Conversation With A Mule

I seen a farmer and a mule a-plowin' Over on the moutainside The farmer was a munblin' and a-grumblin' As he plowed them furror deep and wide. Well, as he went along a-plowin' He wasa swearin and snortin' all the way I overheared his conversation with his mule And this is what I heared him say. Old mule your the son of a jack-ass And I'm the image of God Said here we work hitched together A toilin and a-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 skin the ground on four good legs I hobble along on two. So mule mathmatically speaking Your four legs against my two I do just twice the work for legs Just twice as much as you. Soon we'll be making the corn crop That's probably 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 Your getting the best and how I split my third amongst eight kids A banker, six hens and a cow. Right here mule I might mention You only plow the ground I shuck the corn and husk it While you're hee-hawin' around. All fall and part of winter Ole mule you know that's true I break my back with a cotton sack Payin' off the mortgage on you. So mule confidentially speakin' Would you change places with me. Would you take up all my worries And still contented be? Would you swap places I'm asking Of course you know you couldn't Would you if you could, now tell the truth You're doggone right you wouldn't... --- Conversation With a Mule - Walter Brennan