Grinnin’ Jake.
Neber seen a feller grin
Lak dat nigger do;
When you as’ him anything
He des look at you;—
Neber answer what you say—
Grin en grin dat stupid way.
When somebody what don’t know
As’ him what he name,
He hang down dat head ob his
Ez do’ he ashame;
En he show dem teeth ob white
Lak dey speak fo’ him all right.
“Is de cat done got yo’ tongue?”
Mammy as’ him once,
“Or is you des bo’n to be
A dum’, stupid dunce?”
But he hang dat head en grin,
Silly ez he allers bin.
I mos’ b’lieve dat when he git
Up ter heaven’s gate,
If de angels as’ him why
He stan’ dar en wait,
He won’t say: “Please let me in,”
But des grin en grin en grin!
Grinnin’ Jake.
Elmiry Vaccinated.
When de vaccinater come,
My Elmiry run frum home
Fas’ ez she could go;
Run away ter Missus’ house,
Whar she slip in lak a mouse,
So de Miss won’t know.
En she scramble hin’ de head
Ob de Missus’ high pos’ bed,
Des ter hide erwhile;
En de Missus come en go
Frue dat room, but she don’t know
’Bout dat silly chile.
By en by, when she come frue,
She heah somethin’ breave, she do,
Lak somebody ’sleep;
En her heart stan’ still dat day,
En she am too sca’ed, she say,
Des to take a peep.
So she run out-do’s en call;
“Sen’ de pleeceman (heah me all!)
Right now ter my house;
Dar’s a robber ’hin’ my bed,
Waitin’ till de day be dead,
Quiet ez a mouse.”
En de news dem people spread
’Bout de robber ’hin’ de bed,
Waitin’ till day done;
En de pleeceman sho did race,
So he reach dat hidin’ place,
’Fo’e de robber run.
But when he git dar en see
Dat chile sleepin’ quiet, he
Des frow back his head,
En he laugh en laugh en say:
“Come in, Missus, right away!
Who dis ’hin’ yo’ bed?”
Dey take hol’ ob her en shake
Dat Elmiry till she wake
’Nough ter rub her eyes;
When she open dem en see
Who dat man am—goodness me!—
She am sho surprise’.
“Please, Mister Pleeceman,” den she say,
“I’ll be vaccernate’ dis day
If you let me go!”
But he say dat des a tale,
En he take her ter de jail
’Fo’e her mammy know.
Take her ter be vaccernate,
En she grunt now, soon en late,
Wid dat arm dat’s so’.
’Tain’t no use ter run frum home
When de vaccernater come;—
He gwine git you, sho.
“Simple Simon.”
Des cartin ez dey is a way
Ter miss doin what am right,
Dat boy gwine allers fin’ it out
What work fo’ Mistah White.
Las’ yeah dey had him drive ’em all
Out ter de ole school groun’,
Whar all de white folks congregate
Frum miles en miles er-roun’.
En Mistah White, when dey git dar,
Say: “Simon, now you min’,
En put dis ice we got heah, in
De cooles’ place you fin’.”
En when dey all go in ter heah
De chillun speak en sing,
Dat boy—he go en drap dat ice
Right in de bubblin’ spring!