Classic Poem

Hans' Little Baby

V ON day I vas found me a baby,
So small he can't sit in my lap;
You don't believing dot story
Und say I vas talk in my cap:
I heared me my door-bell a-ringin'.
Den somebody runs me avay
Und leave me dot great bushel basket
In vich a nice baby vas lay.

Vedder he vas Scotch or Spanish,
Or French, it been all der same;
I love me dot leedle baby
Und give him dot German name;
But I think it vas awful funny
Und I laugh me ever so much:
Suppose he vas born of Irish
Und I been making him Dutch.

I vas only a poor shoemaker,
Und keep me pachelor's hall,
But how to feed me dot baby
Vas bodder me more as all;
So I ask me of der butcher
Und of der grocery man,
Who sold me dot milk condences
Vich I feed him out of der can.

I buy him plenty of dresses
From every store in der town;
But ven I dress me dot baby
I got him in upside down.
Dot make me so much confusions
Ven der baby vas wrong side oud;
So I hires me a negro mammy
Vat knows somedings more aboud.

So black like a silhouette shadow
She alvays must carry a light;
Und she vas so cross-eyed der baby
Could never got out of her sight.
She laugh ven I buyed him trousers
Und tings vat he could n't use,
So I give her to bossing der baby
Und keep on a-mending der shoes.

I love me so much of dot baby,
Yust like he vas born by me;
Und vile I vas teach him der talkin',
He sittin' across my knee,
His arms on my neck vas clingin'
Yust like der oak und der vine;
Und I vas been all his relation
Und he vas been all of mine.

Und ven he got bigger und goin'
Avay to der school over there,
I never could tink me of nodings
But gaze on his empty chair;
But ven he vas read me der lessons
It make me so happy to cry,
Because he vas readin' und writin'
Und talking much better as I.

But ven he vas growin' so handsome,
Und yust about six years old,
Mit cheeks like der blushing of roses
Und hair like der tassels of gold,
A rich man vas come in his carriage
Und prove vat I could not deny —
Vich breakin' my heart all in pieces —
Dot he vas der father, not I!

He told me dot boy had been stolen;
Und all my oxpenses he pay;
No matter how much I been askin'
He double vatever I say!
I ask — for vat money he sell him;
" For nodings! " he say mit surprise.
Den I told him dot all my oxpenses
Vas nodings und nodings likewise!

He place in der bank many thousands
Vich he say vas for me to enjoy;
At first I vas mad! — den I t'inkin':
I keep it und give to dot boy.
Und now ven he ride in his carriage
He come to my shop every day:
Dot tear vas der joy vat I feelin' —
He been here und yust gone avay.

Dot boy vas got him two fathers;
Vile von of dem got all der gold,
Dot udder von got all der lovin',
For dis unto me he yust told —
Vile his arms on my neck vas clingin'
Yust like der oak und der vine —
I still vas been all his relation
Und he vas been all of mine.English