"'Wen de puddle-duck'e leave de pon',
En start t' comb e fedder,
Den yo' bettah take yo' omberel,
Kase deys gwine tubbee wet wedder.'"
"Now comes the speckly rooster," the Colonel prompted.
The Boy crowed long and loud:
"'Effer ole wile rooster widder speckly tail
Commer crowin' befoh de do',
En yo got some comp'ny a'ready,
Yo's gwinter have some mo'.'"
Then he grunted, and went on all fours. "Kaviak!" he called, "you take warnin'——
"'Wen yo' see a pig agoin' along—'"
Look here: Kaviak's never seen a pig! I call it a shame.
"'Wen yo' see a pig agoin' along
Widder straw en de sider 'is mouf,
It'll be a tuhble winter,
En yo' bettuh move down Souf.'"
He jumped up and dashed into a breakdown, clattering the bones, and screeching:
"'Squirl he got a bushy tail,
Possum's tail am bah,
Raccoon's tail am ringed all roun'—
Touch him ef yo dah!
Rabbit got no tail at all,
Cep a little bit o' bunch o' hah.'"