The Norsk Nightingale | Page 7

slowly setting on big hilltops far avay;?Dis bar sun ban tired of standing, so it lak to set, yu say; And yust ven dis sun ban setting, it shine hard on Yosephine; She ban talking to the sexton, and ban feeling purty mean.?"Now," she tal him, "yust be careful,... ay skol fix it op all right; Yust one teng ay lak to tal yu, Curfew skol not reng to-night!"
Val, the sun yust keep on setting, and the sexton start for bell. "Vait a minute!" Yosie tal him; sexton answer, "Vat to 'ell?" "Val," she say, "ay having sveetheart who ban over har in yail, Ay ban vorking hard for money, nuff so ay can pay his bail; But it ant no use to du it, and dis har old yudge skol write That he dies ven bell start going. Curfew skol not reng to-night!"
Den, yu say, dis maester sexton, he can't hearing Yosephine; He ban vork in boiler factory ven he ban about saxteen,?And it mak him deaf lak blazes. So he go and grabbing rope; But Miss Yosephine ant qvitter, she ant losing any hope.?No, sir! she run op in bell tower, yust so fast sum she can run, And she tak gude hold on bell tongue, and hang on lak son of a gun.
Maester sexton, he keep renging, but dis bell ant reng, yu say; For Miss Yosephine ban op dar; she ant ban no country yay.?Ay yust bet yu she get groggy, for her yob ban purty tough; But the bell don't "dingle dangle," it ant even making bluff. "Val, by yinger!" say the sexton, "dis har rope ban awful tight." Yosephine look down, and tal him, "Curfew skol not reng to-night!"
Purty soon it ban all over. Sexton, he ban start for town,?And Miss Yosie rest a minute, den ay s'pose she coming down. Anyhow, she go next morning for gude talk vith some poleece, And she yolly Maester Cromwell--he ban Yustice of the Peace. "Gude for yu," say Maester Cromwell, "ay skol let him live, all right: Yust because yu fule dis sexton--curfew skol not reng to-night!"
A PSALM OF LIFE
Tal me not, yu knocking fallers,?Life ban only empty dream;?Dar ban planty fun, ay tal yu,?Ef yu try Yohn Yohnson's scheme.?Yohn ban yust a section foreman,?Vorking hard vay up on Soo;?He ban yust so glad in morning?As ven all his vork ban tru.
"Vork," say Yohn, "ban vat yu mak it.?Ef yu tenk yure vork ban hard,?Yu skol having planty headaches,--?Yes, yu bet yure life, old pard;?But ay alvays yerk my coat off,?Grab my shovel and my pick,?And dis yob ant seem lak hard von?Ef ay du it purty qvick."
Yohn ban foreman over fallers.?He ant have to vork, yu see;?But, yu bet, he ant no loafer,?And he yust digs in, by yee!?"Listen, Olaf," he skol tal me,?"Making living ant no trick.?And the hardest yob ban easy?Ef yu only du it qvick!"
"Let us den be op and yumping,?Always glad to plow tru drift;?Ven our vork ban done, den let us?Give some oder faller lift.?Den, ay bet yu, old Saint Peter,?He skol tenk ve're purty slick;?Ve can go tru gates, ay bet yu,?Ef ve only du it qvick!"
ANNIE LAURIE
Minneapolis ban qvite bonny?Ven early fall the dew;?It ban dar dat ay ask Steena?To mak her promise true,--?To mak her promise true;?But she yust pass me by;?And she tal me, "Maester Olaf,?Yu skol pleese lay down and die."
Her brow ban yust lak snowdrift?Or Apple Blossom flour;?And she smile lak anyel fallers,?Ay tenk of her each hour,--?Ay tenk of her each hour,?And feel lak ay can cry,?Ven she tal me, "Maester Olaf,?Yu skol pleese lay down and die."
Like dew on sidevalk falling,?She du me gude, ay guess.?Ay tal her, "Pleese, Miss Steena,?Vy don't yu answer yes?--?Vy don't yu answer yes?"?But she yust venk her eye,?And she tal me, "Maester Olaf,?Yu skol pleese lay down and die."
THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
Yoyfully, yoyfully,?Yoyfully onvard,?In dis har walley of death?Rode the sax hundred!?It ban a cinch, ay tenk,?Some geezer blundered.?"Hustle, yu Light Brigade!?Yump!" Maester Olson said;?Den in the walley of death?Go the sax hundred.
Cannon on right of dem,?Cannon on left of dem,?Cannon on top of dem,?Wolleyed and t'undered;?Smashed vith dis shot and shal,?Dey ant do wery val;?Most of dem ketching hal,--?Nearly sax hundred!
Yes, all dem sabres bare?Flash purty gude in air;?Each faller feel his hair?Standing. No vonder!?Yudas! It ant ban yob?For any coward slob,?Fighting dis Russian mob.?Ay tenk ay vudn't stand?Yeneral's blunder.
Cannon on right of dem,?Cannon on top of dem,?Cannon behind dem, tu,?Wolleyed and t'undered.?Finally say Captain Brenk,?"Ve got enuff, ay tenk,?Let's go and getting drenk."?'Bout tventy-sax com back?Out of sax hundred.
Ven skol deir glory fade??It ban gude charge dey made,?Every von vondered.?Every von feeling blue,?'Cause dey ban brave old crew,?Yolly gude fallers, tu,?Dis har sax hundred!
EXCELSIOR
The shades of night ban falling fast,?Ven tru Dakota