Riley Child-Rhymes with Hoosier Pictures

The Bear Story

157 thE bEAR StoRy THAT ALEX “IST MAKED UP HIS-OWN-SE’F” W’y, wunst they wuz a little boy went out in the woods to shoot a bear. So, he went out ’Way in the grea’-big woods—he did.—An’ he Wuz goin’ along—an’ goin’ along, you know, An’ purty soon he heerd somepin’ go “Wooh!”— ist thataway—“Woo-ooh!” An’ he wuz skeered, he wuz. An’ so he runned an’ clumbed a tree— A grea’-big tree, he did,—a sicka-more tree. An’ nen he heerd it ag’in: an’ he looked round, An’ ’t’uz a Bear!—a grea’-big shore-nuff Bear!— No: ’t’uz two bears, it wuz—two grea’-big bears— One of ’em wuz—ist one’s a grea’-big bear.— but they ist boff went “Wooh!”—An’ here they come to climb the tree an’ git the little boy An’ eat him up! 158 the bear story An’ nen the little boy he ’uz skeered worse’n ever! An’ here come The grea’-big bear a-climbin’ th’ tree to git The little boy an’ eat him up—oh, no!— it ’uzn’t the Big bear ’at clumb the tree— it ’uz the little bear. So here he come Climbin’ the tree—an’ climbin’ the tree! Nen when he git wite clos’t to the little boy, w’y nen The little boy he ist pulled up his gun An’ shot the bear, he did, an’ killed him dead! An’ nen the bear he falled clean on down out The tree—away clean to the ground, he did— Spling-splung! he falled plum down, an’ killed him, too! An’ lit wite side o’ where the Big bear’s at. An’ nen the big bear’s awful mad, you bet!— ’Cause—’cause the little boy he shot his gun An’ killed the little bear.—’Cause the Big bear he—he ’uz the little bear’s Papa.—An’ so here He come to climb the big old tree an’ git The little boy an’ eat him up! An’ when The little boy he saw the grea’-big Bear 159 the bear story A-comin’, he ’uz badder skeered, he wuz, Than any time! An’ so he think he’ll climb Up higher—’way up higher in the tree Than the old Bear kin climb, you know.—but he— he can’t climb higher ’an old Bears kin climb,— ’Cause bears kin climb up higher in the trees Than any little boys in all the Wo-r-r-ld! An’ so here come the grea’-big bear, he did,— A-climbin’ up—an’ up the tree, to git The little boy an’ eat him up! An’ so The little boy he clumbed on higher, an’ higher, An’ higher up the tree—an’ higher—an’ higher— An’ higher’n iss-here house is!—An’ here come Th’ old bear—clos’ter to him all the time!— An’ nen—first thing you know,—when th’ old big bear Wuz wite clos’t to him—nen the little boy ist jabbed his gun wite in the old bear’s mouf An’ shot an’ killed him dead!—No; i fergot,— he didn’t shoot the grea’-big bear at all— ’Cause they ’uz no load in the gun, you know— ’Cause when he shot the little bear, w’y, nen No load ’uz anymore nen in the gun! but th’ little boy clumbed higher up, he did— he clumbed lots higher—an’ on up higher—an’ higher An’ higher—tel he ist can’t climb no higher, ’Cause nen the limbs ’uz all so little, ’way 160 the bear story Up in the teeny-weeny tip-top of The tree, they’d break down wiv him ef he don’t be keerful! So he stop an’ think: An’ nen he look around—An’ here come th’ old bear! An’ so the little boy make up his mind he’s got to ist git out o’ there some way!— ’Cause here come the old bear!—so clos’t, his bref’s Purt ’nigh so’s he kin feel how hot it is Ag’inst his bare feet—ist like old “Ring’s” bref When he’s ben out a-huntin’ an’s all tired. So when th’ old bear’s so clos’t—the little boy ist gives a grea’-big jump fer ’nother...