"Through the muck and mist and glaam To our quiet cozy home, Where to singing sweet and lowRocks a cradle to and fro. Where the clock's dull monotone Telleth of the day that's done, Wherethe moonbeams hover o'er Playthings sleeping on the floor, Where my weary wee one lies ComethLady Button Eyes. "Layeth she her hands upon My dear weary little one, And those white handsoverspread Like a veil the curly head,Seem to fondle and caress Every little silken tress. Then she smooths the eyelids down Over thosetwo eyes of brown In such soothing tender wise Cometh Lady Button Eyes."
Amy sat quietly after her song, then repeated the last line before she stood, left the lean-to andwalked off a little ways to lean against a young ash. When she came back the sun was in the valleybelow and they were way above it in blue Kentucky light.
"You ain't dead yet, Lu? Lu?"
"Not yet."
"Make you a bet. You make it through the night, you make it all the way." Amy rearranged theleaves for comfort and knelt down to massage the swollen feet again. "Give these one more realgood rub," she said, and when Sethe sucked air through her teeth, she said, "Shut up. You got tokeep your mouth shut."
Careful of her tongue, Sethe bit down on her lips and let the good hands go to work to the tune of"So bees, sing soft and bees, sing low." Afterward, Amy moved to the other side of the lean-towhere, seated, she lowered her head toward her shoulder and braided her hair, saying, "Don't upand die on me in the night, you hear? I don't want to see your ugly black face hankering over me.If you do die, just go on off somewhere where I can't see you, hear?"
"I hear," said Sethe. I'll do what I can, miss."
Sethe never expected to see another thing in this world, so when she felt toes prodding her hip ittook a while to come out of a sleep she thought was death. She sat up, stiff and shivery, while Amylooked in on her juicy back.