tin up dem splinters dat my daddy brung for
you to cook wid en June come en set right under de ax.

Lizzie--Um-huh, ain' I tell you so? Whe' de ax, Possum? Fetch it here en
put it in de corner. Ain' none of you had no business wid dat ax nohow.
Ain' I tell you to mind your way round dat ax?

(Possum runs back out in the yard).

Lizzie--Like I tellin you, Miss Davis, if de people had a song in de old
days, dey would put it down on a long strip called a ballad, but honey,
I been through de hackles en I can' think of nothin like I used to
could. Is anybody sing dis one for you, Miss Davis? It a old one, too,
cause I used to hear--

(Alfred comes in to tell his tale).

Alfred--Aun' Izzie, June set on Possum's pile of splinters dat he was
makin en Possum let de ax fall right on June's head.

Lizzie--Dey is cases, Miss Davis. I tellin you, dese chillun just gets
everything off my mind. Most makes me forget to eat sometimes. Dere Miss
Julia Woodberry, poor creature, she been down mighty sick en I ain' been
able to go en see bout her no time. Don' know what ailin her cause I
don' gets bout nowhe' much. No, mam, dese chillun don' have no manners
to go visitin en I can' left dem here widout nobody to mind bout dat dey
don' run--

Joseph--Aun' Izzie, I ain' gwine wear no coat to school dis mornin.

Lizzie--Boy, is you crazy? What de matter wid you, ain' you know de
ground been white wid Jack Frost dis mornin? En you clean up dat nose
fore you get dere to school, too. You ain' say your ma send you here
widout no pocket rag to wipe your nose wid? You ma, she know better den
to 'spect me to hunt rags for you. Come here en let me fasten up dat
coat round de neck. You look like a turkey buzzard wid it gapin open
dat way. Whe' Bertha Lee? It time both you been in dat road gwine to
school dere.

(Bertha Lee and Joseph go out the door to leave for school).

Lizzie--Lord a mercy, Miss Davis, my mind just a windin. How dat song
turn what I had for you?

One for Paul,
En one for Sidas--

Lizzie--Joseph, how-come you ain' tell dese chillun good-bye?

Joseph--Good-bye Possum, good-bye June, good-bye Alfred.

Possum, June, Alfred--Good-bye Joseph.

Lizzie--Is you got dat one now, Miss Davis? What de next? Great
Jeruselum! Dem chillun done carry dat tune way wid dem. I can' turn dat
one to save my neck. Just can' come to de turn table as de old man would
say. (12 o'clock mill whistle blows, time teller for many colored peo