"'Ca'se I's afraid ob de ghosts," say li'l black Mose, an' dat de particular truth an' no mistake.
"Dey ain't no ghosts," say de school-teacher, whut board at Unc' Silas Diggs's house, right peart.
"'Co'se dey ain't no ghosts," say Zack Badget, whut dat 'feared ob ghosts he ain't dar' come to li'l black Mose's house ef de school-teacher ain't ercompany him.
"Go 'long wid your ghosts!" say li'l black Mose's ma.
"Wha' yo' pick up dat nonsense?" say he pa. "Dey ain't no ghosts."
An' dat whut all dat s'prise-party 'lows: dey ain't no ghosts. An' dey 'low dey mus' hab a jack-o'-lantern or de fun all spiled. So dat li'l black boy whut he name is Mose he done got to fotch a pumpkin from de pumpkin-patch down de hollow. So he step outen de shanty an' he stan' on de doorstep twell he get he eyes pried open as big as de bottom ob he ma's washtub, mostly, an' he say, "Dey ain't no ghosts." An' he put one foot on de ground, an' dat was de fust step.
An' de rain-dove say, "Oo-oo-o-o-o!"
An' li'l black Mose he tuck anudder step.
An' de owl mourn out, "Whut-whoo-o-o-o!"
An' li'l black Mose he tuck anudder step.