A quiet boy was Joe Bedotte, An' no sign anyw'ere Of anyt'ing at all he got Is up to ordinaire— An' w'en de teacher tell heem go An' tak' a holiday, For wake heem up, becos' he 's slow, Poor Joe would only say, "Wall! meb-be." 

An' no sign anyw'ere

Is up to ordinaire—

An' tak' a holiday,

Poor Joe would only say,

"Wall! meb-be."

 Don't bodder no wan on de school Unless dey bodder heem, But all de scholar t'ink he 's fool Or walkin' on a dream— So w'en dey 're closin' on de spring Of course dey 're moche surprise Dat Joe is takin' ev'ry-t'ing Of w'at you call de prize. 

Unless dey bodder heem,

Or walkin' on a dream—

Of course dey 're moche surprise

Of w'at you call de prize.

 

 "Don't bodder no wan on de school Unless dey bodder heem." 

 An' den de teacher say, "Jo-seph, I know you 're workin' hard— Becos' w'en I am pass mese'f I see you on de yard A-splittin' wood—no doubt you stay An' study half de night?" An' Joe he spik de sam' ole way So quiet an' polite, "Wall! meb-be." 

I know you 're workin' hard—

I see you on de yard

An' study half de night?"

So quiet an' polite,

"Wall! meb-be."

 Hees fader an' hees moder die An' lef' heem dere alone Wit' chil'ren small enough to cry, An' farm all rock an' stone— But Joe is fader, moder too, An' work bote day an' night An' clear de place—dat 's w'at he do, An' bring dem up all right. 

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