▁song ▁As ▁some ▁day ▁it ▁may ▁happen , ▁the ▁execution er , ▁Ko - ko , ▁s ings ▁of ▁executing ▁the ▁" n igger ▁ser en ader ▁and ▁the ▁others ▁of ▁his ▁race ", ▁referring ▁to ▁white ▁sing ers ▁with ▁their ▁faces ▁black ed ▁singing ▁min st rel ▁songs . ▁In ▁the ▁song ▁A ▁more ▁hum ane ▁Mik ado , ▁the ▁Mik ado ▁s ings ▁of ▁the ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁older ▁women ▁who ▁d ye ▁their ▁hair ▁or ▁wear ▁cor sets , ▁to ▁be ▁" Black ed ▁like ▁a ▁n igger / With ▁permanent ▁wal nut ▁ju ice ." ▁Both ▁lyr ics ▁are ▁usually ▁changed ▁for ▁modern ▁performances . ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁" n igger " ▁appears ▁in ▁children ' s ▁literature . ▁" How ▁the ▁Leop ard ▁Got ▁His ▁Sp ots ", ▁in ▁the ▁Just ▁So ▁St ories ▁( 1 9 0 2 ) ▁by ▁Rud yard ▁Ki pling , ▁tells ▁of ▁an ▁Eth iop ian ▁man ▁and ▁a ▁le op ard , ▁both ▁originally ▁sand - color ed , ▁dec iding ▁to ▁cam ou fl age ▁themselves ▁with ▁painted ▁sp ots , ▁for ▁hunting ▁in ▁tropical ▁forest . ▁The ▁story ▁originally ▁included ▁a ▁scene ▁where in ▁the ▁le op ard ▁( now ▁sp otted ) ▁asks ▁the ▁Eth iop ian ▁man ▁why ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁want ▁sp ots . ▁In ▁contemporary ▁ed itions ▁of ▁" How ▁the ▁Leop ard ▁Got ▁His ▁Sp ots ", ▁the ▁Eth iop ian ' s ▁original ▁reply ▁(" Oh , ▁plain ▁black ' s ▁best ▁for