Forty Four

If de people'll jes gimme
Des a liddle bit o' peace,
I'll tell 'em what happen
To de Chief o' Perlice.
He met a robber
Right at de do!
An' de robber, he shot 'im
Wid a forty-fo!
He shot dat Perliceman
He shot in sho!
What did he shoot 'im wid?
A forty-fo'.

Dey sent fer de Doctah
An' de Doctah he come.
He come in a hurry,
He come in a run.
He come wid his instriments
Right in his han',
To progue an' find
Dat forty-fo', Man!
De Doctah he progued;
He progued him sho'!
But he jes couldn' find
Dat forty-fo'.

Dey sent fer de Preachah,
An' dey preachah he come.
He come in a walk,
An' he come in to talk.
He come wid 'is Bible,
Right in 'is han',
An' he read from dat chapter,
Forty-fo, Man!
Dat Preachah, he read.
He read, I know.
What Chapter did he read frum?
"Twus Forty-fo'!


[Thomas W. Talley: Negro Folk Rhymes, Wise and Otherwise;   Kennikat Press edition;1968; pps 71, 72; originally published, 1922; The Macmillan Company]