Classic Poem

'CAUSE Herbert Graham's a' only child —
" Wuz I there, Ma? "
His parunts uz got him purt' nigh spiled —
" Wuz I there, Ma? "
Allus ever'where his Ma tells
Where she's bin at, little Herbert yells,
" Wuz I there, Ma? "
An' when she telled us wunst when she
Wuz ist 'bout big as him an' me,
W'y, little Herbert he says, says-ee,
" Wuz I there, Ma? "
Foolishest young-un you ever saw. —
" Wuz I there, Ma? Wuz I there, Ma? "

WHEN I was ist a Brownie — a weenty-teenty Brownie —
Long afore I got to be like Childerns is to-day, —
My good old Brownie granny gimme sweeter thing 'an can'y —
An' 'at's my little bee-bag the Fairies stold away!
O my little bee-bag —
My little funny bee-bag —
My little honey bee-bag
The Fairies stold away!

One time when I bin swung in wiv annuver Brownie young-un
An' lef' sleepin' in a pea-pod while our parunts went to play,
I waked up ist a-cryin' an' a-sobbin' an' a-sighin'
Fer my little funny bee-bag the Fairies stold away!
O my little bee-bag —
My little funny bee-bag —
My little honey bee-bag
The Fairies stold away!

It's awful much bewilder'n', but 'at's why I'm a Childern ,
Ner goin' to git to be no more a Brownie sence that day!
My parunts, so imprudent, lef' me sleepin' when they shouldn't!
An' I want my little bee-bag the Fairies stold away!
O my little bee-bag —
My little funny bee-bag —
My little honey bee-bag
The Fairies stold away!