Читать книгу Nye and Riley's Wit and Humor (Poems and Yarns) - Nye Bill, Riley James Whitcomb - Страница 6

I kin hump my back and take the rain,

And I don't keer how she pours,

I kin keep kindo' ca'm in a thunder storm,

No matter how loud she roars;

I haint much skeered o' the lightnin',

Ner I haint sich awful shakes

Afeared o' cyclones– but I don't want none

O' yer dad-burned old earth-quakes!

As long as my legs keeps stiddy,

And long as my head keeps plum,

And the buildin' stays in the front lot,

I still kin whistle, some!

But about the time the old clock

Flops off'n the mantel-shelf,

And the bureau skoots fer the kitchen,

I'm a-goin' to skoot, myself!

Plague-take! ef you keep me stabled

While any earthquakes is around! —

I'm jist like the stock, – I'll beller,

And break fer the open ground!

And I 'low you'd be as nervous,

And in jist about my fix,

When yer whole farm slides from inunder you,

And on'y the mor'gage sticks!

Now cars haint a-goin' to kill you

Ef you don't drive 'crost the track;

Crediters never'll jerk you up

Ef you go and pay 'em back;

You kin stand all moral and mundane storms

Ef you'll on'y jist behave —

But a' EARTHQUAKE: – well, ef it wanted you

It 'ud husk you out o' yer grave!