Ben King's Verse/A Record F'om Way 'Back

by Benjamin Franklin King

YO' spose I'se gwine ter cuh-comb

An' boddah wid dis nag

Ef I low'd he wasn't evah gwinter go?

Why chile, yo' make me tiahed!

Dis ve'y hoss was siahed

By Pokehontas fohty yeahs ago.

I'se doctahed up his wheezin',

An' done stopped him ob his sneezin';

En pahsley cuahed de spavin on his baik;

Ef he wasn't quite so bulky,

I'd put him 'foah de sulky,

An' lait yo' see his motion on de traik.

'Ceptin' froo de wintah, las' yeah

I haid him out to pastuah;

But de famah said he didn't hab no saince.

Dar's nuffin 'll keep 'im quiet

When he gits down on 'is diet,

An' once 'e eat a whole bahb-wiah faince.

De way I come to buy 'im

Was, de day I come to try 'im

I'se dumb-foundered wid de way he tuk de bit,

An' as I was on mah way baik,

He kerlided wid a hay stack,

An' hi couldn't coax'is tenshun offen hit.

Yo' notice dat he winks, sah,

He's comin' out de kinks, sah;

An' mine yo' doan go nyah his heels at all,

Kase 'e's nuhvas an' 'e's dangus,

An' speshly so to strangus,

An' hi nevah 'low no pusson 'roun' 'is stall.

He's pow'ful fond ob grazin'

An' his appytite's amazin';

Dat's a sho sign dat 'e's got good bottom to 'im.

When I bought 'im 'e's so thin

Dat 'e couldn't ketch's win',

An' Rasmus, yo' could read a papah thro' 'im.

I tale yo' he's a hummah,

'Low I'll show de folks dis summah,

Kase jes' now he aint feelin' zackly bright,

When he gets 'is second win' sah,

Yo' ought to see him spin, sah,

Why, chile, dat hoss's reckod's out ob sight.