Paul Laurence Dunbar  Poetry Index  De Critters' Dance  'Peahs
to me you ought to hyeahed it, case hit's ol' ez time.  Well, de
critters all was p'osp'ous, now would be de chance Fu' to tease
ol' Pa'son Hedgehog, givin' of a dance; Case, you know, de
critter's preachah was de stric'est kin', An' he nevah made no
'lowance fu' de frisky min'.  So dey sont dey inbitations,
Racoon writ 'em all, "Dis hyeah note is to inbite you to de
Fancy Ball; Come erlong an' bring yo' ladies, bring yo' chillun
too, Put on all yo' bibs and tuckahs, show whut you kin do."
W'en de night come, dey all gathahed in a place dey knowed, Fu'
enough erway f'om people, nigh enough de road, All de critters
had erspoused, Hop-Toad up to Baih, An' I's hyeah to tell you,
Pa'son Hedgehog too, was daih.  Well, dey talked an' made dey
'bejunce, des lak critters do, An' dey walked an' p'omenaded
'roun' an' thoo an' thoo; Jealous ol' Mis' Fox, she whispah,
"See Mis' Wildcat daih, Ain't hit scan'lous, huh a'comin' wid
huh shouldahs baih?"  Ol' man