(-: 
 
 
 oelClaidteH 
 
 
 kJHAf 
 
THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Richard E. Ballard 
 
I^aju 4 * j « 
 
 
 V 
 
UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/uncleremuslittleOOharr 
 
" I wish" said the little boy, " I wish I could fly 
 
UNCLE REMUS 
 
 3 ttS ciK-c 
 
 
 AND THE LITTLE BOY 
 
 BY 
 
 JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY J. M. CONDE* 
 
 BOSTON 
 SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY 
 
 Publishers 
 
 AA.c \s*< 
 
Copyright, 1910 
 By Small, Maynard & Company 
 (incorporated) 
 
 Entered at Stationers' Hall 
 
 First printing, September, 19 10 
 Second printing, November, 1910 
 
 Third printing, March, 1911 
 Fourth printing, October, 19 1 2 
 
 Fifth printing, July, 19 14 
 
 Sixth printing, February, 19 16 
 
 Seventh printing, July, 191 7 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 The Story of the Doodang . . . . . . 13 
 
 Hello, House! 23 
 
 Brer Rabbit has Trouble with the Moon . 34. 
 
 OP Joshway an de Sun 44 
 
 Brer Rabbit Causes Brer Fox to Lose his 
 
 Hide 50 
 
 Uncle Remus Addresses Brother Wind . 61 
 
 How Brer Rabbit Saved Brer B'ar's Life . . 69 
 
 Uncle Remus Sings a Song 79 
 
 Uncle Remus Receives a Letter .... 83 
 
 How Brer Rabbit Raised the Dust . . . 10 1 
 
 The Story of Teenchy-Tiny Duck . . . 112 
 
 Brer Rabbit and the Pimmerly Plum . . 145 
 
 The Story of Brer Fox and Little Mr. 
 
 Cricket 152 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 " I wish,'* said the little boy, " I wish I could fly " Frontispiece 
 
 Page 
 
 " He tuk ter wantin' things he aint got" 15 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say * Ouch ! you make de col' chills run 
 
 up an' down my back'" 17 
 
 '* Brer Rabbit wanter know what done gone wid de 
 
 Doodang" 21 
 
 Dey'd march down de big road arm-in-arm 25 
 
 An' in he went an' shot de do' tight 27 
 
 Dey far' well'd an' so-long'd wid der han's on der heart 29 
 
 "I reelly hopes my House aint dead" 33 
 
 " Brer Rabbit howdy' d wid 'im, an' den ax 'im what de 
 
 name er goodness is de matter" 39 
 
 "He tuck a runnin' start, an' jump de long jump" . . 41 
 
 " He try ter say de words dat Unk' Moon had sont" . 43 
 
 He look ter de East an' he look ter de West .... 45 
 
 King Sun, he say, "I'm over due. 'Cross dar whar de 
 
 night 's still black " 47 
 
 "Well, Brer Lion, he scramble out des ez hard ez he 
 
 kin" 51 
 
 " Dis make Brer Rabbit set down an' study " . . . . 55 
 
 "Brer Lion say, 'What's all dis I hear ?'" 59 
 
 [ ix] 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page 
 
 He couldn't do mo' dan sigh 63 
 
 An' tryin' ter drive oF Santy 'way offter de Bye-an'-Bye 65 
 
 I wish you 'd 'a' cum an' fanned us sometime in last July 67 
 
 "'You think you got me, don't you, Brer B'ar?' " . . 71 
 
 "Anyhow, Brer B'ar got right behime Brer Rabbit, an' 
 
 he pusht him close" 73 
 
 " « Look out dar, Brer B'ar ! I feel dis rock a-fallin' ! ' " 77 
 
 "An' de Elephant comin' wid his snout done th'ow'd " 81 
 
 " Dey gits up soon an' goes ter bed late, an' dey don't 
 
 know der own chillun when dey meet um " ... 85 
 
 " I got a whole bag full er reasons," the old man 
 
 responded 87 
 
 From the bottom of his hat Uncle Remus took a letter . 91 
 
 " I am waiting for the parrot to doze off so I can see 
 
 whether his top-knot is dyed" 93 
 
 " I am going to bet the porter a dime he can't make them 
 
 Fite" 97 
 
 Accepted the invitation to stay to dinner, and went back 
 
 to the kitchen 99 
 
 De creeturs tuck a notion dey 'd a-courtin' go . . . . 103 
 
 " De gent dat kin take a sludge-hammer an' knock 
 
 Out de dust gits a gal wid 'er smick-smack-smock ! " 105 
 
 An' rilled um wid ashes fum de oF ash-pot 107 
 
 An' de dust flew'd up ter de top er de tree 109 
 
 Ex] 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page 
 
 "Singin' de hongry song — * Quack ! quack! gi' me a 
 
 piece er bread ! ' 115 
 
 " He holler out : ' Dat 's mine ! dat 's mine ! I des now 
 
 drapt it'" 119 
 
 "Brer Rabbit see her an' ax her what de matter mought be" 1 2 1 
 
 "She say, * It 's de stretchin' satchel; jump in ' " . . . 125 
 
 " She quacked so loud, dat Uncle Ladder wuz sorry " .127 
 
 "She come right face wid Gran'pappy River" .... 129 
 
 " 01' man Drone wuz a-sunnin' hisse'f " 131 
 
 " De cook was so 'stonish ' dat she run ter de big house " 135 
 
 " Put her in de stable 'long wid de mules an' hosses " .137 
 
 "An' Teenchy-Tiny Duck clom it round by round, an' 
 
