Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE PET COON, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE PET COON, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Noey bixler ketched him, an' fetched him in to me
Last Line: "er 'greedy,' next he whips yer dog, shall whip you, too!"
Alternate Author Name(s): Johnson Of Boone, Benj. F.
Subject(s): Animals; Dogs; Pets; Raccoons


NOEY BIXLER ketched him, an' fetched him in to me
When he's ist a little teenty-weenty baby-coon
'Bout as big as little pups, an' tied him to a tree;
An' Pa gived Noey fifty cents, when he come home at noon.
Nen he buyed a chain fer him, an' little collar, too,
An' sawed a hole in a' old tub an' turnt it upside down;
An' little feller'd stay in there and won't come out fer you --
'Tendin' like he's kind o' skeered o' boys 'at lives in town.

Now he ain't afeard a bit! he's ist so fat an' tame,
We on'y chain him up at night, to save the little chicks.
Holler "Greedy! Greedy!" to him, an' he knows his name,
An' here he'll come a-waddle-un, up fer any tricks!
He'll climb up my leg, he will, an' waller in my lap,
An' poke his little black paws 'way in my pockets where
They's beechnuts, er chinkypins, er any little scrap
Of anything 'at's good to eat -- an' he don't care!

An' he's as spunky as you please, an' don't like dogs at all. --
Billy Miller's black-an'-tan tackled him one day,
An' "Greedy" he ist kind o' doubled all up like a ball,
An' Billy's dog he gived a yelp er two an' runned away!
An' nen when Billy fighted me, an' hit me with a bone,
An' Ma she purt' nigh ketched him as he dodged an' skooted through
The fence, she says, "You better let my little boy alone,
Er 'Greedy,' next he whips yer dog, shall whip you, too!"





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