I like to watch him when he’s lit
    In top of any tree,
  ’Cause all birds git wite out of it
    When he ‘lights, an’ they see
  How proud he act’, an’ swell an’ spread
    His chest out more an’ more,
  An’ raise the feathers on his head
    Like it’s cut pompadore!

* * * * *

[Illustration:  “I LIKE TO WATCH HIM.”]

* * * * *

A BEAR FAMILY

[Illustration]

  Wunst, ’way West in Illinoise,
  Wuz two Bears an’ their two boys: 
  An’ the two boys’ names, you know,
  Wuz—­like ours is,—­Jim an’ Jo;
  An’ their parunts’ names wuz same’s,
  All big grown-up people’s names,—­
  Ist Miz Bear, the neighbers call
  ’Em, an’ Mister Bear—­’at’s all. 
  Yes—­an’ Miz Bear scold him, too,
  Ist like grown folks shouldn’t do!

[Illustration]

  Wuz a grea’-big river there,
  An’, ’crosst that, ’s a mountain where
  Old Bear said some day he’d go,
  Ef she don’t quit scoldin’so! 
  So, one day when he been down
  The river, fishin’, ’most to town,
  An’ come back ’thout no fish a-tall,
  An’ Jim an’ Jo they run an’ bawl
  An’ tell their ma their pa hain’t fetch’
  No fish,—­she scold again an’ ketch
  Her old broom up an’ biff him, too.—­

[Illustration]

  An’ he ist cry, an’ say, “Boo-hoo! 
  I told you what I ’d do some day’.” 
  An’ he ist turned an’ runned away
  To where’s the grea’-big river there,
  An’ ist splunged in an’ swum to where
  The mountain’s at, ’way th’other side,
  An’ clumbed up there.  An’ Miz Bear cried—­
  An’ little Jo an’ little Jim—­
  Ist like their ma—­bofe cried fer him!—­
  But he clumbed on, clean out o’ sight,
  He wuz so mad!—­An’ served ’em right!

  Nen—­when the Bear got ’way on top
  The mountain, he heerd somepin’ flop
  Its wings—­an’ somepin’ else he heerd
  A-rattlin’-like.—­An’ he wuz skeerd,
  An’ looked ’way up, an’—­Mercy sake!—­

[Illustration]

  It wuz a’ Eagul an’ a SNAKE! 
  An’-sir! the Snake, he bite an’ kill’
  The Eagul, an’ they bofe fall till
  They strike the ground—­k’spang-k’spat!—­
  Wite where the Bear wuz standin’ at! 
  An’ when here come the Snake at him,
  The Bear he think o’ little Jim
  An’ Jo, he did—­an’ their ma, too,—­
  All safe at home; an’ he ist flew
  Back down the mountain—­an’ could hear
  The old Snake rattlin’, sharp an’ clear,
  Wite clos’t behind!—­An’ Bear he’s so
  All tired out, by time, you know,
  He git down to the river there,
  He know’ he can’t swim back to where
  His folks is at.  But ist wite nen
  He see a boat an’ six big men