Nevah could tell how I got up dar; reckons as how you say am jest de truf, an' I flew!" exclaimed the cook, able to laugh now at his adventure.

"Dat's wot eberybody thought, an' to tell you de truf, Miss Annie, I thought so too.

" "'Deed, ma'am, I'm tellin' you de Lawd's truf.

" "'Deed dere ain't, honey; you is talkin' de gospel truf now!

I wish I may drap dead in my tracks, suh, ef dat ain't de God's truf, suh, eve'y wo'd of it!"

I'm tellin' you the truf.

That's the truf now.

not,some er de w'ite folks don't, er says dey don't,but de truf er de matter is dat dis yer ole vimya'd is goophered.

I can't make out w'at you means by some er dem wo'ds you uses, but I'm tellin' nuffin but de truf.

'Tell me de truf, er I'll hab yer tongue pulled out by de roots.

"'Youer a liar,' said Marse Dugal', 'en' de truf ain't in yer.

"Well, chile, I'll tell you the truf.

"I tell you the truf, what little I used to remember I done forgot it.

Den he say, 'Is dat de truf?'

But to tell de hones' truf, mos' o' us didn' know ourse'fs no better off.

Dey call Ca'line in de room an' asked her if what I say was de truf.

I never knowed much what slav'ry was 'bout, to tell de truf.

Maybe de time done come for de truf to be tol'.

To tell de truf, de fac' o' de business is, my Marster took care o' me

But to tell de truf, if dey tol' a slave to do anything, den he jus' better do it.

To tell da truf, de fac's o' de matter is, it was my Marstars kinfolks I was workin' for.

I's tellin' de truf!

Folks wouldn' b'lieve de truf if I was to tell all I knows 'bout dem ungodly times.

De truf is you couldn' fin' a scar on nary one o' us.

Charity followed me to the train, protesting to the last that "Marse Jack gwine doubt her velocity when she tell him de truf bout her lady going a-gaddin' off by herse'f and payin' no mind to her ole mammy's prosterations."