“Also by Richard Wright 1 RICHARD WRIGHT Gale Dom's Chile, FIVE LONG STORIES 6 THE WORLD PUBLISHING COMPANYeit tre what they sy abot Dini? Does the rum relly shine all he tne? Do sweet magnolia lotion ateverybody'tdocr? ‘Dooly ecpening'portum.sillheycan'text no more? leit true what hey sty about Swonee? Lea dream by tht stream s0 cable? Dothey leugh,do they lve, like they sayin ery song? its tue that's where | Belong. Big By Leaves fom YO MAMA don wear no drawers Geary, the woie core out ofthe woods, and died away. Like an ‘sho ancther voice caught up: ‘Ah acena when the paled em off ‘Anosber sil, cacking, sdolessen: WN she mashed ‘em in alcohol ‘Then aquaretof voices, bending in harmony, ated high above thetce op 1 she hung "em out the ball Laughing easly, four black boys came out af the weods into cleared pasture, They walked olingly in bare fc, beating angled vines and bushes with long sks, “Als withed Ab knowed sane mo ines tha song” “Me too." "Yeak, when yuh itt where she hangs em out inthe hall yuh fas top : Shek, whue goes wid hall” ‘They threw themseles om the grat, Ighing. 56 UNCLE Tom's CHILDREN “Big Boy?" “Hoh? Yc know one thing? “Wht?” "Yuh sh eazy" Crazy?” “Yeah yu crazys a bed bugl” “Crazy bout whut?” "Man, whocver beards all?” “Yuh sid yuh wanted something t go wid Fal didat yuh?" “Yea but whe a gual? “Nigger, 3 quale gull” ‘They laughed easly, catching and palling long green blades of grass with thei toes "Waal,ef2 gulls 2 qual, whut IS a qual?” “Ob, Ab know.” whut?” “Ta ol song goes something Hike thie: Yo mama dow weer no drawer, dh scons when she pled em of Nhe washed em in alata, she hung em out inthe hall, IN then she put em back on her QUALI “They laughed agra, Their shoulders were fatto the eet thei nes propped up nd thei faces square othe sun, “Big Boy, yubs CRAZY “Don ax me nothin ee” “Nigger, yuhs CRAZY” ‘They fell silent, smiling, drooping the Hid oftheir eyes softly againe the svligh. “Man, don the groun feel warm?" “us ka bed” “Jess, A could stay here frees IG BOY LEAVES HOME ” "Me to.” “Ah kin feel hao sun goin all ha me” “Feels ike mah bones is warm.” Inthe distance a ain whisded mourfaly, "There goes number fol” “Hittin all se!" “Hlighballin i down the lise!” “Boun fr up Noth, Laid, bound fer up Nothl™ ‘They began to chant, pounding bare hela the gras, Dis rain boun fo Glory Disteain, Oh Halleljah Dis tain bound fo Glory Dis tain, Oh Hallelujah Dic train Bound fo Glory Ef yuh ride no need for fete worry Dis rain, Oh Hellelajeh Dis train» Dis train don carry no gambler Dis ruin, Oh Holleljah Diz train don carry no gambler Dis sin, Ob Hellelush Dis train don cary no gambler [No fo day erecper er midnight rambler Dir trie, Ob Holleljah Dis tain « ‘When the song ended they burst out laughing, thinking of a teain bound for Glory. "Ges tha good a ong!” "Huvouummsmmmmaman “whut?” *Gecee whit