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| I AIN’T afeard uv snakes, or toads, or bugs, or worms, or mice, | |
| An’ things ’at girls are skeered uv I think are awful nice! | |
| I ’m pretty brave, I guess; an’ yet I hate to go to bed, | |
| For, when I ’m tucked up warm an’ snug an’ when my prayers are said, | |
| Mother tells me “Happy dreams!” and takes away the light, | 5 |
| An’ leaves me lyin’ all alone an’ seein’ things at night! | |
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| Sometimes they ’re in the corner, sometimes they ’re by the door, | |
| Sometimes they ’re all a-standin’ in the middle uv the floor; | |
| Sometimes they are a-sittin’ down, sometimes they ’re walkin’ round | |
| So softly an’ so creepylike they never make a sound! | 10 |
| Sometimes they are as black as ink, an’ other times they ’re white— | |
| But the color ain’t no difference when you see things at night! | |
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| Once, when I licked a feller ’at had just moved on our street, | |
| An’ father sent me up to bed without a bit to eat, | |
| I woke up in the dark an’ saw things standin’ in a row, | 15 |
| A-lookin’ at me cross-eyed an’ p’intin’ at me—so! | |
| Oh, my! I wuz so skeered that time I never slep’ a mite— | |
| It ’s almost allus when I ’m bad I see things at night! | |
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| Lucky thing I ain’t a girl, or I ’d be skeered to death! | |
| Bein’ I ’m a boy, I duck my head an’ hold my breath; | 20 |
| An’ I am, oh! so sorry I ’m a naughty boy, an’ then | |
| I promise to be better an’ I say my prayers again! | |
| Gran’ma tells me that ’s the only way to make it right | |
| When a feller has been wicked an’ sees things at night! | |
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| An’ so, when other naughty boys would coax me into sin, | 25 |
| I try to skwush the Tempter’s voice ’at urges me within; | |
| An’ when they ’s pie for supper, or cakes ’at ’s big an’ nice, | |
| I want to—but I do not pass my plate f’r them things twice! | |
| No, ruther let Starvation wipe me slowly out o’ sight | |
| Than I should keep a-livin’ on an’ seein’ things at night! | 30 |
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