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Belle Prater’s Boy by Ruth White. Chapter 1. Ruth White --author of Belle Prater’s Boy. Ruth White based Coal Station on a real town called Grundy in Virginia. As you can see, it was a small town just like Coal Station. Coal Station, Virginia.
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Chapter 1 Ruth White --author of Belle Prater’s Boy
Ruth White based Coal Station on a real town called Grundy in Virginia As you can see, it was a small town just like Coal Station. Coal Station, Virginia
Click below to hear an OLD recording of the song . Sung by: Tim O’Brian http://www.4shared.com/audio/ORt0BOnf/06-Down_in_the_Willow_Garden.html Down in the willow garden, Where me and my true love did meet,It was there we went a courting,And my love fell off to sleep.I had a bottle of burgundy wine my true love she did not know. It was there I murdered that dear little girl Down on the banks below.I drew my saber through her,And it was a bloody knife.I threw her into the river,And it was an awful sight.My father often told meThat money would set me free,If I would murder that dear little girl,Whose name was Rose Connelly.But now he’s standing at his cabin door A-wiping his tear dimmed eyes,Gazing on his own dear sonUpon the gallows high. My race is run beneath the sun The devil is waiting for me. For I did murder that dear little girl Whose name was Rose Connelly. Down in a Willow Garden (pg 5)
Halo Shampoo (pg 10) Gypsy said that her mother’s hair “put you in mind of one of those Halo shampoo ads.”
Apple Orchards (pg 10) Between Gypsy’s and Granny Ball’s house was an apple orchard.
Joe Palooka was an American comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion. Joe Palooka (pg 11)
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want. Don’t go back to sleep. People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch. The door is round and open. Don’t go back to sleep. --Jalal al-Din Rumi The Breeze at Dawn (pg 14)
Camay soap (pg 17) Granny Ball said that Love popped out of bed every morning looking like the Camay soap girl.
Comic Books (pg 23) Grandpa Ball took Woodrow shopping, and they came back with lots of comic books. Woodrow was pleased to get his Lulu, Red Rider, Sluggo, Joe Palooka (which you have already seen) and Slime (which I could not find a picture of) comic books.
Cane Bottomed Chair (pg 26) At the barber shop, Woodrow and Gypsy were “perched” on cane bottomed chairs.
Harry Truman (pg 34) Gypsy thought her grandfather looked a little like this president.
Wigwam and Teepee (pg 35) At the birthday dinner party, Doc Dot made a joke about wigwams and teepees. tent wigwam
President Dwight Eisenhower (pg 37) After the dinner, Porter and Grandpa commenced to discussing President Eisenhower.
Canopy Bed (pg 39) Gypsy loves her ruffled, lacy, white and pink canopy bed.
Chapter 6 Ruth White holding a family document at the Reading Mass. Memories Road Show at the Reading Public Library on October 24, 2009.
Pillbox hat (pg 46) Gypsy was wearing “one of those itty bitty pieces of a hat with barely a veil” to church Sunday morning.
Church Steeple (pg 47) Gyspy said the church steeple had a bell that rang on special occasions.
Way down in the Congoland lived a happy chimpanzee.She loved a monkey with long tail(Lordy, how she loved him!)Each night he would find her there swinging in the coconut tree,And the monkey gay, at the break of day,Loved to hear his Chimpie say: "Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab."Said the Chimpie to the Monk,"Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Said the Monkey to the Chimp.All night long they'd chatter away,All day long there were happy and gay,Swinging and singing in their hunky-tonkey way."Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Means "Monk, I love but you.""Baba, daba, dab," in monkey talkMeans "Chimp, I love you, too." Aba Daba Honeymoon (pg 52) (Click title for link to song)
Then the big baboon one night in June,He married them and very soon,They went upon their aba, daba honeymoon. "Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Said the Chimpie to the Monk,"Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Said the Monkey to the Chimp. All night long they'd chatter away,All day long there were happy and gay,Swinging and singing in their hunky-tonkey way."Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Means "Monk, I love but you.""Baba, daba, dab," in monkey talkMeans "Chimp, I love you, too.“ One night they were made man and wife, And now they cry, "This is the life,“
