I

Slim Greer went to heaven;

St. Peter said, "Slim,

You been a right good boy."

An' he winked at him.

"You been travelin' rascal

In yo'day.

You kin roam once mo';

Den you come to stay.

"Put dese wings on yo' shoulders,

An' save yo' feet."

Slim grin, and he speak up,

"Thankye, Pete."

Den Peter say, "Go

To Hell an' see,

All dat is doing, and

Report to me.

"Be sure to remember

How everything go."

Slim say, "I be seein' yuh

On de late watch, bo."

Slim got to cavortin'

Swell as you choose,

Like Lindy in de Spirit

Of St. Louis Blues.

He flew an' he flew,

Till at last he hit

A hangar wid de sign readin'

DIS IS IT.

Den he parked his wings,

An' strolled aroun',

Gittin' used to his feet

On de solid ground.

II

Big bloodhound came aroarin'

Like Niagry Falls,

Sicked on by white devils

In overhalls.

Now Slim warn't scared

Cross my heart, it's a fac',

An de dog went on a bayin'

Some po' devil's track.

Den Slim saw a mansion

An' walked right in;

De Devil looked up

Wid a sickly grin.

"Suttingly didn't look

Fo' you, Mr. Greer,

How it happens you comes

To visit here?"

Slim say---"Oh, jes' thought

I'd drop by a spell."

"Feel at home, seh, an' here's

De keys to hell."

Den he took Slim around

An' showed him people

Rasin' hell as high as

De first Church Steeple.

Lots of folks fightin'

At de roulette wheel,

Like old Rampart Street,

Or leastwise Beale.

Showed him bawdy houses

An' cabarets,

Slim thought of New Orleans

An' Memphis days.

Each devil was busy

Wid a devlish broad,

An' Slim cried, "Lawdy,

Lawd, Lawd, Lawd."

Took him in a room

Where Slim see

De preacher wid a brownskin

On each knee.

Showed him giant stills,

Going everywhere,

Wid a passel of devils

Stretched dead drunk there.

Den he took him to de furnace

Dat some devils was firing,

Hot as Hell, an' Slim start

A mean presspirin'.

White devils with pitchforks

Threw black devils on,

Slim thought he'd better

Be gittin' along.

An' he says---"Dis makes

Me think of home---

Vicksburg, Little Rock, Jackson,

Waco and Rome."

Den de devil gave Slim

De big Ha-Ha;

An' turned into a cracker,

Wid a sheriff's star.

Slim ran fo' his wings,

Lit out from de groun'

Hauled it back to St. Peter,

Safety boun'.

III

St. Peter said, "Well,

You got back quick.

How's de devil? An' what's

His latest trick?"

An' Slim Say, "Peter,

I really cain't tell,

The place was Dixie

That I took for hell."

Then Peter say, "you must

Be crazy, I vow,

Where'n hell dja think Hell was,

Anyhow?

"Git on back to de yearth,

Cause I got de fear,

You'se a leetle too dumb,

Fo' to stay up here. . ."