'My old missus promise me
Shoo a la a day,
When she die she set me free
Shoo a la a day.
She live so long her head git bald,
Shoo a la a day.
She give up de idea of dyin' a-tall
Shoo a la a day.'
"Sometimes we hollers de corn hollers. One was somethin' like this:
'Rabbit gittin' up in a holler for niggers kotch for breakfast.'
Sometimes my mudder jump up in de air and sing,
'Sugar in de gourd,
Sugar in de gourd,
Iffen you wanter git
De sugar out--
R-o-o-l-l de gourd over.'
"And all de time she shoutin' dat, she jumpin' right straight up in de
air.
"I heered lots about de Klu Klux. Sometimes dey want a nigger's place
and dey put up notice he better sell out and leave. Iffen he go see a
lawyer, de lawyer wouldn' take de case, 'cause mos' dem in with de Klux.
He tell de nigger he better sell.
"I come to Texas in '76 and been here ever since. I's had 13 chillen. I
owns eight acres in dis place now and I got de purties' corn in de
country but de insecks give it de blues."