You bad leetle boy, not moche you care
How busy you’re kipin’ your poor gran’pere
Tryin’ to stop you ev’ry day
Chasin’ de hen aroun’ de hay.
W’y don’t you geev’ dem a chance to lay!
Leetle Bateese!
Off on de fiel’ you foller de plough,
Den we’en you’re tire, you scare de cow,
Sickin’ de dog till dey jamp de wall
So de milk ain’t good for not’ing at all,
An’ you’re only five an’ a half this fall—
Leetle Bateese!
Too sleepy for sayin’ de prayer tonight?
Never min’, I s’pose it’ll be all right;
Say dem to-morrow—ah! dere he go!
Fas’ asleep in a minute or so—
An’ he’ll stay lak dat till the rooster crow—
Leetle Bateese.
Den wake up right away, toute suite,
Lookin’ for somethin’ more to eat,
Makin’ me t’ink of dem long-lag crane,
Soon as they swaller, dey start again;
I wonder your stomach don’t get no pain,
Leetle Bateese.
But see heem now lyin’ dere in bed,
Look at de arm onderneat’ hees head;
If he grow lak dat till he’s twenty year,
I bet he’ll be stronger than Louis Cyr
And beat de voyageurs leevin’ here—
Leetle Bateese.
Jus’ feel de muscle along hees back,—
Won’t geev’ heem moche bodder for carry pack
On de long portage, any size canoe;
Dere’s not many t’ings dat boy won’t do,
For he’s got double-joint on hees body too—
Leetle Bateese.
But leetle Bateese! please don’t forget
We rader you’re stayin’ de small boy yet.
So chase de chicken and mak’ dem scare,
An’ do w’at you lak wit’ your ole gran’pere,
For w’en you’re beeg feller he won’t be dere—
Leetle Bateese!