ou to bear wid me, Miss Davis. I sorry you come
here on a dead shot en ain' gettin no birds. Lord knows, I tryin to get
my mind--

June--Oo, Aun' Izzie, Joseph been cuttin out Willie's book.

(Lizzie's attention is attracted to Willie, who looks worried about his
torn book.)

Lizzie--Great mercy, boy, you ought to have a pain in de chest. Look,
you settin dere wid your bosom wide open. Fasten up your neck dere, I
say.--Possum, come here, is you do like I tell you? Is you ax Miss
Mammie for somethin to clean up dat nose wid?

Possum--Yes'um.

Lizzie--Look out now, I'll whip you for tellin a story. Whe' de rag? No,
you ain' ax her neither. Gwine on en clean up dat nose fore I wear you
out.

(Possum goes around corner of house).

Lizzie--Help me Lord not to forget it dis time. I sho got dat tune----

June--Aun' Izzie, Aun' Izzie, Possum fall in de tub of water what settin
under de pump.

(Possum appears from around the corner of the house just at that moment
drenched and almost frozen).

Lizzie--Great Lord a mercy! Possum, you looks like a drowned possum sho
enough. Why ain' you do like I tell you to do? You know I don' never
allow you chillun ramblin round dat pump tub no time. Ain' nobody want
to drink out no tub you wash your snotty nose in. Fetch yourself in dere
to de fire en dry yourself fore you is catch a death of cold. Gwine on,
boy. Don' stand dere en watch me like a frizzle chicken. Dere Mr. John
Fortune comin now. I gwine tell him to catch Possum en cook him up.

Possum--I gwine run.

Lizzie--You say you gwine run?

Possum--No'um, I ain' say I gwine run.

Lizzie--Mind you now, Possum, you know what I tell you bout a
story-teller.

Mammie--Miss Lizzie, I just don' believe he know right from wrong.

Lizzie--Well, I gwine learn him den. Ain' nothin I despises worser den a
story-teller. (Lizzie slaps Possum on the shoulder several times and
sends him in the house to dry, shivering from both cold and fear.).

Lizzie--Miss Davis, Mr. John Fortune helps me out wonderfully wid dese
chillun. Say, when dey bad, he gwine cook dem up en eat dem. Yes, mam, I
tellin de truth, honey, dese chillun keeps me settin here listenin wid
all my ears en lookin wid all my eyes, but dey is right sorta
entertainin like. Yes'um, dey got so much of sense till dey done took
what little I is had.

(Alfred comes running in and leans up on Lizzie).

Lizzie--Clean up dat snotty nose, Alfred. You ought to been name Snott