James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)
Our Hired Girl
1Our hired girl, she's 'Lizabuth Ann;
2 An' she can cook best things to eat!
3She ist puts dough in our pie-pan,
4 An' pours in somepin' 'at's good an' sweet;
5An' nen she salts it all on top
6With cinnamon; an' nen she'll stop
7 An' stoop an' slide it, ist as slow,
8In th' old cook-stove, so's 'twon't slop
9 An' git all spilled; nen bakes it, so
10 It's custard-pie, first thing you know!
11 An' nen she'll say,
12 "Clear out o' my way!
13 They's time fer work, an' time fer play!
14 Take yer dough, an' run, child, run!
15 Er I cain't git no cookin' done!"
16When our hired girl 'tends like she's mad,
17 An' says folks got to walk the chalk
18When she's around, er wisht they had!
19 I play out on our porch an' talk
20To Th' Raggedy Man 'at mows our lawn;
21An' he says, "Whew!" an' nen leans on
22 His old crook-scythe, and blinks his eyes,
23An' sniffs all 'round an' says, "I swawn!
24 Ef my old nose don't tell me lies,
25 It 'pears like I smell custard-pies!"
26 An' nen he'll say,
27 "Clear out o' my way!
28 They's time fer work, an' time fer play!
29 Take yer dough, an' run, child, run!
30 Er she cain't git no cookin' done!"
31Wunst our hired girl, when she
32 Got the supper, an' we all et,
33An' it wuz night, an' Ma an' me
34 An' Pa went wher' the "Social" met, --
35An' nen when we come home, an' see
36A light in the kitchen door, an' we
37 Heerd a maccordeun, Pa says, "Lan'-
38O'-Gracious! who can her beau be?"
39 An' I marched in, an' 'Lizabuth Ann
40 Wuz parchin' corn fer The Raggedy Man!
41 Better say,
42 "Clear out o' the way!
43 They's time fer work, an' time fer play!
44 Take the hint, an' run, child, run!
45 Er we cain't git no courtin' done!"
Notes
3] ist: just.
4] somepin' 'at's: something that's.
6] nen: then.
8] 'twon't: it won't.
16] 'tends: pretends.
17] walk the chalk: "walk the line," behave themselves, be very careful.
18] er: or.
23] swawn: `swalm' (swoon, faint away in surprise?).
24] Ef: if.
31] Wunst: once.
32] et: ate (a polite form in Britain even today).
37] a maccordeum: an accordion.
Lan'-: expression of surprise.
38] beau: handsome man (French), boyfriend.
40] parchin': toasting.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: James Whitcomb Riley, Complete Works, Memorial edn. in 10 vols. (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1916): VI, 1462-63. PS 2700 F16 Robarts Library.
First publication date:
December
1890
Publication date note: Century Magazine (December 1890)
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 1998.
Recent editing: 2:2002/1/16
Rhyme: ababccdcddeeeff
Other poems by James Whitcomb Riley
