You tell 'em, Tiger. You know, all the kids were very happy because they know they were...

Howard Armstrong:
They called on me. They gonna have a recitation by Master William Howard Armstrong. You know what I mean? That was me! Mama just looked back and smiled so pretty, you know. It was like: You tell 'em, Tiger. You know, all the kids were very happy because they know they were gonna hear somethin' unusual, at least, different, you know. I got out with my little Boy Scout shoes on, you know. And got the right stance, like I was Abraham Lincoln, you know. And I even addressed the faculty, student body, and friends. I says, "I'm gonna talk about a bird, but, its a different bird. Its not gonna be a sandpiper. One that you all familiar with." Mama nodded, "You tell 'em, son." I reared back, that old woman was just beamin' with pride. I said, "The woodpecker flew to the school house yard, He wanted to peck because his pecker was hard, The woodpecker flew to the school house door, He pecked so long tell his pecker got sore." Then, they were gettin' up. I saw 'em gettin' up. "The woodpecker he pecked so all night to the break of day, When the sun rose up he flew away." About that time they had me by the ear, by the feet, even old man Parks had me. They all up like to beat all the hide off of me, man. That was the last time, I think, appearin' on Sunday school