The Wit and Humor of America, Volume VI. (of X.)
plantation on'y got one leg?'

   "'Some ob 'em has an' some ob 'em ain't. You see, marsa, we got two kinds in de pond, an' we was a little boddered to-day, so Mammy Jane cooked dis one 'cause I cotched it fust.'

   "'Well,' said he, lookin' like he look when he send for you in de little room, 'I'll settle wid ye after dinner.'

   "Well, dar I was shiverin' an' shakin' in my shoes, an' droppin' gravy an' spillin' de wine on de table-cloth, I was dat shuck up; an' when de dinner was ober he calls all de ladies an' gemmen, an' says, 'Now come down to de duck pond. I'm gwineter show dis nigger dat all de gooses on my plantation got mo' den one leg.'

   "I followed 'long, trapesin' after de whole kit an' b'ilin', an' when we got to de pond"—here Chad nearly

   went into a convulsion with suppressed laughter—"dar was de gooses sittin' on a log in de middle of dat ole green goose-pond wid one leg stuck down so, an' de udder tucked under de wing."

   Chad was now on one leg, balancing himself by my chair, the tears running down his cheek.

   "'Dar, marsa,' says I, 'don't ye see? Look at dat ole gray goose! Dat's de berry match ob de one we had to-day.'

   "Den de ladies all hollered, an' de gemmen laughed so loud dey yerd 'em at de big house.

   "'Stop, you black scoun'rel!' Marsa John says, his face gittin' white an' he a-jerkin' his handkerchief from his pocket. 'Shoo!'

   "Major, I hope to have my brains kicked out by a lame grasshopper if ebery one ob dem gooses didn't put down de udder leg!

   "'Now, you lyin' nigger,' he says, raisin' his cane ober my head, 'I'll show you'—

   "'Stop, Marsa John!' I hollered; ''t ain't fair, 't ain't fair.'

   "'Why ain't it fair?' says he.

   "''Cause,' says I, 'you didn't say "Shoo!" to de goose what was on de table'."

   Chad laughed until he choked.


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