In my opinion, the rhyme 'Old Molly Hare', as given by Fisk University professor Thomas W. Talley, documents a number of "smart alecky" retorts or 'put-downs' that a person might say to someone asking him or her "What're doin?". In contemporary language, such a retort as given above would be considered a "diss".

The quoted responses to the 'what you doin there?' question, remind me in intent & spirit of this retort that I've heard to the "What ya doin?" question:

"None of your b.y. bizzness."

Btw, I've never been sure why it was 'b''y' bizzness, except that was probably how folks thought business was spelled...Besides that b.y. part helps the rhyme to work better.

Put in informal contemporary English, that last verse would be:

"The dogs say boo
And they bark too
I aint got no time
to talk to you"

-snip-

Though I can't put my finger on any examples of other rhymes [in Talley's collection or elsewhere] where that specific verse is found, I wouldn't at all be surprised if "The dogs say boo..." was used as an ending in other rhymes.

And I can just hear "The dogs say boo..." being used alone as a put down to an inquisitive, busy body person. We'd call such a person a "Bettina Butt-in". And we'd applaud a good quick witted public put-down given to such a person.

Of course, nowadays, you have to be careful who you put down and how. If you even look wrong at a person, let alone say something smart back to him or her, you could be in deep do do. Which is why the hip-hop coined phrase "My bad" got [and still gets] so much use. "My bad" is one way to quickly apologize for any accidental wrongdoing in order to avert possible heavy duty consequences.

Don't get me wrong. I'm definitely not saying that I yearn for the good ole days of "Old Molly Hare". In many many ways those days were'nt all that good.

Besides, people are still coming up with quick witted put-downs in hip hop music and elsewhere. And some of those put downs are even clean...

But as for me, I like the rhythm & feel of

"The dogs say boo
and they bark too
I aint got no time
to talk to you."

Can't you just see girls saying that with their face averted to the side away from the person they are talking to, and the palm of their right hand held up just below their face in the "stop/don't even go there" position?

I can.

I can just see that verse fitting in with the very popular children's handclap taunting rhyme "Brick Wall Water Fall"-and in other such rhymes.

A version of that rhyme from multiple sources goes:

Brickwall Waterfall
Girl, you think you know it all.
You don't. I do.
So Poof with the attitude.
Peace Punch Captain Crunch.
I got something you can't touch.
Bang Bang Cho Cho Train.
Wind me up I'll do my thing.
Reeses Pieces 7 Up
Mess with me, I'll mess you up.
Wait, Come back.
You need a Tic Tac.
Not 1 Not 2 But the whole six-pack.
I'm not trying to be mean
but you need some Listerine.
Not a sip not a swallow.
But the whole dang bottle.

-snip-

That's how many versions of that rhyme end. But-kudos to Old Molly Hare"-I can just hear this ending-with the word "dog" in the first line changed to "ghosts":

"Ghosts say boo.
and dogs bark too.
I don't have no time to talk to you."

-snip-

Hey, it works for me. What do you think?