f wid offish look,
An' 'low: "You Jackass makes too free!
Huccome you dast to drink wid me!"
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
Oh, he ain't by 'isself in dat.

[Illustration]

GOSLINGS

De purty yaller goslin's say:
"Oh, what--oh, what's de use!
When Mama say, 'Come, walk dis way
An' ac' jes like a goose!'
Oh, what's de use--oh, what's de use?
I's boun' to grow a noddle,
Like every goosey, goosey, goose,
An' waddle, waddle, waddle!

"But Mama say: 'Don't talk dat way!
Come, waddle like a mild goose,
F'om side to side, wid proper pride--
Not like a woodsy wild goose!
Dey's plenty use--dey's plenty use!
Come, git yo' education!
See how to waddle an' tote yo' noddle
Accordin' to yo' station!'"

[Illustration]

THE PET

De little white chicken dat's petted too much
Gits stunted in growth f'om de sp'ilin' touch.
An' she'll nuver make a hen so brave an' good
As ef she went a-pickin', an' worked wid de brood.
An' she ain't by 'erself in dat, in dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.

[Illustration]

THE GUINEA-HEN

Sis' Guinea, in proud week-day clo'es
Forgits how she was hatched outdo's;
Wid 'er red boot chicks, she cuts a dash,
An' calls 'er neighbors "_Po' trash! Po' trash!_"[1]
But she ain't by 'erself in dat--
But she ain't by 'erself in dat.

[Illustration]

THE MOON

Dey say Sis' Moon daresn't shine at night
Cep'n by Marse Sun's allowance o' light,
An' whilst he's away whar de yether moons are
She don't even dast to wink at a star.
An' she ain't de onies' wife like dat--
No, she ain't by 'erself in dat.

[Illustration]

THE HEN-ROOST MAN

De Hen-roost Man he'll preach about Paul,
An' James an' John, an' Herod, an' all,
But nuver a word about Peter, oh, no!
He's afeard he'll hear dat rooster crow.
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
An' he ain't by 'isself in dat.

[Illustration]

A GUILTY CONSCIENCE

Dat little yaller pup 's got so many lickin's
For pesterin' all de ducks an' chickens,
Dat whenever he hears any barn-yard strife,
He looks over his shoulder an' runs for 's life.
But he ain't by 'isself in dat, in dat--
No, he ain't by 'isself in dat.

[Illustration]

THE BAT

Br'er Bat fl