the play-ground for a game of Monkey Motions.

They all joined hands, and made a ring around one who stood in the
middle, and then began to dance around in a circle, singing,

"I ac' monkey moshuns, too-re-loo;
I ac' monkey moshuns, so I do;
I ac' 'em well, an' dat's er fac'--
I ac' jes like dem monkeys ac'.

"I ac' gemmun moshuns, too-re-loo;
I ac' gemmun moshuns, so I do;
I ac' 'em well, an' dat's er fac'--
I ac' jes like dem gemmuns ac'.

"I ac' lady moshuns, too-re-loo;
I ac' lady moshuns, so I do;
I ac' 'em well, an' dat's er fac'--
I ac' jes like dem ladies ac'.

"I ac' chil'en moshuns, too-re-loo;
I ac' chil'en moshuns, so I do;
I ac' 'em well, an' dat's er fac'--
I ac' jes like dem chil'ens ac'.

"I ac' preacher moshuns, too-re-loo;
I ac' preacher moshuns, so I do;
I ac' 'em well, an' dat's er fac'--
I ac' jes like dem preachers ac'.

"I ac' nigger moshuns, too-re-loo;
I ac' nigger moshuns, so I do;
I ac' 'em well, an' dat's er fac'--
I ac' jes like dem niggers ac'."

The song had a lively air, and Jim picked the accompaniment on the
banjo. Many of the negroes had good voices, and the singing was indeed
excellent.

While the dancers were singing the first verse, "I ac' monkey moshuns,"
the one in the middle would screw up his face and hump his shoulders in
the most grotesque manner, to represent a monkey.

When they sang "I ac' gemmun moshuns," he would stick his hat on one
side of his head, take a walking-cane in his hand, and strut back and
forth, to represent a gentleman.

In the "lady moshuns," he would take little mincing steps, and toss his
head from side to side, and pretend to be fanning with his hand.

"I ac' chil'en moshuns" was portrayed by his pouting out his lips and
twirling his thumbs, or giggling or crying.

When they sang "I ac' preacher moshuns," he straightened himself back,
and began to "lay off" his hands in the most extravagant gestures.

"I ac' nigger moshuns" was represented by scratching his head, or by
bending over and pretending to be picking cotton or hoeing.

The representation of the different motions was left entirely to the
taste and ingenuity of the actor, though it was the rule of the game
that no two people should represent the same character in the same way.
If one acted the lady by a mincing walk, the next one must devise some
other manner of portraying her, such as sewing, or playing on an
imaginary piano, or giving orders to servants, or anything