free-verse48 lines
Little Mouse
by William Henry DrummondGet along leetle mouse, kick de snow up behin' you
For it's fine winter road we 're travelto- night
Wit' de moon an' de star shinin' up on de sky dere
W'y it 's almos' de sam' as de broad day light.
De bell roun' your body it 's quick tune dey 're playin'
But your foot 's kippin' tam jus' as steady can be,
Ah! you dance youse'f crazy if only I let you,
Ma own leetle pony- petite souris.
You 'member w'en firse we be tryin' for broke you
An' Joe Sauvageau bet hees two dollar bill
He can drive you alone by de bridge on de reever
An' down near de place w'ere dey got de beeg mill.
An' it 's new cariole too, is come from St. Felix
Jo-seph 's only buyin' it week before,
An' w'en he is passin' de road wit' hees trotter
Ev'ry body was stan' on de outside door.
An' dere he sit, sam' he don 't care about not'ing
Hees foot on de dashboar', hees han' on de line
Ev'ry dog on de place is come out for barkin'
An' all de young boy he was runnin' behin' .
Wall! sir, Joe's put on style leetle soon for hees pleasure
For w'en de mill w'issle, you jomp lak de cat
An' nex' t'ing poor Joe is commencin' get busy,
Non! I never see fine run-away lak dat.
'Way go de pony den- 'way go de cariole,
Poor Joe say , "good-bye" on de foot of de hill
An' all he can see of de sleigh de nex' morning
Is jus' about pay for hees two dollar bill.
Ah! your right nam' jus' den should be leetle devil
An' not leetle mouse, de sam' you have now.
Wall! dat 's long ago, an' you 're gettin' more quiet
Since tam you was never done kickin' de row.
But I 'm not very sorry de firse day I see you
Settle down on de trot lak your fader he get
W'en he beat Sorel Boy on de ice at T'ree Reever
Bes' two on t'ree heat, an' win all de bet.
Your moder she 's come off de Lachapelle stock too
Ole Canayen blood from Berthier en haut
De bes' kin' of horse never look on de halter
So it is n't moche wonder you know how to go.
Dat's church bell we 're hearin' off dere on de hillside
Get along leetle mouse, for we must n't be late,
Fin' your way t'roo de res' of dem crowdin' de roadside
You 'll never get better chance showin' your gait.
Wall! church is all over, an' Josephine 's comin'
For drive wit' us home on her gran' moder 's house
So tak' your own tam an' don 't be on de hurry
Your slowes' gait 's quick enough now, leetle mouse.