Joe Baratta's Giuseppina
She's so cute as she can be;
Justa com' here from Messina,
Weeth da resta family.
Joe had money in da banka—
He been savin' for a year—
An' he breeng hees wife, Bianca,
An' da three small chidren here.
First ees baby, Catarina,
Nexta Paolo (w'at you call
Een da Inglaice langwadge “Paul”),
An' da smartest wan of all—
Giuseppina!

Giuseppina justa seven,
But so smart as she can be;
Wida-wake at night-time even,
Dere's so mooch dat's strange to see.
W'at you theenk ees mos' surprise her?
No; ees not da buildin's tall;
Eef, my frand, you would be wisa
You mus' theenk of som'theeng small.
Eet's an ant! W'en first she seena
Wan o' dem upon da ground,
How she laughed an' danced around:
“O! ‘Formica,’ he has found
Giuseppina!”

“O!” she cried to heem, “Formica”
(Dat's Italian name for heem),
“How you getta here so queecka?
For I know you no can sweem;
An' you was not on da sheepa,
For I deed not see you dere.
How you evva mak' da treepa?
Only birds can fly een air.
How you gat here from Messina?
O! at las' I ondrastand!
You have dugga through da land
Jus' to find your leetla frand,
Giuseppina!”