"The Bee-Gum" (1833)
[Words and Music--
anonymous]

*The "Bee-gum" -- so called by the Southern Negroes,
meaning the hive of the wild bee. The above song is
_genuine_, being out of a collection of melodies
obtained in South Carolina,

Baltimore, MD: George Willig Jr.
[Source: 018/017@Levy]

1. I guess you do’n know how old Massa do 
When him send Nigger Bob to hoe corn an’ tater; 
Him had a long whip, an’ he gib a strong clip, 
An’ he so let him go to hunt Alligators; 
But guess he hab be fun when he git a rifle gun, 
He no as de odds of any Nigger Nabob; 
He hunt de big racoon, by de sunshine ob de moon, 
Den don’t bang a lip, but laugh and grin away, Bob.

2. Bob went todder day when de sun gone away,
And he hunt, an’ he hunt all around de plantation;
He see’d in a tree some bery, bery fine beegum,
An’ he tought if he cotch him— be a wonder to de nation.
So he crep’d into de hollow, an’ den he gan to swaller,
De honey as fas’ as de ting bee would let him;
Until so much he eat, dat he would not move be feet,
An’ he pack so fas’ dat nothing out could get him.

3. Bob tuck de whole day through, an’ he no knew what to do,
At las’ de night come on— oh! la! how he bodder;
At las’ a hungry bear, tought honey mus’ be dare,
An’ so he tought he crep into eat mid be brodder,
Bob tuck him by de skin as de bear was comin’ in,
An he pull an he pull till down de hollow tree come
When Nigger Bob cum out an’ run like Nigger caught,
An’ de bear tought he cotch de debil in a beegum.