My grandfather was in his 50s when he taught them to me..I was 17...the date that i memorized them was May 1958. We think that was the last authentic minstrel show in the US...I was an end man..."Rastus" and there were singers...and much monolog....my girlfriend at the time had the name "shortnin bread" I remember "mammy" asking me (not in the script) "Rastus do you like shorten bread" and I leaned over and looked at the actors at the center of the stage and leered and said "Yeaaaaaaaa" Everyone laughed and thought we had planned it.