“Po’ little colt commenc’ ter whinnyin’ an’ cryin’, an’ his ma was so sorry an’ miserbul dat she tuck him in her arms an’ ’gun ter pattin’ an’ er singin’ ter him jes’ like dis:
“‘Mama luvs de baby,
Papa luvs de baby,
Ev’ybody luvs de baby,
Hush yo’ bye, doan you cry,
Go ter sleepy lill’e baby.
De lill’e calfee an’ de lill’e colt, too,
Dey keeps mighty close ter dey mama,
Caze Jack Frost’s out er huntin’ all erbout,
Ter ketch lill’e chillun when dey holler.
Hush yo’ bye, doan you cry,
Go ter sleepy lill’e baby.
Mama luvs de baby,
Papa luvs de baby,
Ev’ybody luvs de baby.
All dem horses in dat fiel’
B’longs ter you lill’e baby:
Dapple, gray, de white an’ de bay,
An’ all de pretty lill’e ponies.
Hush yo’ bye, doan you cry,
Go ter sleepy lill’e baby.
Mama luvs de baby,
Papa luvs de baby,
Ev’ybody luvs de baby.’”
Softer and softer grew the crooning, until the little boy dropped into peaceful slumber.
“Now, den, de ole man’s drapt off at las’. Bless de chile, he is er man sho’ nuf; an’ de way he prove he gwine be jes’ like de res’ er de men folks, is de way he lets de wimmen fool him; eb’n er old black ’ooman like I is!”
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