MOCKEES AND SCOLDERS 



135 



him 'round all day an' sat on de roof ob his quarters 

 an' talked all night, 'an tole him to bring back dem 

 Mockers or dey'd tell ; an' Sambo war skeered an' 

 wanted to put de birds back an' den he didn't like to. 

 Nex' day, he 'lowed de he-Mocker wen' to de big house, 

 an' tole massa 'bout it, an' he an' Miss Jessamine — dat 

 was your ma — dey come down to de quarters 

 an' tole Sambo he done took Mockers an' 

 ask him what had he done wid all on "em. 

 An' he mos' turn' white an' he say, ' I 

 sol' 'em down de ribber ' ; an' i* massa 

 say, ' I'se a great mind to sell yon fi down 

 de ribber, too ' — but he nebber 

 nuffin' — gib us all our free- 

 Now, no nigger want' to be sol' 

 down de ribber, an' Sambo say, 

 ' Oh, Miss Jessamine, dere's 

 free I didn' sell, an' I'll gib 

 'em back to dat he-bird, 

 an' ax his pardin.' Massa 

 he laff and say, ' If dat 

 he-bird Avill 'sense you, 

 I will.' So Sambo put 'em back 

 an' de he-bird act' s'if he know'd an' 

 talk' a lot o' good advice to Sambo, 

 but I'se shore 't war anoder nigger w'at tole on Sam. 



" Dey uster have a song 'bout de Mockers roun' de 

 cal)ins, an' a dance went wid it, 'cause it was a berry 

 long song ; but aftah dat Sambo done change it some 

 when he uster sing it." 



Mammy then chanted a verse, keeping time by beat- 

 ing her hands on her knees. 



Mockingbird. 



