free-verse41 lines
Little Bateese
by William Henry DrummondYOU bad leetle boy, not moche you care
How busy you're kipin' your poor gran'-pere
Tryin to stop you ev'ry day
Chasin' de hen aroun' de hay,
W'y don't you geev' dem a chance to lay?
Leetle Bateese!
Off on de fiel' you foller de plough
Den w'en you're tire you scare de cow
Sickin' de dog till dey jomp de wall
So de milk ain't good for not'ing at all,
An' you're only five an' a half dis fall,
Leetle Bateese!
Too sleepy for sayin' de prayer to-night?
Never min' I s'pose it'll be all right
Say dem to-morrow'ah! dere he go!
Fas' asleep in a minute or so,
An' he'll stay lak dat till de rooster crow,
Leetle Bateese!
Den wake us up right away toute suite
Lookin' for somet'ing more to eat,
Makin' me t'ink of dem long again,
I wonder your stomach don't get no pain,
Leetle Bateese!
But see heem now lyin' dere in bed,
Look at de arm onderneat' hees head;
If he grow lak dat till he's twenty year
I bet he'll be stronger dan Louis Cyr
An' beat all de voyageurs leevin' here,
Leetle Bateese!
Jus' feel de muscle along hees back,
Won't geev' heem moche bodder for carry pack
On de long portage, any size canoe,
Dere's not many t'ing dat boy won't do
For he's got double-joint on hees body too,
Leetle Bateese!
But leetle Bateese! please don't forget
We rader you're stayin' de small boy yet,
So chase de chicken an' mak' dem scare
An' do w'at you lak wit' your ole gran'pere
For w'en you're beeg feller he won't be dere,
Leetle Bateese!