Collected by
Mary Celestia Parler;
Transcribed by
Neil Byer
W. T. Dethero
Batesville, Ark.
April 13, 1955
Reel 223, Item 4
The Unluckiest Man In The World
I want to tell you all how unlucky I am. I know
that I'm the unluckiest man on earth. I left home here
one day to go out to hunt for a job. A fellow told me
He'd put me to work next morning. Next morning I went
to work and I worked till noon. And I was awful tired,
and I went out and laid down under an apple tree and
went to sleep with my mouth open. And there was a dog
come along chasing a rat. And that rat run down my
throat and entered my stomach. Well, I didn't know
what to do.
I went to the doctor's, and they said they couldn't
do nothing for it. One fellow told me to lay down on
my back and put a piece of cheese on my lip and get a
cat and hold it on my breast and let the rat come up
after the cheese and let the cat catch the rat. Well,
I did, I laid there with the cheese on my lip and the
cat on my breast. And after a while, I felt something
wiggly, wiggly in my stomach and up come the rat. And
the cat jumped at it and the rat dodged back in my
mouth and down went cat, rat and all into my stomach.
Oh, what an unlucky man I am. I just know that I'm the
unluckiest man on earth.
Well, I started home and I got about fifteen miles
out, and I was just so tired I couldn't hardly get
along. And this fellow come along in a buggy and
stopped, and says, "Mister, ain't you tired of walking?"
And I said, "Yes." And he says, "Well, I'd run awhile
then." And, dog-gone his soul, I felt like throwing a
rock at him. I just know that I'm the unluckiest
fellow on earth.
Well, I went home and I stayed overnight. And I
borrowed Dad's horse and buggy, and I went over to see
Sally to see if she wanted to take a buggy ride. She
said, "Yes, John, please, I do." Well, she got on and
Reel 223, Item 4, con't.
we started out. We hadn't got very far till the little
horse run away, tore the buggy all to pieces, and
throwed Sally out and hurt her badly. And I carried
her to on the bank of a pond and laid her down there
and washed her face with cold water. And directly she
says, "Oh, John, I'm so sick." A little frog stuck
his head up out of the water, and says, "Well, puke,
puke, puke." I just know I'm the unluckiest fellow on
earth....
I got that way back yonder.
Ozark Folksong Collection
