The evening times., 1897-11-29
MocklNG BIRD AND owl
An Interesting Bit Of Folk y4ore
From Florida.


Erom the Springfield Republican,
We have received from a Florida friend
this negro bird fable, which is new 70 us.
The narrator is Uncle Ned, q Cook: way
bress your souls, gemmen, twouid ee easier
for a rich man to enter de neeule's eye
den fo' me to sing one OBJ desc yer so-iows,
an you'll be 'bliged to skuse me rum nat
part oh de program. But, asbein pfopnaro
to de 'cps:on, Use gwtne ter tell sc how
come de bi, ds to sing all de song wut,ley
sing. HIT wal long vile ago-muss nas Iin
sonc time befo' Adam and Eve WIZ
in de Gyardin All de birds, dat time.
didn't cing no mo- song dan old Turkey;
Buzzard-de on'y bird dat nei'cr done icaIn
No song. But ole Misser owl, hc. tein
de knowin'est bird oh de flock, an bein'
hisself bent ON eddication, an advance
ment--ne lowed he amt gwine to. leh
sech state OBJ things no longer. SO
he take his hat, an go 'roun' an take
up collection; an wen he git de collec-
ton tnok up he git to wuk, an he nd,r a
powerful schoolhouse. An den he notify
all de birds to kun an git sum eddica ton,
an larn sum songs es
'w'en he done got all de birds in de
schooihouse, den he range 'bout de les
sons, an den he call up de classes. He
call up de t'rush-bird class, an he teach
den a song; he call up de iay-tird class an
teach de:n q song, he call up de robiaels IS.
an lie teach dem Ole kOng. An ven lie
go on till he done larn all de birds one 80 IL
apiece, wild dat he gi1s dem sum berry good
advice bout eddication an advancement
and he tole un come next day an git
sum more edticltion, an larn a new song.
An den lie ring de Eell an ais,uiss dein.
So de birds all file down de aisle an roun
de room and out de door; an Misser CIV
he bring ur de rear Wild a stick in his IAN.
Now wen Misser Owl git to de doc, he
cas- his eye up III de tree, an dare sit ole
Missis Mockin-b.rd. Sir, dat ere bird amt
bin in dat school-house tall, he jes' bin
playin' truaut; an wen he see Misser
Owl in de doc, ne jes' lit in, an he sing
ebry one o dem songs. Yes, sabine sing
ebry ON. a. dem. An ole Misssr @ wi, he
so mad dat he eyes jes' swell up wild pas-
SION, SO .iat dey catch dere. Au' de say.
.Whoo, whoo. whoU are your An Misser
Owl nebber hab bin able ter gwout in de
daytime no time sence, Gaze de light hurt
his eye
Den all de birds, dey so mad dat dey
all 20 off, stiffy like-dey jes walk off,an
d. nebber come back TO larn nary udder
song. Dey &c right on singing dat same
ole song from generation To generation. An
right heah. school teachers, lemme glib you
Jest one little hit OBJ advice: Wenebter
you sees yur chiiens a-setting across de
street on de top-to'ad OBJ de fence, an
s.-kickin' de secon' bo'ad wild de:e heels,an
a-makin fun at you doan' you git ma d.
doan you let yo' angry passions rise else
yo' eyes CIV inc swell up, jes' like Misser
OWLS an dey nebber will come- down no
mo- An now, little chiliuns, W 'enebbcr W
see yo' playmates a-mockin' Oh yo', an
a amakin' fun ob yo', 70 dem lessons yoVsc
wukked SO ha'c to larn, doan' y1' 'frow so
book one side, an say amt gwine study
no mo. You 20 right on wild dat lesson =
else yo's gwine froo dis world saym' dat
same ole song ober an obcr agin-tili
ebberbody he say, Yes sab! yes, sah.
Good night, sab.