 she come out a-hollerin' fer her purty money" . . 139 
 
 "An' tol* her ter go on 'bout her business, an' pester 
 
 him no mo'" 143 
 
 So he sot right down on his hunkers an' wait .... 147 
 
 "You'll hatter put yo' unpatience aside" 149 
 
 " 'T wuz in de satchel in de tale, an' 't want no business 
 
 er mine fer ter take it out " 155 
 
 "Mr. Cricket didn't do nothin' in de roun' worl' but 
 
 play on his fife an' his fiddle" 157 
 
 "'Hello, Brer Fox ! whar you gwine ? ' " 159 
 
 " ■ I useter be a rover in my young days, an' I 'm still 
 
 a-rovin' " 161 
 
 [ xi ] 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page 
 
 "' Ef he aint,' sez Brer Fox, sezee, ■ I '11 ketch him' " 163 
 
 " Brer Fox pant an' 'low, * No, suh, I been comin' full 
 
 till all de time'" 165 
 
 "Mr. Cricket tuck a flyin' jump " 169 
 
 " He say, * How in de wide worl' did you git here so 
 
 quick, Mr. Cricket ?' " 171 
 
 
I 
 
 THE STORY OF THE 
 DOODANG 
 
 "^ WISH," said the little boy, sitting 
 in the doorway of Uncle Remus's 
 cabin, and watching a vulture poised 
 on motionless wing, almost as high as the 
 clouds that sailed by — "I wish I could 
 fly." 
 
 The old man regarded him curiously, 
 and then a frown crept up and sat down 
 on his forehead. " I '11 tell you dis 
 much, honey," he said, " ef everybody 
 wuz ter git all der wishes, de wide worl' 
 'ud be turned upside down, an' be rollin' 
 over de wrong way. It sho would ! " He 
 continued to regard the little boy with such 
 a solemn aspect that the child moved un- 
 easily in his seat on the door-step. "You 
 sho does put me in min' er de ol' Doodang 
 
 [ 13 1 
 
THE STORY OF THE DOODANG 
 
 dat useter live in de mud-flats down on de 
 river. I aint never see 'im myse'f, but I 
 done seed dem what say dey hear tell er 
 dem what is see 'im. 
 
 " None un um can't tell what kinder 
 creetur de Doodang wuz. He had a long 
 tail, like a yallergater, a great big body, 
 four short legs, two short y'ears, an' a 
 head mo' funny lookin' dan de rhynossy- 
 hoss. His mouf retched frum de een' er 
 his nose ter his shoulder-blades, an' his 
 tushes wuz big 'nough, long 'nough, an' 
 sharp 'nough fer ter bite off de behime 
 leg uv a elephant. He could live in de 
 water, er he could live on dry Ian', but 
 he mos'ly wallered in de mud-flats, whar 
 he could retch down in de water an' ketch 
 a fish, er retch up in de bushes an' ketch 
 a bird. But all dis aint suit 'im a tall 5 
 
 [ 14 1 
 
" He tuk ter wantin things he aint got " 
 
THE STORY OF THE DOODANG 
 
 he got restless j he tuk ter wantin' things 
 he aint got ; an 5 he worried an' worried, 
 an' groaned an' growled. He kep' all de 
 creeturs, fur and feather, wide awake fer 
 miles aroun\ 
 
 " Bimeby, one day, Brer Rabbit come 
 a-sa'nterin' by, an' he ax de Doodang 
 what de name er goodness is de matter, 
 an' de Doodang 'spon' an' say dat he 
 wanter swim ez good ez de fishes does. 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say, 'Ouch! you make 
 de col' chills run up an' down my back 
 when you talk 'bout swimmin' in de water. 
 Swim on dry Ian' ol' frien' — swim on dry 
 Ian' ! ' 
 
 "But some er de fishes done Tiear what 
 de Doodang say, an' dey helt a big 'sem- 
 bly. Dey vow dey can't stan' de racket 
 dat he been makin' bofe day an' night 
 
 [ 16] 
 

 -5> 
 
 
 ^3 
 
 ^ 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 WifVoirfy * 
 
THE STORY OF THE DOODANG 
 
 De upshot uv de 'sembly wuz dat all de 
 fishes 'gree fer ter loan de Doodang one 
 fin apiece. So said, so done, an 5 when 
 dey tol' de Doodang about it, he fetched 
 one loud howl^ an' rolled inter shaller 
 water. Once dar, de fishes loant 'im 
 eve'y one a fin, some big an' some little, 
 an' atter dey done dat, de Doodang 
 'skivver dat he kin swim des ez nimble 
 ez de rest. 
 
