The Raggedy Man

O The Raggedy Man! He works fer Pa;
An' he's the goodest man ever you saw!

He comes to our house every day,
An' waters the horses, an' feeds 'em hay;
An' he opens the shed -- an' we all ist laugh
When he drives out our little old wobble-ly calf;
An' nen -- ef our hired girl says he can --
He milks the cow fer 'Lizabuth Ann. --
Aint he a' awful good Raggedy Man?

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

W'y, The Raggedy Man -- he's ist so good
He splits the kindlin' an' chops the wood;
An' nen he spades in our garden, too,
An' does most things 'at _boys_ can't do! --
He clumbed clean up in our big tree
An' shooked a' apple down fer me --
An' nother'n', too, fer 'Lizabuth Ann --
An' nother'n', too, fer The Raggedy Man. --
Aint he a' awful kind Raggedy Man?

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

An' The Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes
An' tells 'em, ef I be good, sometimes:
Knows 'bout Giunts, an' Griffuns, an' Elves,
An' the Squidgicum-Squees 'at swallers therselves!

An', wite by the pump in our pasture-lot,
He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got,
'At lives 'way deep in the ground, an' can
Turn into me, er 'Lizabuth Ann!

Aint he a funny old Raggedy Man?

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

The Raggedy Man -- one time when he
Wuz makin' a little bow-'n'-orry fer me,
Says "When _you're_ big like your Pa is,
Air you go' to keep a fine store like his --
An' be a rich merchunt -- an' wear fine clothes? --
Er what _air_ you go' to be, goodness knows!"

An' nen he laughed at 'Lizabuth Ann,
An' I says "M go' to be a Raggedy Man! --
I'm ist go' to be a nice Raggedy Man!"

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

End of title

The Raggedy Man

James Whitcomb Riley

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