The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-07
WHY THE FROG HAS NO TAIL.


nigh de mill:
He stayed in de pom when he want OIL
de bank,
An hot days he stayed whar de grass
wuz rank;
He liked col water, an he liked de sun;
He wuz marked like clown, an full Ell
fun
When he stood up he sot, an he hoped
when he run.
Day in an day out he wuz much de same
Brer Bull-Frog dey named him, an hi
answer ter de name.
Pop-eyed he wuz, wild no ha'r on his head
An dey want no tellin' when he went
ter bed,
Kazo he'd watch all day an heller al
night,
An de creeturs all say dat dat want
right;
An mo- dan dat, dey say 'twuz shame
Dat any kinder crectur shiil ruin his
name.
Brer Bull-Frog say, Come along, Oh
come!
I amt got nothin' but jug er rum
Jug-er-rum Jug-er-rum! I'll gi you
some!"
Dc creeturs dey say, Its wuss an wuss
And de fust news you know, he'll up an
cuss,
En- he'll git so mad dat he'll swell up an
bus
Brer Rabbit he hear or de jug er rum,
An he smack his mouf wild Nyurl
nyum nyum!
An he study an study how he'll git i'm
dram,
An bimeby he went on de OF mill-dam;
De water look so col it make I'm shlver--
Bull-Frog say, "Taint col ez de river.
De water lap-lap-Brer Rabbits skin
creep
Brer Bull-Frog, "Knee-deep! Knee-deep"
Brer Rabbit jump in-ker-splish, ker
splash
An it like ter "a been de las er his
hash;
He fotch a snort an he fotch a sneezc,
1t made i'm cough, an it made i'm
wheeze-
He alters strangle when it's deeper dan
his knees.
Brer Rabbit put out, an put out faster.
An de Frog he laugh like a bull in dc
paStur
After dat, Brer Rabbit he watch an wait,
He riz mighty soon, an he went ter bed
late;
He watch by de poplar, an by de mill
gate,
Oar wuz times when he'd laugh, an
times when he'd grin
He wuz fixin fer ter take dat Bull-Frog
in.
Well, time f1ickered on, and Brer Bull
Frog
Gun ter think bout gwine fun de pom
ter de bog; ~}s ..
He wash his neck, an wipe his feet,
So de gals would think he wuz mighty
sweet.
An when he come out-Mon, he wuz
drest,
A long green coat an white silk vest,
Britches fer ter match, an shoes with
buckles,
An a little cooked hat, full er green an
white speckles.
Twas a right smart piece fun de pom
ter de river,
So he done up his tail in de unbrelP
Ah-yi! dats sump'n dat don't seem ter
strike you;
Well, laugh on, honey, an make folks
like you!
Brer Rabbit see i'm comm, an des fer
fun
Make like he skeered, an broke an run
Brer Bull-Frog bellered, 'Whar my gum"
An hoped on after ez hard ez he kin,
An Brer Rabbit try hard fer ter hide n
grin;
He led Brer Frog ter boiler tree,
An in he went wild You can't git met
An out he popped on de yuther side,
While de Frog hop in wild his unbrelr
wide.
De Frog boiler out, II dar' you ter comet
An he talk des like he wuZ IN a base
drum;
Now, OF smarty Rabbit had done brune
his ak,
An he hit de boiler some right hard
whacks-
I amt tellin' nothin' but dc natchu!
De Frog git skeered at so much maulln'.
Kaze he thunk dat bimeby de freed be
fallin:
Brer Rabbit wuz dar, an when de Frog
move
He chop his tail off smicksmack-smoovc!
De Frog fotch bcllcr, an mako fer de
river,
He lef' his tail an dc umbrelf kivVer-
He lef' UNI dar, right on de groun,
An de tail it wiggle twel de sun went