Rasmus Jasper Jemes: Pawson Demby, da ain’ no book ub clover in de Bible.
Did I say clover, Rasmus? Well, den, I meant de fus’ book ub Timothy. I’s bin mowin’ grass all de week, an’ I got ’fuse erbout de name.
But I mus’ hurry on to de gre’tes’ meddowtater in de Bible, de one dat writ de ’squisit’ tex’ I preach fum, King Dabid! I ain’ bin able ter fin’ it in de Bible, but I think he mus’ uh bin close kin ter Noahy, kase he had mos’ ez much charm ober beases, an’ he had uh arm ub steal. Jes’ think ub dat! It wuz his lef’ arm. De Bible don’ say what his right arm made ub, but I ’specks it wuz made ub steal er brass, kase he kotch de lion by de beard wid his lef’ han’, smut an’ kilt him wid his right han’. Now, Sampson kilt uh lion, but it wuz uh young one. Little Dabid mus’ uh bin thinkin’ ’bout dem lions when he writ, “Meh hyart wuz hot widin me; when I wuz musin’ de fire burned.” Well, it cum ter pars dat de Lawd say unter Samuel de fus’, “I wan’ uh king;” an’ Samuel de fus’ say, “I no uh man named Obid, dat’s got some monstus fine sons, but Obid he ain’ no ’count kase he fogot his son name Jesse; but it turn out all fuh de bes’, kase Jesse got ’fended, run ’way, an’ merried what dey call in dem days uh damsel, an’ ris uh fine lot ub sons.”
While Samuel wuz musin’ erbout deah quare names, who should cum ’long but Jesse, deah pa. So Samuel say, “Wha you gwine?” An’ Jesse say, “Ter help Saul ter ’noint meh youngis’ son.” An’ Saul meck uh ’miration erbout his oldes’ boys, an’ say, “How many chillun you got, anyway?” An’ Jesse say, “Six sons, an’ de youngis’ uh sweet boy name Dabid, fair ub eyes, lubly coun’nance, an’ uh monstus cunnin’ hyarp player. I s’pose he’s meh favorite son, kase he so bad; dat’s why I wan’ you ter ’noint him.” An’ Saul say, “Wha is he? I will ’noint him an’ meck him uh king.” Jesse wuz so s’prise he almos’ had uh spavin, an’ say, “Dat chile nuffin but uh boy, an’ you kyant think how bad he is. Mo’n dat, I kyant well spare him; he mines de sheep, sells de hides ub de beases; an’ ’tain’ nuffin fuh him ter kill uh ox kyart load uh week, ub lions, bars and striped tigers.”
Belubbed, Jesse didn’ wan’ ter say anything ergin his son, but de fac’ is, dat boy spent mos’ ub his time playin’ de hyarp wid uh cunnin’ arm an’ han’ ub steal, an’ wussa yit, young ez he wuz, meddowtatin’ an’ longin’ fuh Phareo’s daughter an’ other damsels.
Jesse bu’nt insects erroun’ hissef, an’ ’pon ’flection ’cided ter let he son be uh king, an’ git salbation.
Befo’ I go any fudder wid dis King Dabid narration I wan’ ter say ter de chillun in de chuch, you don’ hab ter be so strong ter de looks ter be gran’. De feebles’ an’ de baddes’ chile in dis chuch may meck de strongis’ man an’ de bes’ Babtis’ preacher.
King Dabid wuz tuck fuh uh king, tho’ he wuz de younges’ an’ de feebles’ ub dem boys, wid uh lubly face an’ long curls, jes’ de way Miss Henrietta’s use’ ter grow—but heah is de application:
De Lawd look in de hyart ub little Dabid; he saw brabery, an’ de future writer ub Sams; so he right way gib him uh arm ub steal an’ meck him king!
Will he meck you uh king?