“He wet de ledder, stretched it on; made bridge an’ screws an’ aprin;
An’ fitted in a proper neck—’twuz berry long an’ taprin’;
He tuk some tin, an’ twisted him a thimble fur to ring it;
An’ den de mighty question riz: how wuz he gwine to string it?
“De ’possum had as fine a tail as dis dat I’se a singin’;
De ha’rs so long and thick an’ strong,—des fit for banjo-stringin’;
Dat nigger shaved ’em off as short as washday dinner graces;
An’ sorted ob ’em by the size, f’om little E’s to basses.
“He strung her, tuned her, struck a jig,—’twuz ‘Nebber min’ de wedder,”—
She soun’ like forty-lebben bands a-playin’ all togedder;