“Crawled out th'oo the chim'ly, like Santa Claus,” was Billy's next guess.
“'Twa'n't no chim'ly to it. Give it up? Give it up?” the little girl laughed gleefully. “Well, he just broke out with measles.”
“It is Billy's time,” said Lina, who seemed to be mistress of ceremonies.
“Tabernicle learnt this here one at school; 'see, if y' all can guess it: 'Tabby had four kittens but Stillshee didn't have none 't all”'
“I don't see no sense a tall in that,” argued Jimmy, “'thout some bad little boys drownded 'em.”
“Tabby was a cat,” explained the other boy, “and she had four kittens; and Stillshee was a little girl, and she didn't have no kittens 't all.”
“What's this,” asked Jimmy: “'A man rode'cross a bridge and Fido walked? 'Had a little dog name' Fido.”
“You didn't ask that right, Jimmy,” said Lina, “you always get things wrong. The riddle is, 'A man rode across a bridge and Yet he walked,' and the answer is, 'He had a little dog named Yet who walked across the bridge.'”
“Well, I'd 'nother sight ruther have a little dog name' Fido,” declared Jimmy. “A little dog name' Yet and a little girl name' Stillshee ain't got no sense a tall to it.”
“Why should a hangman wear suspenders?” asked Lina. “I'll bet nobody can answer that.”