ier in the
many-fingered factory in the middle of the great city to make dresses to
send to the storekeeper in the small town to sell to the mother; for
her children's dresses have burned up and they have nothing to wear."

But the negroes answered:--"First de sun, he hab got to shine and shine
and shine! 'Cause de sun, he am de only one dat can make dem little seed
bolls bust wide open!"

So the negroes sang to the sun:--"Big sun, so shiny hot! Is you gwine to
shine on dem cotton bolls so we can pick de cotton for de massah so he
can send it to de weaver in de weaving mills in de hills to weave into
cloth so he can send it to de clothier in de many-fingered factory in de
middle of de big city to make dresses to send to de storekeeper in de
small town so he can sell it to de mammy; for de chillun's dresses hab
gone and burned up and dey ain't got nothin' to wear!"

Now the sun heard the song of the negroes of the south. And he began to
shine. And he kept on shining on the hot low lands. And when the cotton
bolls on the hot low lands felt the sun shine and shine and shine, they
burst wide open. Then the negroes picked the cotton, the planter shipped
it, the weaver wove it, the clothier made it into dresses, and the
storekeeper sold them to the mother.

So at last the many children took off their nightclothes and put on
their new dresses. And so they were all happy again!

OLD DAN GETS THE COAL

The occupations of the city horse are always absorbing to the school
children. They have many tales about various "Old Dans" and their
various trades. The docks are familiar to almost all the children,--even
to the four-year-olds. This verse is meant to be read fast or slow
according to whether or no the wagon is empty.

OLD DAN GETS THE COAL

Old Dan, he lives in a stable, he does,
He sleeps in a stable stall.
Old Dan, he eats in the stable, he does,
He eats the hay from the manger, he does,
He pulls the hay
And he chews the hay
When he eats in his stable stall.

Old Dan, he leaves the stable, he does,
He pulls the wagon behind.
Old Dan he goes trotting along, so he does,
He trots with the wagon all empty, he does;
The wagon, it clatters,
The mud, it all spatters
Old Dan with the wagon behind.

Old Dan, he trots to the dock, he does,
He trots to the coal barge dock.
Old