The Ballade of the Skunk I hont de bear, I hont de moose An' sometimes hont de rat. Last night I take my axe and go To hont do pole-cat. My fren, Bill, says. 'Very fine fur An' sometimes good to eat." I tell my wife I get fur coat-- Sometime I got some meat. I walk abont two, three, five, six, miles An' then I feel strong smell, Tink maybe dat dam skonk he die An' fur coat go to hell. By'mby I see dat skonk Close up by one big tree. I sneak up ver' close behind An' tink he no see me. Sacre blue! I tink I blind Jess Crise! I cannot see. I run roun' an' roun' an' roun' Till bump in a goddam tree. By'mby I drop my axe An' light out for de shack. I tink 'bout ten million skonk He climb up my back. My wife, she meet me at de door; She sick on me de dog. She say, "You no sleep here tonight; Go out and sleep with hog." I try to get in dat hog-pen, Jess Crise! Now wat you tink? Dat goddam hog no stand for dat On account of awful stink. I no more will hont de skonk To get his fur and meat. For if his pees he smell so bad, Jess Crise! What if he sheet? Mellinger E. Henry, collected by RW Gordon c1925, in Library of Congress, American Folklife Center 2471 AJS apr97
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