Poems (Merrill)/A Mystery Explained

by Clara A. Merrill

A MYSTERY EXPLAINED

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Hi Sambo—don' yo' talk dat way—
 Aint yo' a silly coon!
A talkin' 'bout de mystery
 Ob de man date in de moon!
I tell yo' 'taint no mystery
 'Bout de moon, or how it acts,
I reckon ef yo'd like to know
 I kin tell yo' all de facts.

'Tis dis:—Yo ' see when de world was new
 De moon was roun' an' clear;
An' kep' a shinin' ebery night
 Jus' so, year arter year.—
'Till dis man he done some drefful t'ing—
 He ran, but dey cotched him soon
An' widout no odds dey banished him
 An' sent him to de moon.

Dey see'd him lookin' down to earth
 Whar dey wouldn't let him stay;
Den solemn like, an' bery slow
 He turn he face away.—
An' arter dat de moon was new—
 Den half a moon dar'll be;
Den de moon am roun', an' de man looks down
 On de Ian' an' on de sea.

An' he gazes ober all de earth
 'Til he wants to see no more—
Den he slowly turn he face away
 Jus' as he did before.
Dese am de facts ob what yo' call
 De "Mystery profound"—
When de moon keeps changing as yo' see
 'Tis de man a turnin' round!