"I know you. I knows ven you come. Sometimes you tell stories to ze girls, and I hear you ven I bees dis side."
Going up and putting my hand on the little speaker's head, I said,—
"Pray, what little girl is this here, with these long pretty curls, swinging on the gate?"
"I bees not a girl,—I bees a boy, I be."
Then passing my hand down over a little coat covered with buttons, I said,—
"Surely, so you are a little boy; but what is your name?"
"My name bees Little Jakey; dot is my name."
"Little Jakey! Indeed! and pray, when did you come here?"
Quick as thought his little foot struck out against the post again, and the gate went flying to and fro, as before; then coming to a sudden halt, he said,—
"Vell, I tink I tell you. I bees here von Sunday and von Sunday and von Sunday; so long I bees here."