Ellis Parker Butler

“ The law says I ought to send you to jail for thirty days, Arthur Wiggs; but on this day charity and kindness should well in the hearts of all men, and they well in mine, Arthur Wiggs."
"Yassah, Jedge, yassah!" said the old negro, bowing again and again.
"So you may go home, Arthur Wiggs, you may go home. Go home to your poor, patient wife and your little children. Take them a present, Arthur Wiggs, to gladden their Christmas. Take home something to put in the pot. No more booze! No more gin-mills to-night! Understand?" ”

“ No one ever heard anything like it! Stealing a chicken from your poor old wife! Is that your idea of the Christmas spirit, Arthur Wiggs?"
"Well, 'scuse me, Jedge, 'scuse me!" said Arthur, bowing again and again. "Ah feel all along somethin's wrong 'bout dat action. Yassah, it mos' broke mah heart to steal Sal Ann's fowl. Seem lak it ain' jes' consequential, as yo' might say. But, Jedge, Ah ain' see no other way to obey de ordeh ob de court. Befo' Ah lift Sal Ann's chicken Ah try, an' Ah try mah best, Jedge, but 'tain' no use. Ah can't squeege into yo' honah's hen-house no way." ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1937, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 85 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”