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. . ."