I'm only jes' a little chap,
An' my ma says I'm frail;
I got ec-a-lec-tic fits, '
At's why I'm lookin' pale.
Once I had a ague chill,
An', oh, how I did shake '
'Cause aunty wouldn't give me any
Jelly tarts an' cake!
Once when it was summer
Once, an' nice an' warm, nen me
An' Jennie went in our back yard
'Nd climbed a cherry tree.
An' she ate all the cherries, too,
An' fed me all the pits,
An' my ma said 'at's jes' what give
Me ec-a-lec-tic fits.
When bad girls comes to our house
They mustn't scare me, too,
An' romp up quick against me
Like they's playin' peek-a-boo,
'Cause ma she'll say right out to 'em:
"See here, now, children, quit!
I guess you'll have to run right home
'Fore Wadsworth has a fit."
Sometime I'll be strong 'nd well
An' big like Uncle Dan,
An' he'll be little jes' like me,
When I'm a grown-up man,
'Nd nen I won't be scarin' people
Almost out their wits,
'Cause 'en I won't go 'round a-havin'
Ec-a-lec-tic fits.
When you see me turnin' blue
An' when my hands gits cold,
Don't you git afraid o' that;
But jes' you git a hold
Of me, an' rub my hands,
'Nd rub my neck 'nd head
Till I "come out"—-'cause if you don't
I'm li'ble to git dead.
I wouldn't care if I should die
'Nd go up there, would you,
Where the sun is peekin' 'round
The clouds, up where it's blue?
'Cause there they ain't no worry,
An' they's lots o' little bits
Of fellers, an' they's none of 'em
Got ec-a-lec-tic fits.