The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-13
BILLY CRICKET AND THE CANDLE-BUG.

never would fin outen de time to die an be done
knows when dey's numbered on de earth long
enough when de good Lawd or de tother chaps
ready an waitin' fur EN- dis long time An
what s'prises me de mos about desc flies is dat
de Thanksgivin' turkeys done ct up an gone,
an Christmas is mos nigh heah. an dem flies
jes' hang on an hang on like passed. of onwel-
come relashuns when dey come a visitin."
The little boy had long since learned to recog-
nize the preamble to story, and he drew
cautiously nearer to the old woman, as she filed
her pipe and dipped it into the live Goals in the
stove hearth. After few vigorous whifs she
continued, meditatiyely:
But, reckon, bugs has dere trials same as
folks an tell you, honey. dat betwix folks an
bugs, be bugs don't STAN much chance nohow.
Aud now dat 1 think of it," she said with
frown, sit seems to me dat done seed little
boy jes' abouten yo' size squash somethin' undeh
his foot no longer n yesterday
20, that was big black spider, Aunt Dinah,"
said the little boy. 1--WE seen mamma kill
spiders many q time"
Oats all right, honey, if yo' nanny give you
leave to squash spiders, but dey's bugs an bugs;
an l never can beah to see Billy Cricket nor
none of his family ton limb from limb kaze
manys de time dat he sing his lonesome song to
keep me company in de evenin's when dassent
light cane fur dem onchristian can'le bugs dat
fip-fop aroun' an make de cane flicker, an
hum, an buzz. an dash dereselves agin de win
dow pane Billy Cricket may have his failin's"
she continued earnestly, "but neitheh him nor
none of his folks ever can do so much harm as ole
man Canle- bug an his relashuns. Billy Cricket
may eat spear er two OF grass onct in WHILE
but he can't nigh eat up all de roots err de grass
an de wheat, an everything else OATS got roots
like ole Miss Grubworm, Mr.. Can'le- bugs flesh
an blood, nanny. No, Stree dat he can't. An
if deys fruit tree, er elm, er oak tree in dis
here huddle dey's all we'll acquainted with de
carryin's-on Of dat same Canle-b bug family, deed
dey is, said the old woman, as she lapsed into
meditative silence: After pause the little boy
moved about noisily to attract her attention.
Finally she laid down her pipe and taking her
knitting from her pocket and slowly. unrolling
it she looked at her young auditor and said
did l ever tell you about de high jinks time
dat Billy Cricket an young Mr.. Can'lebug had
one time"
''No. aunt Dinah," said the little boy. gleeful-
~; "but thought Billy Cricket got eaten up by
the frog the time he and the katydid. and the
grasshopper had the concert"
Law no, honey. dat waz only one Of de Billy
Crickets-dey's millions of his relashun lef'.
Why, bless 20 soul, chile. old man Turkey Cob
bier Amt moen ct up one Billy Cricket den
ole Miss Turkey Hen would see his twin brer
hoppin clean outen her reach-dey's millions of
'em, honey. Don't you int'rup me no mo- now
an I'll tell you de story jes like I heard it."
Zone time, while Billy Cricket wuz takin' his
evenin' walk on his way to call on Miss Mokins
an de Kunnel, an chirpin' to keep hisself I'M
lonesome who should he see an heah but Mr..
'le-bug zoonin' along towa'ds de open win
dow of de same folks what he's gwine to call on.
