Three Little Girls and the Yankees
by Eunice Jones Autry
Girls, you must hurry, Don't stand there and shiver;
Take the cow and the hens to the cove by the river.
Here is some bread, but you'll have to drink water;
Don't forget the goose and a bundle of fodder.
Your brother has said that the Yankees are near;
If you leave right now, you'll have nothing to fear.
Then six little feet hardly touching the floor,
As we run through the kitchen and out the back door;
Across the back yard and out to the barn,
Praying silently as we run, that we'll come to no harm.
Off we go to our cove that is on the river side;
There we'll be safe, it's a good place to hide.
With a spring flowing there with water so cold,
and the cress is so thick makes a sight to behold;
We will play there today and be quiet as a mouse,
While the Yankees are there, raiding our house.
They took all our sheep, but our cow we'll not give;
We hide all we can, for we, too, have to live.
Today, for a while, we'll pretend we are free;
Water cress and bread will be a picnic for three.
Later today after all of our fun;
When the Yankees have left, then our brother will come.
Then we know for a while they will leave us in peace;
We all pray at night for this fighting to cease.
I know that someday we'll remember and smile;
How we fooled all those Yankees for a long, long while.
About three little girls, my two sisters and me;
Outfoxing those fine Yankees made us all dance with glee.
No matter how mighty, no matter how smart;
They thought they could beat us and then break our heart.
Big men on fine horses, all stolen, no doubt;
Would take all we had, and then leave us without.
I wished that they knew how my sisters and me
Outwitted and fooled them and then danced with glee.
Now years have gone by and we have all grown old;
These stories are precious and should always be told.
copyright 1999
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