O BIG Old Tree, so tall an' fine, Where all us childern swings an' plays, Though neighbers says you're on the line Between Pa's house an' Mr. Gray's, -- Us childern used to almost fuss, Old Tree, about you when we'd play. We'd argy you belonged to @3us,@1 An' them Gray-kids the other way! Till @3Elsie,@1 one time @3she@1 wuz here An' playin' wiv us -- Don't you mind, Old Mister Tree? -- an' purty near She scolded us the hardest kind Fer quar'llin' 'bout you thataway, An' say @3she'll@1 find -- ef we'll keep still -- Whose tree you air @3fer shore,@1 she say, An' settle it @3fer good,@1 she will! So all keep still: An' nen she gone An' pat the Old Tree, an' says she, -- "Whose @3air@1 you, Tree?" an' nen let on Like she's a-list'nin' to the Tree, -- An' nen she say, "It's settled, -- 'cause The Old Tree says he's @3all@1 our tree -- His @3trunk@1 belongs to bofe your Pas, But @3shade@1 belongs to you an' me." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE GARDEN OF LOVE, FR. SONGS OF EXPERIENCE by WILLIAM BLAKE TO SENECA LAKE by JAMES GATES PERCIVAL THE FLYING DUTCHMAN by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON MOUNTAIN FROLIC by GEORGE LAWRENCE ANDREWS FRAGMENT OF A CHORUS OF A DEJANEIRA by MATTHEW ARNOLD POLYHYMNIA: DEDICATION TO THE COUNTESS OF LINDSEY by WILLIAM BASSE DEATH'S JEST-BOOK: BRIDAL SONG AND DIRGE by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES |