Bypaths In Dixie Part 5

"Come on hyah, baby! Let de dog er loose--sleepy time done come ter us."

"No, Mammy, I ain't goin' ter sleepy!"

"Who say you ain't?"

"I say so, 'caus' my papa says I'm er man! My papa don't go ter sleepy in the day time!"

"Lordee! I bet he do if he gits er chanct. Dat dog gwine bite yer if you don't quit foolin' wid es tail."

"Bray ain't goin' ter bite me--Mammy, you tie the bow."

"Tie er ribbin bow on er dog's tail?"

"Oom hoo!"

"Ooom hoo? Is dat de way you speaks ter yo' ole Mammy?"

"I says, yes, ma'm."

"Well, gimme de ribbin!--but what you wanter tie er bow on er dog's tail fur? Folks puts bows 'round dey necks."

"But I want ter fool Bray, and make him think this is his head."

"You'se er sight, you is! Who on earth but you'd er thought er tryin' ter make er dog think es tail was es head! Nev' mind! Yer bett'r take keer dat he don't play er wusser joke on you, like ole Sis' Cow, an' Sis' Dog, an'

Sis' Sow, an' Sis' Cat done ter ole Miss Race Hoss when she try ter pa.s.s off one er her jokes on dem!"

"Did they hurt Miss Race Hoss, Mammy?"

"Dey mos' driv her crazy, dat's what dey done!--but you wait tell I ties dis heah bow, an' den we gwinter slip off up-stairs 'fo' Bray wake up an'

ketch us."

"All right, Mammy."

Most elaborately Phyllis tied and patted the soiled blue bow.

"Now, den, Bray's sho' gwine hatt'r strain 'es mind ter fine out which een' his head stays on! Jump up hyah in Mammy's arms, so we kin run fas'

'fo' Bray wake up!"

Quite out of breath, Mammy reached the room up-stairs. Little Willis, interested only in the flight from Bray, did not realize the ruse she had played upon him until he found himself in his little crib bed. Open rebellion began.

"Boo hoo, boo hoo!"

"Ss...o...b..y! You gwine wake Bray, an' den he's jes es sho' es sho' kin be ter play dat trick on us dat his Gran' Mammy Dog play'd on ole Miss Race Hoss," remonstrated Phyllis.

"Boo hoo, boo hoo, I don't wanter--"

"Hush, now! Lawsee! I b'lieve I heahs er race hoss comin' down de road now! You hears him, don't yer?"

"Oom hoo!" sobbed the little boy.

"Oom hoo?"

"Yes, ma'm!"

"Well, dat's de way ole Miss Race Hoss soun' when she come er single-footin' down de road, an' seed ole Sis' Cow layin' ov'r in de cornder er de pastur' chewin' her cud, an' talkin' ter ole Sis' Sow, an'

Sis' Dog, an' Sis' Cat. She look' in de pastur', she do, an' see Sis'

Cow's little calf jes' er jumpin' an' er kickin' out his b'hime legs; so she holler she do:

"'Law, Sis' Cow, whatchu doin' wid my little colt ov'r dar?'

"Sis' Cow say, 'Law, Miss Race Hoss, you sholy ain't callin' my po' little calf yo' colt?'

"Miss Race Hoss say, 'Sis' Cow I sho' is s'prised you can't tell er calf frum one er my fine colts! Jes' look how he's prancin'. I'm gwine jump ov'r dis fence, an' prance 'long side him an' let you see if we ain't 'zackly like.'

"Wid dat, she tuck er sorter back-runnin' start, an' jump blip! right in de middle er de pastur'. Sis' Cow's little calf was so proud when Miss Race Hoss 'gun ter caper her fancy steps 'long side him, dat he clean furgit 'es ma, an' try ter fancy step 'long side er Miss Race Hoss down de middle er de field.

"Po' Sis' Cow beller' an' beller' fur Mister Cow ter come an' run Miss Race Hoss off, but law, Mister Cow bizzy tendin' ter 'es bizness an' he don't hear ole Sis' Cow. Jes' den, Sis' Dog an' Sis' Sow an' Sis' Cat sorter whisper 'mongst deysefs. Pres'ntly dey all jumps up an' starts ter shakin' deyse'fs whensomever Miss Race Hoss git clost ter 'em. Fus' thing yer knows, Miss Race Hoss stop' her fancy steppin' an' holler, 'How 'pon earth come dese fleas ter git on top er me?' She jump' an' she roll', she jump' an' she roll', an' I speck she'd bin er jumpin' an' er rollin' plum tell now, ef dem fleas teeth had er bin strong nuf ter er bit thu Miss Race Hosses hide, but yer see wid all de bitin' dey bin doin', dar wasn't one uv 'em dat got er good clinch on Miss Race Hoss. So Sis' Sow's fleas say dey gwine back home ter vit'als dey wus rais'd on, an' Sis' Dog's fleas say dey wus gwine back whar de meat wus tender, an' Sis' Cat's fleas say dey don't see no use tryin' ter git er livin' off'n hoss hide when dar wus plenty er kitten meat dat would melt in yo' mouf. So wid dat, all uv de fleas give er jump, an' lands back on Sis' Sow an' Sis' Dog an' Sis'

Cat; an', honey, dem fleas ain't no sooner jumpt, dan Miss Race Hoss jump, too. She give er back-runnin' start an' wus ov'r dat fence 'fo' you know'd it; an' bless yo' heart, she come mouty nigh ter jumpin' on her own little colt dat had done foller' her onbeknownst. De colt nev'r seed es ma mirate an' car'y on so b'fo', an' he got so occipi'd watchin' her dat he plum fergit ter mention he was dar. Howsomev'r, when Miss Race Hoss come er flyin' ov'r dat fence she come so close ter de little colt dat whil'st he was er gittin' outen de way, he trip' es own sef an' fell er sprawlin'

flat.

"Po' little colt commenc' ter whinnyin' an' cryin', an' his ma was so sorry an' miserbul dat she tuck him in her arms an' 'gun ter pattin' an'

er singin' ter him jes' like dis:

"'Mama luvs de baby, Papa luvs de baby, Ev'ybody luvs de baby, Hush yo' bye, doan you cry, Go ter sleepy lill'e baby.

De lill'e calfee an' de lill'e colt, too, Dey keeps mighty close ter dey mama, Caze Jack Frost's out er huntin' all erbout, Ter ketch lill'e chillun when dey holler.

Hush yo' bye, doan you cry, Go ter sleepy lill'e baby.

Mama luvs de baby, Papa luvs de baby, Ev'ybody luvs de baby.

All dem horses in dat fiel'

B'longs ter you lill'e baby: Dapple, gray, de white an' de bay, An' all de pretty lill'e ponies.

Hush yo' bye, doan you cry, Go ter sleepy lill'e baby.

Mama luvs de baby, Papa luvs de baby, Ev'ybody luvs de baby.'"

Softer and softer grew the crooning, until the little boy dropped into peaceful slumber.

"Now, den, de ole man's drapt off at las'. Bless de chile, he is er man sho' nuf; an' de way he prove he gwine be jes' like de res' er de men folks, is de way he lets de wimmen fool him; eb'n er old black 'ooman like I is!"

[Music:

Mam-ma luvs de ba-by, Pa-pa luvs de ba-by, Ev-'y bod-y luvs de ba-by: Hush yo' bye doan you cry; Go ter sleep-y li-'le ba-by Mam-ma luvs de ba-by, Pa-pa luvs de ba-by, Ev-'y bod-y luvs de ba-by. De li'le.. ca-fee, an' de li'le.. colt too, Dey keeps might-y close ter dey mam-ma, Caze Jack Frost's out er hunt-in' all er-bout, Ter ketch li-'le chil-len when dey hol-l'r. Hush yo' bye, doan you cry, Go ter sleep-y li-'le ba-by.]

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