What you say, you Lishy Davis, dat you see a possum's tracks? Look hyeah, boy, you stop yo' foolin', bring ol' Spot, an' bring de ax. Is I col'? Go way, now, Mandy, what you t'ink I's made of?--sho, W'y dis win' is des ez gentle, an' dis ain't no kin' o' snow. Dis hyeah weathah 's des ez healthy ez de wa'mest summah days. All you chillen step up lively, pile on wood an' keep a blaze. What's de use o' gittin' skeery case dey 's snow upon de groun'? Huh-uh, I 's a reg'lar snowbird ef dey 's any possum 'roun'. Go on, Spot, don' be so foolish; don' you see de signs o' feet. What you howlin' fu? Keep still, suh, cose de col' is putty sweet; But we goin' out on bus'ness, an' hit 's bus'ness o' de kin' Dat mus' put a dog an' dahky in a happy frame o' min'. Yes, you 's col'; I know it, Spotty, but you des stay close to me, An' I 'll mek you hot ez cotton w'en we strikes de happy tree. No, I don' lak wintah weathah, an' I 'd wush 't uz allus June, Ef it was n't fu' de trackin' o' de possum an' de coon. KEEP A SONG UP ON DE WAY Oh, de clouds is mighty heavy An' de rain is mighty thick; Keep a song up on de way. An' de waters is a rumblin' On de boulders in de crick, Keep a song up on de way. Fu' a bird ercross de road Is a-singin' lak he knowed Dat we people did n't daih Fu' to try de rainy aih Wid a song up on de way. What's de use o' gittin' mopy, Case de weather ain' de bes'! Keep a song up on de way. W'en de rain is fallin' ha'des', Dey 's de longes' times to res' Keep a song up on de way. Dough de plough 's a-stan'in' still Dey 'll be watah fu' de mill, Rain mus' come ez well ez sun 'Fo' de weathah's wo'k is done, Keep a song up on de way. W'y hit's nice to hyeah de showahs Fallin' down ermong de trees: Keep a song up on de way. Ef de birds don' bothah 'bout it, But go singin' lak dey please, Keep a song up on de way. You don' s'pose I's gwine to see Dem ah fowls do mo' dan me? No, suh, I 'll des chase dis frown, An' aldough de rain fall down, Keep a song up on de way. THE TURNING OF THE BABIES IN THE BED Woman's sho' a cur'ous critter, an' dey ain't no doubtin' dat. She's a mess o' funny capahs f'om huh slippahs to huh hat. Ef you tries to un'erstan' huh, an' you fails, des' up an' say: "D' ain't a bit o' use to try to un'erstan' a woman's way." I don' mean to be complainin', but I 's jes' a-settin' down Some o' my own obserwations, w'en I cas' my eye eroun'. Ef you ax me fu' to prove it, I ken do it mighty fine, Fu' dey ain't no bettah 'zample den dis ve'y wife o' mine. In de ve'y hea't o' midnight, w'en I 's sleepin' good an' soun', I kin hyeah a so't o' rustlin' an' somebody movin' 'roun'. An' I say, "Lize, whut you doin'?" But she frown an' shek huh haid, "Heish yo' mouf, I's only tu'nin' of de chillun in de bed.