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Paul Laurence Dunbar - A Cabin Tale
Work rating: Low

THE YOUNG MASTER ASKS FOR A STORY

  Whut you say, dah? huh, uh! chile,
  You `s enough to dribe me wile.
  Want a sto`y; jes` hyeah dat!
  Whah` `ll I git a sto`y at?
  Di`n` I tell you th`ee las` night?
  Go `way, honey, you ain`t right.
  I got somep`n` else to do,
  `Cides jes` tellin` tales to you.
  Tell you jes` one? Lem me see
  Whut dat one`s a-gwine to be.
  When you `s ole, yo membry fails;
  Seems lak I do` know no tales.
  Well, set down dah in dat cheer,
  Keep still ef you wants to hyeah.
  Tek dat chin up off yo` han`s,
  Set up nice now. Goodness lan`s!
  Hol` yo`se`f up lak yo` pa.
  Bet nobidy evah saw
  Him scrunched down lak you was den--
  High-tone boys meks high-tone men.

  Once dey was a ole black bah,
  Used to live `roun` hyeah some whah
  In a cave. He was so big
  He could ca`y off a pig
  Lak you picks a chicken up,
  Er yo` leetles` bit o` pup.
  An` he had two gread big eyes,
  Jes` erbout a saucer`s size.
  Why, dey looked lak balls o` fiah
  Jumpin` `roun` erpon a wiah
  W`en dat bah was mad; an` laws!
  But you ought to seen his paws!
  Did I see `em? How you `spec
  I `s a-gwine to ricollec`
  Dis hyeah ya`n I `s try`n` to spin
  Ef you keeps on puttin` in?
  You keep still an` don`t you cheep
  Less I `ll sen` you off to sleep.
  Dis hyeah bah `d go trompin` `roun`
  Eatin` evahthing he foun`;
  No one could n`t have a fa`m
  But dat bah `u`d do` em ha`m;
  And dey could n`t ketch de scamp.
  Anywhah he wan`ed to tramp.
  Dah de scoun`el `d mek his track,
  Do his du`t an` come on back.
  He was sich a sly ole limb,
  Traps was jes` lak fun to him.

  Now, down neah whah Mistah Bah
  Lived, dey was a weasel dah;
  But dey was n`t fren`s a-tall
  Case de weasel was so small.
  An` de bah `u`d, jes` fu` sass,
  Tu`n his nose up w`en he `d pass.
  Weasels `s small o` cose, but my!
  Dem air animiles is sly.
  So dis hyeah one says, says he,
  "I `ll jes` fix dat bah, you see."
  So he fixes up his plan
  An` hunts up de fa`merman.
  When de fa`mer see him come,
  He `mence lookin` mighty glum,
  An` he ketches up a stick;
  But de weasel speak up quick:
  "Hol` on, Mistah Fa`mer man,
  I wan` `splain a little plan.
  Ef you waits, I `ll tell you whah
  An` jes` how to ketch ol` Bah.
  But I tell yow now you mus`
  Gin me one fat chicken fus`."
  Den de man he scratch his haid,
  Las` he say, "I`ll mek de trade."
  So de weasel et his hen,
  Smacked his mouf and says, "Well, den,
  Set yo` trap an` bait ternight,
  An` I `ll ketch de bah all right."
  Den he ups an` goes to see
  Mistah Bah, an` says, says he:
  "Well, fren` Bah, we _ain`t_ been fren`s,
  But ternight ha`d feelin` `en`s.
  Ef you ain`t too proud to steal,
  We kin git a splendid meal.
  Cose I would n`t come to you,
  But it mus` be done by two;
  Hit`s a trap, but we kin beat
  All dey tricks an` git de meat."
  "Cose I `s wif you," says de bah,
  "Come on, weasel, show me whah."
  Well, dey trots erlong ontwell
  Dat air meat beginned to smell
  In de trap. Den weasel say:
  "Now you put yo` paw dis way
  While I hol` de spring back so,
  Den you grab de meat an` go."
  Well, de bah he had to grin
  Ez he put his big paw in,
  Den he juked up, but--kerbing!
  Weasel done let go de spring.
  "Dah now," says de weasel, "dah,
  I done cotched you, Mistah Bah!"
  O, dat bah did sno`t and spout,
  Try`n` his bestes` to git out,
  But de weasel say, "Goo`-bye!
  Weasel small, but weasel sly."
  Den he tu`ned his back an` run
  Tol` de fa`mer whut he done.
  So de fa`mer come down dah,
  Wif a axe and killed de bah.

  Dah now, ain`t dat sto`y fine?
  Run erlong now, nevah min`.
  Want some mo`, you rascal, you?
  No, suh! no, suh! dat `ll do.
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