Belle Prater’s

Boy

byRuth White

Chapter 1

Ruth White

--author of Belle Prater’s Boy

Coal Station, Virginia• 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.

Down in a Willow Garden (pg 5)

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 winemy 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 son

Upon the gallows high.

My race is run beneath the sunThe devil is waiting for me.

For I did murder that dear little girlWhose name was Rose Connelly.

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.

Apple tree blossoming

Joe Palooka (pg 11)

• Joe Palooka was an American comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion.

The Breeze at Dawn (pg 14)

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

Chapter 2

Camay soap (pg 17)

Granny Ball said that Love

popped out of bed every

morning looking like the Camay

soap girl.

Chapter 3

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.

Chapter 4

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.

wigwamtent

President Dwight Eisenhower (pg 37)

After the dinner,

Porter and Grandpa

commenced to

discussing President

Eisenhower.

Chapter 5

Canopy Bed (pg 39)

Gypsy loves her ruffled, lacy, white and pink

canopy bed.

Chapter 6Ruth 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.

Aba Daba Honeymoon (pg 52) (Click title for link to

song)

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."

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

Chapter 7

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.

The Rocket Man(pg 80)

Roy Rogers and his

wife, Dale Evans

(above)

Tarzan (to the left)

Rear Window (pg 81)Instead, they saw

Rear Window, a classic Alfred

Hitchcock movie.

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.

Chapter 11

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 (pg 95)

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 drearyBut the night is bright and

cheeryOh when the moon comes over

the mountainI'm alone with my memories of

you

Each day is grey and drearyBut the night is bright and

cheeryWhen the moon comes over

the mountainI'm alone with my memories of

you.

Each day is grey and drearyBut the night is bright and

cheeryWhen the moon comes over

the mountainI'm alone with my memories of

youI'm alone with my memories of

you.

Chapter 12

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.”

Chapter 13

Eleanor Roosevelt (pg 112)

Gypsy was proud of Eleanor

Roosevelt’s accomplishment

s and thought her looks should

not matter.

Abraham Lincoln (pg 112)

Gypsy was proud of Abraham

Lincoln and all he did for the

United States. She thought his looks should not matter, either.

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Bristol, Virginia is where Love took Gypsy to

buy new clothes for the

new school year.

S & W Cafeteria (pg 145)Gypsy and her

mother, Love, ate here on their trip to

buy clothes in Bristol.

Here are pictures of the outside and inside of an

S & W cafeteria.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (pg 151)

Woodrow and Belle needed one of

these for the

invisibility potion.

Chapter 19

The “Dixie Pixie” (pg 167)

After Gypsy chopped off her hair in a rage, she got

a new ‘do called the “Pixie.”

Chapter 21

Gypsy and

Woodrow went with

Blind Benny

down to the

tracks.

Nancy Drew (pg 175)

Gypsy was reading a

Nancy Drew mystery.

Nancy Drew was a popular series about a girl and her friends who solved all sorts of

mysteries.

Polecat (pg 180)

Blind Benny

smelled a polecat.

Polecat is another word for skunk.

Prince Valiant (pg 183)

Gypsy thought Woodrow looked like Prince Valiant. Prince Valiant was a popular cartoon in the Sunday paper.

Red River Valley (pg 183)

Sung by Doris Viene,

Springfield, Missouri

on June 30, 1958 (Click

here for link to song)

Chapter 22

Porter announced that Gypsy would be having a

piano recital.

(pg 188)

Gypsy began planning a

program that included “all

those beautiful Mozart pieces.”

(pg 189) Woodrow was getting to go to a hospital in Baltimore to see if they could

fix his eyes by making them straight.

Chapter 23 Woodrow and

Gypsy could smell the

apples as they walked to the tree house on the one year

anniversary of Belle’s

disappearance.

(pg 194) Woodrow believes that his mom left with the carnival that was leaving Grassy Lick the morning she

disappeared.

(pg 196)

Gypsy was “watching her daddy

come riding over

Cold Mountain on a black horse. Tall

and straight in the saddle. Dark and rugged as the hills.”