An' poor—can't kip a cat.

 So wan of de night on winter tam, W'en Louis is on hees bed, He say out loud lak a crazy man, "I 'm sick of tryin' to clear dis lan', Work any harder I can't stan', Or it will kill me dead. 

W'en Louis is on hees bed,

Or it will kill me dead.

 "Now if de devil would show hese'f An' say to me, 'Tiens! Louis! Hard tam an' work she 's at an' en', You 'll leev' lak a Grand Seigneur ma frien', If only you 'll be ready w'en I want you to come wit' me.' 

An' say to me, 'Tiens! Louis!

I want you to come wit' me.'

 "I 'd say, 'Yass, yass—'maudit! w'at 's dat?' An' he see de devil dere— Brimstone, ev'ryt'ing bad dat smell, You know right away he 's come from—well, De place I never was care to tell— An' wearin' hees long black hair, 

An' he see de devil dere—

An' wearin' hees long black hair,

 Lak election man, de kin' I mean You see aroun' church door, Spreadin' hese'f on great beeg speech 'Bout poor man 's goin' some day be reech, But dat 's w'ere it alway come de heetch, For poor man 's alway poor. 

You see aroun' church door,

For poor man 's alway poor.

 De only diff'rence—me—I see 'Tween devil an' long-hair man It 's hard to say, but I know it 's true, W'en devil promise a t'ing to do Dere 's no mistak', he kip it too— I hope you understan'. 

'Tween devil an' long-hair man

I hope you understan'.

 So de devil spik, "You 're not content, An' want to be reech, Louis— All right, you 'll have plaintee, never fear, No wan can beat you far an' near, An' I 'll leave you alone for t'orty year, An' den you will come wit' me. 

An' want to be reech, Louis—

An' den you will come wit' me.

 "Be careful now—it 's beeg contrac', So mebbe it 's bes' go slow; For me—de promise I mak' to you Is good as de bank Rivière du Loup For you—w'enever de tam is due, Ba tonder! you got to go." 

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