Why Hen Was Silent

Hen Billings set in Stokes store

     Ha’f dozin’ in his chair;

He’d set there for an hour or more

     A picture of despair.

Hen hedn’t said a single word

     Sence he hid set him down;

In fact he hedn’t skurcely stirred

     ‘Cept to increase his frown.

Jed Martin up an’ spoke to Hen,

     Hen only shook his head.

Stokes up an’ asked him somethin’ then,

     But not a word he said.

Hen Billings wouldn’t make a sound,

     He kep’ his mouth shet tight;

Till by an’ by it noised around

     His upper floor warn’t right.

Thet seemed to make Hen Billings mad,

     He give ol’ Stokes a frown,

Hen grabbed a pencil an’ a pad,

     And scrawled this message down:

“Ding hang you fur a popinjay,

     Don’t think I’ve gone unstrung;

A wasp flew in my mouth today

     An’ stung me on the tongue.”

July 28, ‘09