Ballad of Bijah Jones’ Huskin’ Bee

I can’t furgit the huskin’ bee in Bijah Jones’ barn,

An’ written up in proper style ‘twould make a fairish yarn;

I can’t furgit thet special one becuz thet wuz the year

I fust kissed purty Helen Brown by findin’ uv an ear

Red ez the red upon her cheeks, which growed much redder still,

When I jest smacked her ‘fore the crowd, an’ smacked her with a will.

Yur see I can’t furgit the time, don’t want to, I declare,

Becuz thet kiss jest meant a bond thet sealed our future there.

“Bige” spread himself to hev a “time” ez he’d ne’er done afore;

It seemed ez though he’d humped himself to hev red ears galore.

Red ears, red cheeks an’ sparklin’ eyes the like you never see

Onless you happened to be there to Bijah’s huskin’ bee.

An’ when the corn wuz fin’ly husked (we didn’t skip an ear),

We went into the waggin’ house where all wuz light an’ cheer,

An’ Bijah’s wife hed laid a spread thet made us smile with joy,

An’ ev’ryone hed appertites to shame a growed up boy.

‘Twas punkin pie an’ cranb’ry sass, an’ Injun puddin’ brown,

An’ sparerib cold an’ buscuts light, an’ cide’ to wash ‘em down;

‘Twas thick mince pie an’ home baked beans, an’ apples, grapes an’ sich,

An’ doughnuts piled twelve inches high an’ coffee strong an’ rich.

An’ how the huskers did pitch in, I et till I wuz sore,

An’ Helen set beside o’ me or I tried for more.

O, huskin’ bee there be I know, but Bejak’s huskin’ bee

Beat any Grungy huskin’ bee ‘at ever I did see.

An’ while we wuz a eatin’ Bijah cleared the ol’ barn floor,

An’ Sloky fetched his fiddle in an’ set beside the door;

An’ talk about your dancin’, an’ your steppin’ to the strings!

It really seemed ez ev’ry gal wuz jest afloat with wings.

‘Twas forward four, an’ right an’ left an’ swing yer pardners all,

An’ shassay round the room ag’in, don’t let your pardner fall!

I dance with Helen ev’ry set, an’ now an’ then I’d push

A bright red ear beneath her chin jes so’s to see her blush.

‘Twas “Money Musk” an’ “Oprey Reel”, an’ ev’ry ol’ tune square

With now an’ then a needed rest out in the autumn air

An’ there beneath the ellum tree I ast sweet Helen Brown

Ef she would share thet ear with me the hull long year aroun’!

She said I’d made so fine a start at huskin’ Bijah’s corn

She wouldn’t want to hinder me an’ make my life forlorn.

An ever sence thet autumn night I’ve liked the ellum tree,

An’ I hev never ceased to bless Bige Jones’s huskin’ bee.

Oct. 1, ‘09