What Mother Doesn’T Know

Sometimes w’en I got to pile wood in the yard, ’Ist wringin’ with sweat ’cuz I’m workin’ so hard, An’ see all the neighbors’ boys startin’ to fish, I can’t hardly work any more, an’ I wish ’At I wuz a-goin’ an’ ’en right away I run an’ ast Ma if I can’t go today, An’ she says to me ’en: “Johnny Jones, you can run Off an’ fish ’ist as soon as your work is all done.

You must work while you work, You must play while you play An’ ’en you’ll be happy for many a day.” An’ mebbe it’s so, But my goodness! to go With the boys ’at’s gone fishin’!--I guess she dunno!

Sometimes w’en I got to hoe garden an’ hear The boys playin’ ball in the next lot, so near I hear ’em all cheerin’ an’ see ’em all score, I can’t hardly stand it to hoe any more. So ’en I ast Ma if I can’t go an’ play An’ promise to hoe twict as much the next day, But she says to me ’en: “Johnny Jones, you can run Off an’ play ’ist as soon as your work is all done.

You must work while you work, You must play while you play An’ ’en you’ll be happy for many a day.” An’ mebbe it’s so, But, my goodness! to hoe W’en you hear ’em a-playin’!--I guess she dunno.

Sometimes w’en the snow gets all piled up so deep On the walk ’at she tells me to go out an’ sweep It all off, an’ Sam Russell comes by with his sled, My broom ’at I’m usin’ gets heavy as lead. An’ I can’t hardly sweep, an’ I ast Ma if I Can’t go out a-slidin’ an’ sweep by an’ by, But she says to me ’en: “Johnny Jones, you can run Off and slide ’ist as soon as your work is all done.

You must work while you work, You must play while you play An’ ’en you’ll be happy for many a day.” An’ mebbe it’s so, But to have to sweep snow W’en the boys are a-slidin’!--I guess she dunno.