Patrick Lafcadio Hearn
CHAR-COAL
Black — coalee — coaly! Coaly-coaly; coaly-coaly; coal-coal-coal. Coaly-coaly! Coal-ee! Nice! Cha' coal! Twentv-five! Whew! O charco-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-lee! Oh-lee! Oh-lee-e! [You get some coal in your mout', young fellow, if you don't keep it shut.] Pretty coalee-oh-ee! Char-coal! Cha-ah-ah-ahr-coal! Coaly-coaly! Charbon! du charbon, Madame! Bon charbon? Point! Ai-ai! Tonnerre de Dieu! Char-r-r-r-r-r-r-rbon! A-a-a-a-a-w! High-ya-a-ah! High-yah! Vingt-cinq! Nice coalee! Coalee! Coaly-coal-coal! Pretty coaly! Charbon de Paris! De Paris, Madame; de Paris!
First published in Item, August 25, 1880.