From The Wit and Humor of America, edited by Marshall P. Wilder, Volume IV, New York and London: Funk and Wagnalls and Company, 1911; pp. 624-625.

PONCHUS PILUT

BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

Ponchus Pilut used to be
Ist a slave, an’ now he’s free.
Slaves wuz on’y ist before
The War wuz — an’ ain’t no more.


He works on our place fer us, —
An’ comes here — sometimes he does.
He shocks corn an’ shucks it. — An’
He makes hominy “by han’!” —


Wunst he bringed us some, one trip,
Tied up in a piller-slip:
Pa says, when Ma cooked it, “MY!
This-here’s gooder’n you buy!”


Ponchus pats fer me an’ sings;
An’ he says most funny things!
Ponchus calls a dish a “deesh” —
Yes, an’ he calls fishes “feesh”!


When Ma want him eat wiv us
He says, “Skuse me — ’deed you mus’! —
Ponchus know good manners, Miss. —
He aint eat wher’ White-folks is!”

625
’Lindy takes his dinner out
Wher’ he’s workin’ — roun’ about. —
Wunst he et his dinner, spread
In our ole wheel-borry-bed.


Ponchus Pilut says “’at’ s not
His right name, — an’ done fergot
What his sho’-nuff name is now —
An’ don’ matter none nohow!”


Yes, an’ Ponchus he’ps Pa, too,
When our butcherin’ s to do,
An’ scalds hogs — an’ says “Take care
’Bout it, er you’ll set the hair!”


Yes, an’ out in our back-yard
He he’ ps ’Lindy rendur lard;
An’, wite in the fire there, he
Roast’ a pig-tail wunst fer me. —


An’ ist nen th’ole tavurn-bell
Rung, down town, an’ he says “Well! —
Hear dat! Lan’ o’ Canaan, Son,
Aint dat bell say ‘Pig-tail done!’

           — ‘Pig-tail done!
               Go call Son! —
                    Tell dat
                    Chile dat
               Pig-tail done!’ ”