| |
| YOU, Nebuchadnezzar, whoa, sah! | |
| Whar is you tryin’ to go, sah? | |
| I ’d hab you fur to know, sah, | |
| I ’s a-holdin’ ob de lines. | |
| You better stop dat prancin’, | 5 |
| You ’s paw’ful fond ob dancin’, | |
| But I ’ll bet my yeah’s advancin’ | |
| Dat I ’ll cure you ob yo’ shines. | |
| |
| Look heah, mule! Better min’ out; | |
| Fus’ t’ing you know you ’ll fin’ out | 10 |
| How quick I ’ll wear dis line out | |
| On your ugly, stubbo’n back. | |
| You needn’t try to steal up; | |
| An’ lif dat precious heel up; | |
| You ’s got to plough dis fiel’ up, | 15 |
| You has, sah, fur a fac’. | |
| |
| Dar, dat ’s de way to do it; | |
| He ’s comin’ right down to it; | |
| Jes watch him ploughin’ troo it! | |
| Dis nigger ain’t no fool. | 20 |
| Some folks dey would ’a’ beat him; | |
| Now, dat would only heat him— | |
| I know just how to treat him: | |
| You mus’ reason wid a mule. | |
| |
| He minds me like a nigger. | 25 |
| If he wuz only bigger | |
| He ’d fotch a mighty figger, | |
| He would, I tell you! Yes, sah! | |
| See how he keeps a-clickin’! | |
| He ’s as gentle as a chicken, | 30 |
| And nebber thinks o’ kickin’— | |
| Whoa dar! Nebuchadnezzah! | |
| |
| Is this heah me, or not me? | |
| Or is de debbil got me? | |
| Wuz dat a cannon shot me? | 35 |
| Hab I laid heah more ’n a week? | |
| Dat mule do kick amazin’! | |
| De beast was sp’iled in raisin’; | |
| But now I spect he ’s grazin’ | |
| On de oder side de creek. | 40 |
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