ad the Study in Negro Folk Rhymes.

STRONG HANDS

Here's y[=o]' bread, an' here's y[=o]' butter;
An' here's de hands fer to make you sputter.

Tetch dese hands, w'en you wants to tetch a beaver.
If dese hands tetch you, you'll sh[=o]' ketch de fever.

Dese hands Samson, good fer a row,
W'en dey hits you, it's "good-by cow!"

TREE FROGS (GUINEA OR EBO RHYME)

Shool! Shool! Shool! I rule!
Shool! Shool! Shool! I rule!
Shool! Shacker-rack!
I shool bubba cool.

Seller! Beller eel!
Fust to ma tree'l
Just came er bubba.
Buska! Buska-reel!

WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY

W'en I wus a liddle boy
I cleaned up mammy's dishes;
Now I is a great big boy,
I wears my daddy's britches.
I can knock dat Mobile Buck
An' smoke dat corncob pipe.
I can kiss dem pretty gals,
An' set up ev'ry night.

GRASSHOPPER SENSE

Dere wus a liddle grasshopper
Dat wus always on de jump;
An' caze he never look ahead,
He wus always gittin' a bump.

Huddlety, dumpty, dumpty, dump!
Mind out, or you will git a bump;
Shore as de grass grows 'round de stump
Be keerful, my sweet Sugar Lump.

YOUNG MASTER AND OLD MASTER

Hick'ry leaves an' calico sleeves!
I tells you young Mosser's hard to please.
Young Mosser fool you, de way he grin.
De way he whup you is a sin.

De monkey's a-settin' on de end of a rail,
Pickin' his tooth wid de end of his tail.
Mulberry leaves an' homespun sleeves!
Better know dat ole Mosser's not easy to please.

MY SPECKLED HEN

Somebody stole my speckled hen.
Dey lef' me mighty p[=o]o'.
Ev'ry day she layed three aigs,
An' Sunday she lay f[=o]'.

Somebody stole my speckled hen.
She crowed at my back d[=o]'.
Fedders, dey shine jes lak de sun;
De Niggers grudged her m[=o]'.

[39]De whis'lin' gal, an' de crowin' hen,
Never comes to no good en'.
Stop dat whis'lin'; go on an' sing!
'Member dat hen wid 'er shinin' wing.

[39] An old superstition.

THE SNAIL'S REPLY

Snail! Snail! Come out'n o' y[=o]' shell,
Or I'll beat on y[=o]' back till you rings lak a bell.

"I do ve'y well," sayed de snail in de shell,
"I'll jes take my chances in here whar I dwell."

A STRANGE FAMILY

Once dere's an ole 'oman dat lived in de Wes'.
She had two gals of de very bes'.
One wus