Mule/stall

Old Mule by Arthur Smith (Spoken)



Old mule, you're the son of a donkey

And I'm in the image of God

Yet, here we work, hitched together

Toilin' and tillin' the sod

I wonder if you work for me

Or I work for you, old mule

At times I think it's a partnership

Between a mule and a doggone fool.



When plowin', we go the same distance

But I work harder than you

You skim the ground on four good legs

And I hobble along on two

So, mule, mathematically speakin'

You're four legs 'gainst my two

I do twice the work per leg

I do twice as much as you.



Now soon we'll be makin' the corn crop

That crop'll be split three ways

A third for you, a third for me

And a third for the landlords' pay

You take your third and eat it

You're gettin the best! And How!

I split my third amongst the wife and eight kids

The banker, six hens and a cow.



And right here mule, I might mention



You only plow the ground

I shock the corn and husk it

While you're hee-hawin' around

All Fall and part of the Winter

Old mule, you know it's true



I break my back with a cotton sack

Tryin' to pay off the mortgage on you.



The only time I'm your better

Is when election comes

A man can vote and a mule cannot

But that don't worry you none

Because you're a wise old donkey

You know what to worry about

You knew politics wouldn't help you none

And I'm just findin' it out.



So, mule, confidentially speaking

Would you change places with me

Would you take up all my worries

And still contented be

Would you swap places, I'm askin'

'Course, you know we couldn't

But would you, if you could, now tell the truth

You're doggone right, you wouldn't.