The Raggedy Man

Mike has been reading books from our home library collection lately including: Travels with Charley - John Steinbeck Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee The Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens Gentle Ben – Walter Morey I especially like when he shares excerpts and his thoughts from the books. A few days ago after lunch, he had a book I recognized in hand and peering over his reading specs he said, “Can I read you something?” He read from an old book called Riley Child-Rhymes by James Whitcomb Riley copyrighted 1906.

Mike remembers his beloved Great Aunt Eleanor reading aloud to him from this book when he was a young boy, especially “The Raggedy Man” and also “Little Orphant Annie” The book is inscribed in the front in lovely script:To: Eleanor: From Aunt Ida

“James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) was an American writer and poet, known as the "Hoosier Poet" and the "Children's Poet". He started his career in 1875 writing newspaper verse in Indiana dialect for the Indianapolis Journal.” (Thus, the Indiana dialect from times past.)

Illustration by Will Vawter

The Raggedy Man by James Whitcomb Riley O the Raggedy Man! He works fer Pa;

An' he's the goodest man ever you saw!

He comes to our house every day,

An' waters the horses, an' feeds 'em hay;

An' he opens the shed -- an' we all ist laugh

When he drives out our little old wobble-ly calf;

An' nen -- ef our hired girl says he can --

He milks the cow fer 'Lizabuth Ann. --

Ain't he a' awful good Raggedy Man?

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

W'y, The Raggedy Man -- he's ist so good,

He splits the kindlin' an' chops the wood;

An' nen he spades in our garden, too,

An' does most things 'at boys can't do. --

He clumbed clean up in our big tree

An' shooked a' apple down fer me --

An' 'nother 'n', too, fer 'Lizabuth Ann --

An' 'nother 'n', too, fer The Raggedy Man. --

Ain't he a' awful kind Raggedy Man?

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

An' The Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes,

An' tells 'em, ef I be good, sometimes:

Knows 'bout Giunts, an' Griffuns, an' Elves,

An' the Squidgicum-Squees 'at swallers the'rselves:

An', wite by the pump in our pasture-lot,

He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got,'

At lives 'way deep in the ground, an' can

Turn into me, er 'Lizabuth Ann!

Er Ma, er Pa, er The Raggedy Man!

Ain't he a funny old Raggedy Man?

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

The Raggedy Man -- one time, when he

Wuz makin' a little bow-'n'-orry fer me,Says "

When you're big like your Pa is,

Air you go' to keep a fine store like his --

An' be a rich merchunt -- an' wear fine clothes? --

Er what air you go' to be, goodness knows?"

An' nen he laughed at 'Lizabuth Ann,

An' I says "'M go' to be a Raggedy Man! --

I'm ist go' to be a nice Raggedy Man!"

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!