Since they came from their aba, daba honeymoon. Well, you should have heard that bandPlay upon their wedding day,Each Chimp and Monkey had nutshells(Lordy, how they played them)And now it is ev'ry night,High up in the cocoanut tree.It's the same old thing,With the same old swing,When the Monk and Chimpie sing: "Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Said the Chimpie to the Monk,"Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Said the Monkey to the Chimp.All night long they'd chatter away, All day long there were happy and gay,Swinging and singing in their hunky-tonkey way. "Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Means "Monk, I love but you.""Baba, daba, dab," in monkey talkMeans "Chimp, I love you, too."Then the big baboon one night in June,He married them and very soon,They went upon their aba, daba honeymoon. "Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Said the Chimpie to the Monk. "Baba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Said the Monkey to the Chimp.All night long they'd chatter away, All day long there were happy and gay,Swinging and singing in their hunky-tonkey way. "Aba, daba, daba, daba, daba, dab,"Means "Monk, I love but you.""Baba, daba, dab," in monkey talkMeans "Chimp, I love you, too.“ One night they were made man and wife, And now they cry, "This is the life,"Since they came from their aba, daba honeymoon
Electric Fan (pg 59) Woodrow said there were warm spots near his house where voices quiver and vibrated like they do when you are talking into an “‘lectric fan”
Tramp on the Street (pg 62) Only a tramp was Lazarus that day, He who lay down by the rich man's gate. Well, he begged for some crumbs from the rich man to eat But they left him to die like a tramp on the street. He was some mother's darlin', he was some mother's son; Once he was fair and once he was young, And some mother rocked him, a little darlin' to sleep, But they left him to die like a tramp on the street. If Jesus should come and knock on your door, Would you let Him come in and pick from your store? Would you turn Him away, with nothing to eat? Would you leave Him to die like a tramp on the street? He was Mary's own darlin', he was God's chosen son; Once He was fair and once he was young, And Mary, she rocked Him, a little darlin' to sleep, But they left him to die like a tramp on the street. Jesus, He died on Calvary's peak, Nails in His hands, Lord, nails in His feet, Gave His life's blood for you and for me, But they left Him to die like a tramp on the street.
Ed Morrell (pg 63) Morrell was the subject of frequent torture and he soon learned self-hypnosis to endure the pain. After being released from prison, he began to give speeches about his experiences. He was illiterate, but his wife wrote a book in his name called The 25th Man. This book became a platform for prison reform.
Straight Jacket (pg 63) Ed Morrell was put in a straight jacket while in prison. Woodrow said that his mother sometimes felt like she was in a straight jacket and that the life was being sucked out of her.
Floyd Collins(pg 71) Click HERE to read Floyd’s Story
Little Jimmie Dickens (pg 74) NOW THEN
Chapter 9 Click on the book cover to see a cool “trailer” for Belle Prater’s Boy!
I Led Three Lives(pg 75) This was a TV show in the 50’s. Here is the intro to the show. Richard Carlson was the lead character.
After the T.V. show,Dinah Shore came on to advertise for Chevrolet. Dinah Shore (pg 76)
Chapter 10 Porter took Woodrow and Gypsy to the movies.
Woodrow and Gypsy wanted to go see these movies. They were very popular at the time. They would pray for a rainy day so they could run off to the movie theatre. Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale Evans (above) Tarzan (to the left) The Rocket Man (pg 80)
Instead, they saw Rear Window, a classic Alfred Hitchcock movie. Rear Window (pg 81)
Archie Comics and Jughead (pg 83) Archie comics were very popular in the 50’s. They were about a group of teens. Jughead was known for being pretty silly.
Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart (pg 83) These were a very popular leading man and woman for romantic movies. They often played together in movies. They starred in the movie Rear Window that Woodrow, Gypsy and Porter went to see.
Measles (pg 86) Gypsy had a bad case of measles. Measles are a highly contagious viral disease common in children, characterized by fever, profuse nasal discharge of mucus, conjunctivitis, and a rash of small red spots spreading from the forehead down to the limbs.
Minnie Pearl Minnie Pearl was a very loud comedian who often appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, a TV show. She was best known for always leaving her price tag on her hats.
Chiggers (pg 93) Blind Benny said he had been having problems with chiggers. Chiggers are microscopic bugs that burrow into the places where the sun doesn’t shine!
When the moon comes over the mountain Every beam brings a dream, dear, of you Once again we stroll 'neath the mountain Through that rose covered valley we knew When the moon comes over the mountain Every beam brings a dream, dear, of you Once again we stroll 'neath the mountain Through that rose covered valley we knew Each day is grey and dreary But the night is bright and cheery Oh when the moon comes over the mountain I'm alone with my memories of you Each day is grey and dreary But the night is bright and cheery When the moon comes over the mountain I'm alone with my memories of you. Each day is grey and dreary But the night is bright and cheery When the moon comes over the mountain I'm alone with my memories of you I'm alone with my memories of you. When the Moon comes Over the Mountain (pg 95)
Heatin’ Stove (pg 104) Woodrow slept in front of a “heatin’ stove” when he was at his Uncle Russell’s house after Aunt Millie passed away.
Aspirin Tin (pg 107) Bertie and Gertie put the wedding ring they stole in a “li’l ol’ aspirin tin.”