"The Owl, Parrot, Duck and Crow" (1898)
A Comic Quartet for Mixed Voices.
By Maude Anita Hart

[Source: 054/097@Levy]

[CHORUS]
We have all heard tell of Jim Crow as black, 
And Poll, pret-ty Poll as green; 
And the Duck as brown with its quack, quack, quack. 
The Owl we have sometimes seen. 

BASS SOLO [Owl]
My choice, then, friends, in bird king-dom would be, 
The Owl with its wondrous eyes, 
He soars far above to a lofty tree 
And looks so happy and wise. 

SOPRANO SOLO [Parrot]
A pretty Pol Parrot with plumage so gay, 
In the kingdom of birds I would be. 
For they, like the women, can talk night and day, 
And are al-ways a pleasure to see. 

BASS turning to Soprano
Pret-ty Poll,

SOPRANO
Ah! there,

ALTO [Duck]
Ugly Poll,

TENOR [Crow]
The Polly's all right in her way.

BASS
Pretty Poll,

SOPRANO
Ah! there,

ALTO
Ugly Poll,

SOPRANO
Don't care,

[CHORUS]
Yes, [BASS: Our] Polly with plumage so gay--

TENOR SOLO
A Crow I would be and the farmers defy, 
In corn planting time in the spring 
Their fields freely rob, then away I would fly, 
And high in some treetop sing.

[TRIO Soprano, Alto and Bass turning to Tenor with a look of suprise.]
We never knew that a crow could sing. 
Now let your melody ring. 

TENOR
Caw, caw, 
caw, caw. 
caw, caw, caw, caw, 
caw.

ALTO SOLO
A Duck  with its glad hap-py life I’d be, 
And close to the brook-let stay. 
I’d sail and sail on the wa-ters free, 
Yes, sail and sail all day. 

[TRIO. Soprano, Tenor and Bass turning to Alto with a look of suprise.]
We never knew that a duck could sing. 
Now let your melody ring. 

ALTO
Quack, quack, 
quack, quack. 
quack, quack, quack, quack, 
quack.

[All turning to the audience begin their chorus.]
Our voices now in a chores gay, 
Give attention to, kind friends. 
We’re wate ? ? and all will say 
Harmonious each one blends. 

[Overlapping voices]
[SOPRANO] 
Don’t you know your pretty Polly 
Is so very hungry, 
And she wants a cracker, cracker, 
Yes, she wants a cracker; 
Now you know that I can talk 
And that I am so hungry, 
If you won’t give me a cracker then I’ll take terbacker, 
Cracker, cracker, cracker, cracker, cracker, cracker, 
Pretty Poll can talk, cracker, cracker. 
[ALTO]
Quack, quack, 
quack, quack, 
Quack, quack, 
quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.
Quack, quack, 
quack, quack, 
quack, quack, quack, quack,
quack, quack, quack,
quack, quack,
quack, quack, quack, quack,
Quack, quack, 
quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.
quack, quack.
[TENOR]
Caw, caw, caw, caw, 
Caw, caw, caw, caw, 
caw, caw, caw. 
Caw, caw, caw, caw, 
caw, caw, caw, caw, 
caw, caw, caw, 
caw, caw, caw, caw, caw,
caw, caw, caw, caw,
caw, caw, caw, caw, caw, caw,
caw, caw.
[BASS]
Hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo, 
hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo, 
Hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo, 
hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo. 
Hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo, 
hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo,
hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo, 
hoo, hoo, hoo, 
hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo, 
hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, 
hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo, 
hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, 
hoo-hoo.