“Well, nex’ mornin, soon’s Brer Dan’l riz fum ’is bed, he lit right on
’is knees, an’ went ter prayin’; an’ wile he wuz er wrestlin’ in prar
de pater-rollers dey come in’ an’ dey tied ’im han’ an’ foot wid er
rope, an’ tuck ’im right erlong tell dey come ter de lions’ den; an’
wen dey wuz yit er fur ways fum dar dey hyeard de lions er ro’in an’ er
sayin’, ‘Ar-ooorrrrar! aroooorrrrrar!’ an’ all dey hearts ’gun ter
quake sept’n Brer Dan’l’s; he nuber note’s ’em; he jes pray ’long.
By’mby dey git ter de den, an’ dey tie er long rope roun’ Brer Dan’l’s
was’e, an’ tho ’im right in! an’ den dey drawed up de rope, an’ went
back whar dey come fum.
“Well, yearly nex’ mornin hyear dey come agin, an’ dis time de king he
come wid ’em; an’ dey hyeard de lions er ro’in, ‘Ar-ooorrrrar!
arooorrrrar!’ an’ dey come ter de den, an’ dey open de do’, an’ dar wuz
de lions wid dey mouf open an’ dey eyes er shinin,’ jes er trompin’
backerds an f’orerds; an’ dar in de corner sot an angel smoovin’ uv ’is
wings; an’ right in de middle uv de den was Dan’l, jes er sot’n back
dar! Gemmun, _he wuzn totch!_ he nuber so much as had de smell uv de
lions bout’n ’im! he wuz jes as whole, mun, as he wuz de day he wuz
born! Eben de boots on ’im, sar, wuz ez shiny ez dey wuz wen dey put
’im in dar.
“An’ he jes clum up de side uv de den, he did; an’ soon’s uber his feet
tech de yeath, he sez ter de king, sezee, ‘King, hit ain’t no usen fur
yer ter fool erlong o’ me,’ sezee; ‘I’m er prayin’ man mysef, an I ’low
ter live an’ die on my knees er prayin’ an’ er sarvin’ de Lord.’ Sezee,
‘De Lord ain’t gwine let de lions meddle long o’ me,’ sezee; ‘I ain’t
fyeard o’ nufn,’ sezee. ‘De Lord is my strengt an’ my rocks, an’ I
ain’t er fyeard o’ NO man.’ An’ wid dat he helt er preachin’, sar,
right whar he wuz; an’ he tol’ ’em uv dey sins, an’ de goodness uv de
Lord. He preach de word, he did, right erlong, an’ atter dat he ’gun
ter sing dis hymn:
“‘Dan’l wuz er prayin’ man;
He pray tree times er day;
De Lord he hist de winder,
Fur ter hyear po’ Dan’l pray.’
“Den he ’gun ter call up de mo’ners, an’ dey come too! Mun, de whole
yeath wuz erlive wid ’em: de white folks dey went up; an’ de niggers
_dey_ went up; an’ de pater-rollers _dey_ went up; an’ de king he went
up; an’ dey all come thu an’ got ’ligion; an’ fum dat day dem folks is
er sarvin’ de Lord.
“An’ now, chil’en, efn yer be like Brer Dan’l, an’ say yer prars, an’
put yer pen’ence in de Lord, yer needn be er fyeard uv no lions; de
Lord, he’ll take cyar uv yer, an’ he’ll be mighty proud ter do it.
“Now,” continued the old man, “we’ll close dis meet’n by singing uv er
hymn, an’ den yer kin all go. I’ll give de hymn out, so’s dar needn’t
be no ’scuse ’bout not know’n uv de words, an’ so’s yer all kin sing.”
The children rose to their feet, and Uncle Rob, with great solemnity,
gave out the following hymn, which they all, white and black, sang with
great fervor:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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