An’ in a quick time de Ol’ Witch was upon dem. An’ she go in de yard, say, anyone as would knock de packey off ’im head she would tek for a husband. De smaller brudder fling an’ couldn’t knock off de packey. De Ol’ Witch woman call to William mamma if she don’ have a bigger son. “Yes, but he have fever in bed, kyan’t come out.” An’ de Ol’ Witch never cease till William have to come out. As he come out, he pick up a little trash an’ knock off de packey. Ol’ Witch say, “Yes, you is my husban’!”
An’ him sleep at William house de night; nex’ mo’ning dem gwine to go ’way. In de night, when William an’ de wife gone to bed, part of de night when William was in dead sleep, de Ol’ Witch tek one razor to cut William t’roat. An’ William have t’ree dog, one name Blum-blum, one name Sinde, one name Dido. An’ when de Ol’ Witch tek de razor, Blum-blum grumble an’ de razor mout’ tu’n over. William wake. He drop asleep again, Ol’ Witch raise up,—
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]
♩ = 72
Sharpen me razor, Sharpen me razor, shar come schwee, sho am schwee!
Sinde grumble an’ razor mout’ tu’n over. An’ drop asleep again, an’ when de Ol’ Witch raise up again, Dido grumble an’ de razor mout’ tu’n over.
Daylight a mo’ning, get up William mamma, boil coffee, give dem chocolate. William an’ wife gwine away now, an’ he tell him mudder chain dem t’ree dog dey got, Blum-blum, Sinde, Dido; an’ him get a big white basin an’ he set de basin jus’ at de hall middle, an’ him tell de mudder dat as soon as see de basin boil up in blood, him mus’ let go de t’ree dogs. An’ he tell good-by, gwine now in witch country. Travel an’ travel till dem come to clean common. An’ he fling a marble so far, de place wha’ de marble stop is one apple-tree grow, had one apple quite in de branch top. An’ ’he said, “My dear William, I ask you kindly if you will climb dis tree an’ pick dis apple fo’ me.” When William go up in de apple-tree, Ol’ Witch says to William, “Hah! I tell you I got you t’-day! for de place wha’ you see me knock out pickney out o’ me skin, you wi’ have to tell me t’-day.” William says, “Yes, I know about dat long time, for it will be ‘iron cut iron’ to-day!” For oftentimes him an’ fader go to wood an’ him saw fader fall a green tree an’ leave a dry one. As Ol’ Witch got William on apple-tree, Ol’ Witch knock out ten axe an’ ten axe-men, gwine fall de tree. Den William start song,— [[98]]
[[audio/mpeg]] | [MusicXML]]