Little Mouse

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Get along leetle mouse, kick de snow up
  behin' you
 For it's fine winter road we 're travelto-
  night
Wit' de moon an' de star shinin' up on de sky
  dere
 W'y it 's almos' de sam' as de broad day
  light.
 De bell roun' your body it 's quick tune dey 're
  playin'
 But your foot 's kippin' tam jus' as steady
  can be,
Ah! you dance youse'f crazy if only I let you,
 Ma own leetle pony- petite souris.

You 'member w'en firse we be tryin' for broke
  you
 An' Joe Sauvageau bet hees two dollar bill
He can drive you alone by de bridge on de
  reever
 An' down near de place w'ere dey got de
  beeg mill.

An' it 's new cariole too, is come from St.
  Felix
 Jo-seph 's only buyin' it week before,
An' w'en he is passin' de road wit' hees trotter
 Ev'ry body was stan' on de outside door.

An' dere he sit, sam' he don 't care about
  not'ing
 Hees foot on de dashboar', hees han' on de
  line
Ev'ry dog on de place is come out for barkin'
 An' all de young boy he was runnin' behin' .

Wall! sir, Joe's put on style leetle soon for
  hees pleasure
 For w'en de mill w'issle, you jomp  lak de
  cat
An' nex' t'ing poor Joe is commencin' get
  busy,
 Non! I never see fine run-away lak dat.

'Way go de pony den-  'way go de cariole,
 Poor Joe say , "good-bye" on de foot of de
  hill
An' all he can see of de sleigh de nex' morning
 Is jus' about pay for hees two dollar bill.

Ah!  your right nam' jus' den should be leetle
  devil
 An' not leetle mouse, de sam' you have now.
Wall! dat 's long ago, an' you 're gettin' more
  quiet
 Since tam you was never done kickin' de
  row.

But I 'm not very sorry de firse day I see you
 Settle down on de trot lak your fader he get
W'en he beat Sorel Boy on de ice at T'ree
  Reever
 Bes' two on t'ree heat, an' win all de bet.

Your moder she 's come off de Lachapelle stock
  too
 Ole Canayen blood from Berthier en haut
De bes' kin' of horse never look on de halter
 So it is n't moche wonder you know how to
  go.

Dat's church bell we 're hearin' off dere on de
  hillside
 Get along leetle mouse, for we must n't be
  late,
Fin' your way t'roo de res' of dem crowdin' de
  roadside
 You 'll never get better chance showin' your
  gait.

Wall! church is all over, an' Josephine 's comin'
 For drive wit' us home on her gran' moder 's
  house
So tak' your own tam an' don 't be on de hurry
 Your slowes' gait 's quick enough now, leetle
  mouse.

© William Henry Drummond