
[Illustration]
DAT'S DE WAY MY LADY'LL DO
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
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