Maggie Pogue Johnson

the USA

Dat Mule Ob Brudder Wright's

Dar's plenty t'ings to write erbout,
Bof in en out ob skool,
'Cept taken fo' a subject,
En ol' en stubborn mule.
But de one I specs to write erbout,
Ain't ob de stubborn kin';
A fus class critter out en out,
Beats eny mule in line.
At eny kin' ob wuk he's good,—
Kin put him to de plow,
Or take him out to haulin' wood,
He'll wuk from hour to hour.
Hitch him wid anodder mule,
Or let him pull alone,
Eny whar you put him
Dis ol' mule is at home.
You see him to de buggy,
In de mornin's cle'r en bright,
Put him to de cart,
It is his heart's delight.
Eny whar you take him,
He'll make hisse'f at home,
Eny whar you hitch him,
He'll stan' en will not roam.
Will I tell you who he 'longs to?
Sho, wid delight,
He is de splendid property
Ob brudder Henry Wright.
Dar's odder mules in town,
But none so gay en spry,
Hitch him to de sulky
En he kin sholy fly.
Not one lazy bone
Do dis mule posess,
In any kin' ob wuk
He kin stan de tes'.
Dar's plenty mules in town,
But none so out ob sight,
As dis thoro' bred Kintucky
Ob brudder Henry Wright's.
Dar's none wid no sich name,
Dat's trabbled on his way,
No, none wid no sich fame
As you read ob dem each day.
Dar's odder mules in town,
But none kin take de flight,
Or make a steady roun'
Like dis ob Henry Wright's.
Ef you wants to see some pacin',
Jis call on dis ol' mule,
When it cums to out right racin'
You'd t'ink he'd been to skool.
Dar's plenty mules aroun',
But none no whar in sight,
Not eben in dis town,
Like dis ob Henry Wright's.
No odder mule in town
Does know de roads so well,
No matter what you take him
Dis mule can always tell.
He likes to wuk in sunshine,
He likes to wuk in rain,
At night or eben day time,
He always seems de same.
He neber jumps out ob de road,
When de 'mobiles cum his way,
Eny whar he has a load
Dis mule aint 'fraid to stay.
Nuffin cud'n skeer him,
At night or eny time,
A match fo' dis ol' mule
Wud be hard to find.
Dar's odder mules in town,
But none no whar in sight,
Dat sho cou'd win de crown
Like dis ob Henry Wright's.
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