Common songs of the plantation followed one another—songs of love, of night and bats, of devils and hobgoblins, selected according to the will of the leader—all excepting the opening song, which, although of the same repertoire, was "by request," and for obvious reasons.
It was called "When de Sun Swings Low," and ran something like this:
Look out for Mister Swaller when de sun swings low—
Watch him swoop an' sway!
He keeps a mighty dippin', like he don' know whar to go,
A-saggin' every way.
He starts sort o' nimbly,
But he settles mighty wimbly
When he scurries for de chimbley
When de sun swings low.
Does you see a cloud a-risin' when de sun swings low?
Listen ef it sings.
Hit 's a swarm o' gray muskitties, 'bout a million strong or so,
A-sharpenin' up der stings.
Dey keeps a mighty filin',
An' dey tries to sing beguilin',
But de 'skitties' song is rilin'
When de sun swings low.
Oh, de woods is all conversin' when de sun swings low—
Bird an' beast an' tree;
Dey all communes together in de languages dey know,
An' sperits rise to see.
De nightmares prances,
An' de will-o'-wisp dances,
When de moonlight advances
An' de sun swings low.
But most naïve and characteristic of them all perhaps was "Ol' Marse Adam."
Ole Mister Devil took a walk in Paradise—
Lady Mis' Eve she's a-walkin', too—
Hoped to meet Mars' Adam, she was steppin' mighty nice—
Lady Mis' Eve she's a-walkin', too.
Dis was 'fo' de fig-time, so my lady picked a rose—
Lady Mis' Eve she's a-walkin', too—
An' she helt it 'g'inst de sunlight, as she felt de need o' clo'es—
Lady Mis' Eve she's a-walkin', too.
Den she shuk 'er yaller ringlets down an' 'lowed dat she was dressed—
Lady Mis' Eve, she's a-walkin', too—
Mister Devil he come quoilin'—everbody knows de rest—
Lady Mis' Eve she's a-walkin', too.
Then, changing to a solemn, staccato measure, it went on: