Uncle Remus and Bre'r Rabbit Week 14: American Tales - Assignments - Reading - Resources - Images

A PLANTATION CHANT Reading time: (2 minutes)

Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-fo',
Christ done open dat He'v'mly do'-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer;

Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-five,
Christ done made dat dead man alive-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer.

You ax me ter run home,
Little childun-
Run home, dat sun done roll-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer.

Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-six,
Christ is got us a place done fix-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer;

Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-sev'm
Christ done sot a table in Hev'm
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer.

You ax me ter run home, Little childun
Run home, dat sun done roll-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer.

Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-eight,
Christ done make dat crooked way straight-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer;

Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-nine,
Christ done tu'n dat water inter wine-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer.

You ax me ter run home,
Little childun-
Run home, dat sun done roll-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer.

Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-ten,
Christ is de mo'ner's onliest fr'en'-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer;

Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-lev'm,
Christ'll be at do do' w'en we all git ter Hev'm-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer.

You ax me ter run home,
Little childun-
Run home, dat sun done roll-
An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer.

Questions. Make sure you can answer these questions about what you just read: where is it that the man "don't wanter stay no longer"? what are the things that the man says Christ has done and is doing? why is Christ "de mo'ner's onliest fr'en'"? Source: Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).Weblink.