Learning to Read

by Frances E. W. Harper
Very soon the Yankee teachers
Came down and set up school;
But, oh! how the ebs d!d hate !t,"
#t was a$!n% the!r rule.
&ur masters always tr!ed to h!de
Book learn!n$ 'rom our eyes;
(nowled$e d!dn%t a$ree w!th sla)ery"
%*would make us all too w!se.
But some o' us would try to steal
+ l!ttle 'rom the book,
+nd put the words to$ether,
+nd learn by hook or crook.
# remember ,ncle Caldwell,
Who took pot l!-uor 'at
+nd $reased the pa$es o' h!s book,
+nd h!d !t !n h!s hat.
+nd had h!s master e)er seen
*he lea)es upon h!s head,
He%d ha)e thou$ht them $reasy papers,
But noth!n$ to be read.
+nd there was .r. *urner%s Ben,
Who heard the ch!ldren spell,
+nd p!cked the words r!$ht up by heart,
+nd learned to read %em, well.
Well, the /orthern 'olks kept send!n$
*he Yankee teachers down;
+nd they stood r!$ht up and helped us,
*hou$h ebs d!d sneer and 'rown.
+nd # lon$ed to read my B!ble,
For prec!ous words !t sa!d;
But when # be$un to learn !t,
Folks 0ust shook the!r heads,
+nd sa!d there !s no use try!n$,
&h! Chloe, you%re too late;
But as # was r!s!n$ s!1ty,
# had no t!me to wa!t.
2o # $ot a pa!r o' $lasses,
+nd stra!$ht to work # went,
+nd ne)er stopped t!ll # could read
*he hymns and *estament.
*hen # $ot a l!ttle cab!n
+ place to call my own"
+nd # 'elt as !ndependent
+s the -ueen upon her throne.