Query any poem you want.

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!

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.--

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!_--

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

'At's been a-shootin' ducks: An' so

He skeerd them out the boat, you know,

An' ist jumped in--an' Snake _he_ tried

To jump in, too, but failed outside

Where all the water wuz; an' so

The Bear grabs one the things you row

The boat wiv an' ist whacks the head

Of the old Snake an' kills him dead!--

An' when he's killed him dead, w'y, nen

_The old Snake's drownded dead again_!

Nen Bear set in the boat an' bowed

His back an' rowed--an' rowed--an' rowed--

Till he's safe home--so tired he can't

Do nothin' but lay there an' pant

An' tell his childern, 'Bresh my coat!'

An' tell his wife, 'Go chain my boat!'

An' they're so glad he's back, they say

'They _knowed_ he's comin' thataway

To ist surprise the dear ones there!'

An' Jim an' Jo they dried his hair

An' pulled the burrs out; an' their ma

She ist set there an' helt his paw

Till he wuz sound asleep, an' nen

She tell' him she won't scold again--

Never--never--never--

Ferever an' ferever!