ay along--
How can dey know to fear heem
Poor leetle bird so young--
Over de mountain, over de mountain,
Hear dem call,
Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol!

Moder won't hear you cryin',
W'at is de use to call,
W'en he is comin' flyin'
Quick as de star is fall?
Over de mountain, over de mountain,
Hear dem call,
Hear dem call--poor leetle rossignol?

* * * *

Up w'ere de nes' is lyin',
High on de cedar bough,
W'ere de young hawk was cryin'
Soon will be quiet now.
Over de mountain, over de mountain,
Hear heem call,
Hear heem call--poor leetle rossignol!

If he had only kissed her,
Poor leetle rossignol!
But he was los' hees sister,
An' it 's alone he call--
Over de mountain, over de mountain,
Hear heem call,
Hear heem call--poor leetle rossignol!

Only a day of gladness,
Only a day of song,
Only a night of sadness
Lastin' de w'ole life long.
Over de mountain, over de mountain,
Hear heem call,
Hear heem call--poor leetle rossignol!

[Illustration: Border]

Meb-be

A quiet boy was Joe Bedotte,
An' no sign anyw'ere
Of anyt'ing at all he got
Is up to ordinaire--
An' w'en de teacher tell heem go
An' tak' a holiday,
For wake heem up, becos' he 's slow,
Poor Joe would only say,
"Wall! meb-be."

Don't bodder no wan on de school
Unless dey bodder heem,
But all de scholar t'ink he 's fool
Or walkin' on a dream--
So w'en dey 're closin' on de spring
Of course dey 're moche surprise
Dat Joe is takin' ev'ry-t'ing
Of w'at you call de prize.

[Illustration: "Don't bodder no wan on de school
Unless dey bodder heem."]

An' den de teacher say, "Jo-seph,
I know you 're workin' hard--
Becos' w'en I am pass mese'f
I see you on de yard
A-splittin' wood--no doubt you stay
An' study half de night?"
An' Joe he spik de sam' ole way
So quiet an' polite,
"Wall! meb-be."

Hees fader an' hees moder die
An' lef' heem dere alone
Wit' chil'ren small enough to cry,
An' farm all rock an' stone--
But Joe is fader, moder too,
An' work bote day an' night
An' clear de place--dat 's w'at he do,
An' bring dem up all right.

De Cure say, "Jo-seph, you know
Le bon Dieu 's very good--
He feed de small bird on de snow,
De caribou on de wood--
But you deserve