A Southern Lullaby

Little honey baby, shet yo' eyes up tight; -      (Shadow-man is comin' from de moon!) -     You's as sweet as roses if dey is so pink an white;      (Shadow-man '11 get here mighty soon.)     Little honey baby, keep yo' footses still! -      (Rocky-bye, oh, rocky, rocky-bye!)     Hush yo' now, an listen to dat lonesome whippo'-will;      Don't yo' fix yo' lip an start to cry.     Little honey baby, stop dat winkin' quick!;      (Hear de hoot-owl in de cotton-wood!)     Yess - I sees yo' eyes adoin' dat dere triflin' trick -      (He gets chillun if dey isn't good.)     Little honey baby, what yo' think yo' see? -      (Sister keep on climbin' to de sky - )     Dat's a June bug - it aint got no stinger, lak a bee -      (Reach de glory city by an by.)     Little honey baby, what yo' skeery at? -      (Go down, Moses - down to Phar-e-oh,) -     No - dat isn't nuffin but a furry fly-round bat; -      (Say, he'd betta let dose people go.)     Little honey baby, yo' is all ma own, -      Deed yo' is. - Yes, - dat's a fia-fly; -     If I didn't hab yo' - reckon I'd be all alone;      (Rocky-bye - oh, rocky, rocky-bye.)     Little honey baby, shet yo' eyes up tight; -      (Shadow man is comin' from de moon,)     You's as sweet as roses, if dey is so pink and white;      (Shadow-man '11 get here mighty soon.)      The lines in brackets are supposed to be sung or chanted.      The Southern "Mammy" seldom sang a song through, but interladed it with comments. - V.S.