The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-30
WHEN BIRDs LEARN TO SING.
A Negro Folk Lore Fable of the owl
and the Mockingbird.

A Negro Folk Lore Fable of the owl
and the Moc<ingbird.
From, the snrinefield CNIass) Republican.
We have received from FLORIDA friend
this negro bird-fabe, which is new to us
The narrator is Uncle Ned cock; 'Why'
bress your souls, gemmen, 'twouid De cas-
Ter for rich man to enter de needles eye
den TO- me to sing one OBJ desc yer so-loWsi
an you'll be 'bliged to skuse me fum Dat
part of de programme But, as bein pro-
pirate to de 'casion, 7 Sc gwine tell We now
come de birds to sing all de song 'Wut dey
sing Hit war long vile ago-muss ha DIN
some time fore Adam and Ebe wuz in de
gyardin. All de birds dat time dldn
sing no mo- song dan old Turkey-Buzzard
de on'y bird dat neber done learn no sohs.
But ole Misser Owl, he bein' de known est
bird of de flock an bein' hisself bent on
eddica ton. an advaucement-he lowed he
amt gwine to heb sech a state oh things no
longer So he take his hat, an he so
roun' an he take up a collection; an
wen he git de collection took up. he git
to wuk, an he bull, a powerful school
house: An den he notify all he BIRDS TO
KUN an get sum eddication, an larn sum
songs.
wen he done got all de birds in de
schoo house, den he rang bout de les
sons, an den he call up de classes. lie
call up de trush bird class, an he teach
DEAN a song; he cali up de jay bird class
an teach dem a song; he call up de robin
class, an he teach de one song. An Wen
he go on all he done darn ali "a birds one
song apiece wild dat he GIBBS dem sum berry
good awice bout dedication an advance
ment-an he tole UNI come mex day and
git sum more eddica lion, an larn new
song. An den he ring de bell and dismiss
dem So de birds de doc; an Misser Owl
he bring up de rear wild a stick in his han.
Now, Wen Misser Owl git to &c doc,
he cas- his eye up in de tree, and dere sit
ole Misses Mockinbird. Sir, dat ere bird
amt bin in hat school house tail; he jes'
bin playin truant; an wen he see Misser
Owl in de doc. he jes' lit in, an he sing
ebry one o. dem songs. Yes, sah-he sing
ebry one OBJ dem. An ole Misser Owl, he
so mad dat he eyes jes swell up viii pas
sion, so dat dey catch here. An he say,
"Whoo, WHO'D, WHO'D are YOU? An Misser
Owl nebber had 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
go off, stiffy like-dey jes walk off. an
dey nebber come back to larn nary udder
song. Dey go right on singing dat same
ole song from genera ton to generation.
An right heah, school teachers, femme glib
you jest one little bit oh advice: W'enebber
you sees yure chillens a'settin across de
street on de top boa'd oh he fence, an
a-kickin' de secon' boa'd wild dere heels,
an a-makin fun at you-doan' you git
mad doan' you let yo' angry passions
rise! else yo' eyes gwine swell up, jes. like
Misser OwPs-an' dey nebber will come no
mo- An now, little chilluns, W'enebber
yo' see yo' playmates a-mockin OBJ yo, an
a-makln' fun OBJ yo', 70 dem lessons youse
wukked so had to larn, doan yo' frow yo'
book one side, an say 1 amt gwine study
no mo- You go right on wid dat lesson
else yo's swine froo dis world saying dat
same ole song ober an ober ag'in, till eb-
berybody he say, Yes, sab! Yes, sab. Good
night sab -" ..--