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Paul Laurence Dunbar - The Spellin`-Bee
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I NEVER shall furgit that night when father hitched up Dobbin,
An` all us youngsters clambered in an` down the road went bobbin`
To school where we was kep` at work in every kind o` weather,
But where that night a spellin`-bee was callin` us together. 
`Twas one o` Heaven`s banner nights, the stars was all a glitter,
The moon was shinin` like the hand o` God had jest then lit her.
The ground was white with spotless snow, the blast was sort o` stingin`;
But underneath our round-abouts, you bet our hearts was singin`.
That spellin`-bee had be`n the talk o` many a precious moment,
The youngsters all was wild to see jes` what the precious show meant,
An` we whose years was in their teens was little less desirous
O` gittin` to the meetin` so`s our sweethearts could admire us.
So on we went so anxious fur to satisfy our mission
That father had to box our ears, to smother our ambition.
But boxin` ears was too short work to hinder our arrivin`, 
He jest turned roun` an` smacked us all, an` kep` right on a-drivin`.
Well, soon the schoolhouse hove in sight, the winders beamin` brightly;
The sound o` talkin` reached our ears, and voices laffin` lightly.
It puffed us up so full an` big `at I`ll jest bet a dollar,
There wa`n`t a feller there but felt the strain upon his collar.
So down we jumped an` in we went ez sprightly ez you make `em,
But somethin` grabbed us by the knees an` straight began to shake `em.
Fur once within that lighted room, our feelin`s took a canter,
An` scurried to the zero mark ez quick ez Tam O`Shanter.
`Cause there was crowds o` people there, both sexes an` all stations;
It looked like all the town had come an` brought all their relations. 
The first I saw was Nettie Gray, I thought that girl was dearer
`N` gold; an` when I got a chance, you bet I aidged up near her.
An` Farmer Dobbs`s girl was there, the one `at Jim was sweet on,
An` Cyrus Jones an` Mandy Smith an` Faith an` Patience Deaton.
Then Parson Brown an` Lawyer Jones were present — all attention,
An` piles on piles of other folks too numerous to mention.
The master rose an` briefly said: "Good friends, dear brother Crawford,
To spur the pupils` minds along, a little prize has offered.
To him who spells the best to-night — or `t may be `her` — no tellin` —
He offers ez a jest reward, this precious work on spellin`."
A little blue-backed spellin`-book with fancy scarlet trimmin`; 
We boys devoured it with our eyes — so did the girls an` women.
He held it up where all could see, then on the table set it,
An` ev`ry speller in the house felt mortal bound to get it.
At his command we fell in line, prepared to do our dooty,
Outspell the rest an` set `em down, an` carry home the booty.
`Twas then the merry times began, the blunders, an` the laffin`,
The nudges an` the nods an` winks an` stale good-natured chaffin`.
Ole Uncle Hiram Dane was there, the clostest man a-livin`,
Whose only bugbear seemed to be the dreadful fear o` givin`.
His beard was long, his hair uncut, his clothes all bare an` dingy;
It wasn`t `cause the man was pore, but jest so mortal stingy. 
An` there he sot by Sally Riggs a-smilin` an` a-smirkin`,
An` all his childern lef` to home a diggin` an` a-workin`.
A widower he was, an` Sal was thinkin` `at she`d wing him;
I reckon he was wond`rin` what them rings o` hern would bring him.
An` when the spellin`-test commenced, he up an` took his station,
A-spellin` with the best o` them to beat the very nation.
An` when he`d spell some youngster down, he`d turn to look at Sally,
An` say: "The teachin` nowadays can`t be o` no great vally."
But true enough the adage says, "Pride walks in slipp`ry places,"
Fur soon a thing occurred that put a smile on all our faces.
The laffter jest kep` ripplin` `roun` an` teacher couldn`t quell it,
Fur when he give out "charity" ole Hiram couldn`t spell it.
But laffin` `s ketchin` an` it throwed some others off their bases,
An` folks `u`d miss the very word that seemed to fit their cases.
Why, fickle little Jessie Lee come near the house upsettin`
By puttin` in a double "kay" to spell the word "coquettin`."
An` when it come to Cyrus Jones, it tickled me all over —
Him settin` up to Mandy Smith an` got sot down on "lover."
But Lawyer Jones of all gone men did shorely look the gonest,
When he found out that he`d furgot to put the "h" in "honest."
An` Parson Brown, whose sermons were too long fur toleration,
Caused lots o` smiles by missin` when they give out "condensation." 
So one by one they giv` it up — the big words kep` a-landin`,
Till me an` Nettie Gray was left, the only ones a-standin`,
An` then my inward strife began — I guess my mind was petty! —
I did so want that spellin`-book; but then to spell down Nettie
Jest sort o` went ag`in my grain — I somehow couldn`t do it,
An` when I git a notion fixed, I`m great on stickin` to it.
So when they giv` the next word out — I hadn`t otter tell it,
But then `t was all fur Nettie`s sake — I missed so`s she could spell it.
She spelt the word, then looked at me so lovin`-like an` mello`,
I tell you `t sent a hunderd pins a-shootin` through a fello`.
O` course I had to stand the jokes an` chaffin` of the fello`s, 
But when they handed her the book I vow I wasn`t jealous.
We sung a hymn, an` Parson Brown dismissed us like he otter,
Fur, la! he`d learned a thing er two an` made his blessin` shorter.
`Twas late an` cold when we got out, but Nettie liked cold weather,
An` so did I, so we agreed we `d jest walk home together.
We both wuz silent, fur of words we nuther had a surplus,
`Till she spoke out quite sudden like, "You missed that word on purpose."
Well, I declare it frightened me; at first I tried denyin`,
But Nettie, she jest smiled an` smiled, she knowed that I was lyin`.
Sez she: "That book is yourn by right;" sez I: "It never could be —
I — I — you — ah — " an` there I stuck, an` well she understood me. 
So we agreed that later on when age had giv` us tether,
We`d jine our lots an` settle down to own that book together.
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