Down Around the River

Noon-time an' June-time, down around the river!

Have to furse with 'Lizey Ann -- but lawzy! I fergive her!

Drives me off the place, an' says 'at all 'at she's a-wishin',
Land o' gracious! time'll come I'll git enough o' fishin'!

Little Dave, a-choppin' wood, never 'pears to notice;
Don't know where she's hid his hat, er keerin' where his coat is, --
Specalatin', more'n like, he haint a-goin' to mind me,
An' guessin' where, say twelve o'clock, a feller'd likely find me!

Noon-time an' June-time, down around the river!

Clean out o' sight o' home, an' skulkin' under kivver
Of the sycamores, jack-oaks, an' swamp-ash an' ellum --
Idies all so jumbled up, you kin hardly tell 'em! --
_Tired_, you know, but _lovin'_ it, an' smilin' jes' to think 'at
Any _sweeter_ tiredness you'd fairly want to _drink_ it!

Tired o' fishin' -- tired o' fun -- line out slack an' slacker --
All you want in all the world's a little more tobacker!

Hungry, but _a-hidin'_ it, er jes' a-not a-keerin': --
Kingfisher gittin' up an' skootin' out o' hearin';
Snipes on the t'other side, where the County Ditch is,
Wadin' up an' down the aidge like they'd rolled their britches!

Old turkle on the root kindo-sorto drappin'
Intoo th' worter like he don't know how it happen!

Worter, shade an' all so mixed, don't know which you'd orter
Say; th' _worter_ in the shadder -- _shadder_ in the _worter! _

Somebody hollerin' -- 'way around the bend in
Upper Fork -- where yer eye kin jes' ketch the endin'
Of the shiney wedge o' wake some muss-rat's a-makin'
With that pesky nose o' his! Then a sniff o' bacon,
Corn-bred an' 'dock-greens -- an' little Dave a-shinnin'
'Crost the rocks an' mussel-shells, a-limpin' an' a-grinnin',
With yer dinner fer ye, an' a blessin' from the giver,
Noon-time an' June-time down around the river!

End of title

Down Around the River

James Whitcomb Riley

Toggle Dropdown