The Norsk Nightingale | Page 5

yust how dis ban,?Ay skol tal yu story the best ay can.
Op the street com Yen-ral Yackson,?Ay bet yu he ban a gude attraction;?For all dese Reubs skol rubber lak hal,?And some of dem calling the yen'ral "pal."?Yackson, he see dem on both sides?Shooting dis bunk to save deir hides.?Den op in vindow he see big flag,?And tenk at first he must have a yag.?No: sure enuff, it ban Union Yack.?So Stonevall stand on his horse's back,?Yell at his men. Dey shoot, von and all,?And into the gutter flag skol fall.
Den Barbara get pretty mad, yu bet,?And say, "Ay skol fule dese geezers yet."?She run to her bureau double haste,?And, yerking out dandy peek-a-boo waist,?Nail it to flagstaff, and vave it hard,?And say: "Dis skol hold yu avile, old pard.?Shoot, ef yu must, dis peek-a-boo,?Ef it ant qvite holy enough for yu,?And tak gude aim at dis old gray head,?But spare yure country's flag!" she said.
Den Stonevall Yackson look purty cheap,?And all his soldiers feel yust lak sheep.?He say: "Dis lady skol standing pat.?She ban game old party, ay tal yu dat.?Who taking a shot at yon gray hair?Skol get gude ticket for Golden Stair!"
All day long in Frederick town?Soldiers ban marching op and down.?And late dat night, ven dey leave on Soo,?Dey see dis fluttering peek-a-boo.?And Stonevall Yackson say, "Vat yu tenk!"?And yerk out bottle and tak gude drenk.
SHERIDAN'S RIDE
Ef yu ban vise, and ay s'pose yu ban,?Yu know 'bout Yeneral Sheridan;?But maybe yu ant remember the day?Ven he yump on horse, and den he say,?"Ay'm yust about tventy-sax miles avay."
Some rebel fallers ban start big row?In Vinchester. Ay ant know yust how,?But ay tenk dey yump on some Yankee guys,?And trying to give dem gude black eyes.?So Yeneral Sheridan hear dese guns,?And drank some coffee and eat some buns,?And tal dis har landlord, "Gude-by, Yack,?Ay skol paying my bill ven ay com back!"?Den he ride so fast that sune he say,?"Val, now ay ban saxteen miles avay!"
Dese cannons ban roaring gude and loud,--?It ban tough game for dis Yankee crowd;?And Lieut. Olson, he tal his pal,?"'Ay tank we ban due to run lak hal!"?So dey start to run, or else retreat,--?Dis ban noder name for gude cold feet;?And dey run so fast sum dey can go,?Lak Russians luring dese Yaps, yu know.?"Yee whiz!" say Sheridan. "Yump, old hoss!?Ay tenk my soldiers get double cross,?Ay s'pose yure hoofs getting purty sore,?But we only got 'bout sax miles more!"
Val, Yeneral Sheridan meet his men,?And he say: "It's now yust half-past ten.?Ay hope ay skol never go to heaven?Ef dese Rebel Svedes ant licked by eleven.?Yust turn round now in yure track!?Come on, yu fallers! Ve're going back!"?And yu bet yure life dey vent back, tu,?And put gude crimp in dis Rebel crew.?But soldiers ban careless sons of guns,?And the yeneral never settled for buns.
THE NORSK NIGHTINGALE
HIS POETICAL TRANSLATIONS
SPEAK GENTLY
Speak yentle; it ban better far?To rule by love dan fear;?Ef yu speak rough, yu stand nice chance?To get gude smash on ear.
Speak yentle to the coal-man--he?Ban easy to get mad;?Ef yu ant getting any coal,?By yinger, dat ban bad!
Speak yentle to the alderman,?Ven he ban feeling blue,?And maybe, ven he turn gude trick.?He skol whack op vith yu.
Speak yentle to yure lady frends,?And give gude lots of bunk,?Ef yu skol lak to getting chance?To put yure clothes in trunk.
Speak yentle to Yim Yeffries, tu,--?Ay tenk dis ban gude hunch;?Den yu ant need to put yure face?On Maester Yeffries' punch!
Speak yentle everyvere yu go,?And people skol forget?That yu ban vatching for gude chance?Tu vinning every bet!
THE BAREFOOT BOY
Blessings on yu, little man!?Barefoot boy, ay tenk yu can?Getting all yu lak, by yee!?Yu ban gude enuff for me.?Yu ant got so many clo'es,?Dar ban freckles on yure nose,?And ay guess yu're purty tuff,?'Cause yu ask for chew of snuff.?But, by yinks, ay lak yure face,?Yu can passing any place.
Barefoot boy, ef ay could du?Yenuine po'try lak the kind?Maester Vittier wrote for yu,?Ay vould write; but never mind,?Ay can tal yu vat ay know,?Even ef dese vords ant flow?Half so slick sum poet's song.?Anyhow, ay don't mean wrong.?Ven ay see yu, little kid,?Ay skol taking off my lid.?Oder little boys ay see?Ant look half so gude to me.
Some of dem ban rich men's boys,?Who ban having planty toys,?Vearing nicest clo'es in town,?Lak dis little Buster Brown.?Don't yu care! Ven dey grow up,?And ban shining at pink tea,?Drenking tea from china cup,?Yu skol give dem loud tee-hee.?Yu skol laugh at dis har mob?Ven dey come to yu for yob.?Barefoot boy, yu ant got cent;?But ay tal yu dis, some day?Yu got chance for president?Ef dese woters com yure vay.?Yust keep vistling all day long,?Yust keep senging little song,?And ef yu skol alvays love?Some one who ban op above,?Who ban making day and night,?He skol fix