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James Whitcomb Riley - Joney
Work rating: Low

Had a hare-lip-- Joney had:
Spiled his looks, and Joney knowed it:
Fellers tried to bore him, bad--
But ef ever he got mad,
He kep` still and never showed it.
`Druther have his mouth all pouted
And split up, and like it wuz,
Than the ones `at laughed about it.
Purty is as purty does!

Had to listen ruther clos`t
`Fore you knowed "what he wuz givin`
You; and yet, without no boast,
Joney he wuz jest the most
Entertainin` talker livin`!
Take the Scriptur`s and run through `em,
Might say, like a` auctioneer,
And `ud argy and review `em
`At wuz beautiful to hear!

Hare-lip and inpediment,
Both wuz bad, and both ag`in` him--
But the old folks where he went,
`Preared like, knowin` his intent,
`Scused his mouth fer what wuz in him.
And the childern all loved Joney--
And he loved `em back, you bet--!
Putt their arms around him-- on`y
None had ever kissed him yet!

In young company, someway,
Boys `ud grin at one another
On the sly; and girls `ud lay
Low, with nothin` much to say,
Er leave Joney with their mother.
Many and many a time he`s fetched `em
Candy by the paper sack,
And turned right around and ketched `em
Makin mouths behind his back!

S`prised sometimes, the slurs he took--.
Chap said onc`t his mouth looked sorter
Like a fish`s mouth `ud look
When he`d be`n jerked off the hook
And plunked back into the worter--.
Same durn feller-- it`s su`prisin`,
But it`s facts-- `at stood and cherred
From the bank that big babtizin`
`Pike-bridge accident occurred--!

Cherred for Joney while he give
Life to little childern drowndin`!
Which wuz fittenest to live--
Him `at cherred, er him `at div`
And saved thirteen lives...? They found one
Body, three days later, floated
Down the by-o, eight mile` south,
All so colored-up and bloated--
On`y knowed him by his mouth!

Had a hare-lip-- Joney had--
Folks `at filed apast all knowed it--.
Them `at ust to smile looked sad,
But ef he thought good er bad,
He kep` still and never showed it.
`Druther have that mouth, all pouted
And split up, and like it wuz,
Than the ones `at laughed about it--.
Purty is as purty does!
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