"'Kiyi Mr. Canlebug; whah you gwinel' sez
he. Jes' den Mr.. Canle bug bat hisself agin de
side Of de house, an fell down close to Billy
Cricket's feet, an after he foundeh aroun'
awhile he stan up on his TO legs an say dat as
hn dot tinhf in hItoc Mo1yt rotc
an de Kunnels settin' room, he can't fuse
de temptation to 90 in, an call on 'em, an
sco'ch his wings little. An right heah, honey,
want to tell you dat dis swingein' of hisself
don't hurt de canle-bug ha'f as much as folks
mought think. kaze he amt got keen nerves like
Billy Cricket an yo' Aunt Dinah, not by long
sight Well, after dey wuz done a-talkin' about
de affairs of de neighborhood, an 'scussin' pol
itics dey gun to talk about themselves an de
white folks an Billy Cricket he boast little,
an Mr.. Can le-bug he Drag, an finally he say:
Well, Mr.. Cricket, it's a-gittin late, an Miss
Mokins an de Kunnel will be 'xpectin me long
TO dis Den Billy Cricket laugh an say: Dey
won't miss you much jedgin from the way I've
seen EN- chasin' you roun' an roun' many
time
''Den Mr.. Can1e-bug tun red in de face and
say, l guess I'm purity nigh IS welcome at Miss
Mokins's an de Kunnel's as you air.
with dat dey had some mo- wods on de sub
jec an Billy Cricket say spose dey bofe git into
de house an see who is de welcomest
''Mr. Canle-bug say dat'll suit him, an den he
vibrate his wings an make 'em hum, an fly
straight into de room, an dash hisself agin de
wall, an foundeh down on de flo, an de fust
thing you know dere dat camiliky Billy
Cricket chirpin' right in de cawner.
II tell you, honey, dey amt no whtefolks let
alone bugs dat can beat Billy Cricket in a hop
pin match" said the old woman admrinely.
'Jes den Mr.. Canle-bug make dash at de
lamp, an Kunnel Mokns slash him with pews-
paper, an Miss Mokins dodge an scream out
m dat amt dam, Gov 10
dat always carry's bed bugs under his wings
Shoe him out, quick Kunne' An over in
the cawner, Billy cricket laugh, ir-r-r-rret r-r-
ret. an Mr. Can'le-bug swirl aroun' an light in
Miss Mokins's ha'r, an she scream an holer, an
de Kunnel run an grab whole hanful of ha'r
outen her head befo' he could get dat imperent
bug TO let go his hollis. Den they chasted him roun
an roun, an he whir an bat his head agin de
wall an swing his wings agin de lamp. jes' to
show Billy Cricket how much attention he could
ptract jes' like white folks does sometimes; an
bless ERASMUS de fust thing he know he swnge
t DO oaa his e wings no clean off sl0ste an
Mokins pick him up an flung him outen de win
dow far as he could SEN him, an he whirl roun',
dizzy like, until he fell head fo'most right into
de mouf of ole man Turkey Gobbler, who wuz a
sleepin' with it open on purpose to catch les
sich bugs, an dat wuz de end of him.
Sur some time after dis fun wuz over Billy
Cricket sot right still, an purity soon Miss Mo-
kins an de Kunnel start to bed an dat camiliky
Billy Cricket jes' foller along kaze he want to
prove his welcome to hisself. Every onct in
while he would chirp an lissen, an lissen an
chirp an finally Miss Mokins say, Dat
cricket chirp SCUM we'll enough in
poetry, but l can't get to sleep
with no SIGH a chune as dat Den Billy Cricket
chirp an lissen, an Miss Mokins tun an twis' in
dc bed. and purity socn she say, cross-like: Kun
mel Mokins why don't you git up an chaste dat
botheracious varmint outen de house. soze yo
po' wife can git little balm o gilead sleep. /
say dat you wouldn't let no chirpin' bugs come
botherin' along Of me befo' Deacon Smith TIED
the knot betwix' u.s.
"An' Billy Cricket jes kick up his heels an
laugh. ir-r-r-ret ir-r-rret, an Miss Mokns she
rake de Kunnel till he's bleedged to hunt Mr.
Billy. An SIGH time as he had with dat camil-
ky bug! He jes' hop an skip rouu' dat room,
fust under de table, den under de bed,
fust place and den another.
an he ir-r-r-retate dat po' man till de pores of