 " He skeeted about in de water, wavin' 
 his tail fum side ter side, an' swimmin' fur 
 an' wide. Brer Rabbit wuz settin' off 
 in de bushes watchin'. Atter while de 
 Doodang git tired, an' start ter go on dry 
 Ian', but de fishes kick up sech a big fuss, 
 an' make sech a cry, dat he say he better 
 gi' um back der fins, an' den he crawled 
 out on de mud-flats fer ter take his nap. 
 
 [ 18 ] 
 
THE STORY OF THE DOODANG 
 
 "He aint been dozin' so mighty long, 
 'fo' he hear a mighty big fuss, an' he 
 look up an 5 see dat de blue sky wuz 
 fa'rly black wid birds, big an 5 little. De 
 trees on de islan' wuz der roostin' place, 
 but dey wuz comin' home soon so dey 
 kin git some sleep 'fo' de Doodang set 
 up his howlin' an' growlin', an moanin' 
 an' groanin'. Well, de birds aint mo'n 
 got settle, 5 'fo' de Doodang start up his 
 howlin' an' bellerin'. Den de King-Bird 
 flew'd down an' ax de Doodang what de 
 nam'er goodness is de matter. Den de 
 Doodang turn over in de mud, an' howl 
 an' beller. De King-Bird flew'd aroun', 
 an' den he come back, an' ax what de 
 trouble is. Atter so long a time, de 
 Doodang say dat de trouble wid him 
 wuz dat he wanted ter fly. He say all 
 
 [ 19 1 
 
THE STORY OF THE DOODANG 
 
 he want wuz some feathers, an' den he 
 kin fly ez good ez anybody. 
 
 " Den der birds hoi' a 'sembly, an' 
 dey all 'gree fer ter loan de Doodang a 
 feather apiece. So said, so done, an' 
 in a minnit er mo' he had de feathers 
 a-plenty. He shuck his wings, an' ax 
 whar'bouts he mus' fly fer de fust try. 
 
 " Brer Buzzard say de best place wuz 
 ter de islan' what aint got nothin' but dead 
 trees on it, an' wid dat, de Doodang tuk 
 a runnin' start, an' headed fer de place. 
 He wuz kinder clumsy, but he got dar 
 all right. De birds went 'long fer ter 
 see how de Doodang 'ud come out. He 
 landed wid a tumble splash an' splutter, 
 an' he aint hardly hit de groun' 'fo' Brer 
 Buzzard say he don't want his feather 
 fer ter git wet, an' he grabbed it. Den 
 
 [ 20 ] 
 
Brer Rabbit wanter know what done gone wid de Doodang 
 
THE STORY OF THE DOODANG 
 
 all de birds grabbed der'n, an' dar he 
 wuz. 
 
 " Days an' days come an' went, an' 
 bimeby Brer Rabbit wanter know what 
 done gone wid de Doodang. Brer Buz- 
 zard say, 'You see my fambly settin' in 
 de dead trees? Well, dar's whar de 
 Doodang is, en' ef you '11 git me a bag, 
 I'll fetch you his bones!' An' den Brer 
 Rabbit sot back an' laugh twel his sides 
 ache ! " 
 
 " Anyhow," said the little boy, " I 
 should like to fly." 
 
 " Fly, den," replied Uncle Remus; 
 " Fly right in de house dis minnit, ter 
 yo' mammy ! " 
 
 [22] 
 
HELLO, HOUSE! 
 
 BRER RABBIT, he live in a house 
 on de hill, 
 Ef he aint move off, he's a-livin' 
 dar still, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi ari* a heyo ! 
 An' he 'd hail everybody dat pass 'long 
 
 de road, 
 Whedder dey corned er whedder dey go'd, 
 
 Ari* a hi-ho-hi at? a heyo ! 
 He wuz mighty good frien's wid ol' Brer 
 
 B'ar, 
 An' dey 'd ramble tergeddermos' eve'ywhar, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi at? a heyo ! 
 Dey 'd go a-fishin' an' stay all day, 
 Dey wuz des ez frien'ly ez clabber an' 
 whey, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi ar? a heyo ! 
 
 [ 23 ] 
 
HELLO, HOUSE! 
 
 Dey'd march down de big road arm-in-arm, 
 A-doin' uv nobody speshual harm, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi ar? a heyo ! 
 All went well, twel one fine day, 
 Dey went ter Miss Meadows' an' de gals 
 made um stay, 
 
 Atf a hi-ho-hi art a heyo ! 
 Brer Fox wuz a-watchin' an' he seed um 
 
 when dey went, 
 An' his head got full er devilment, 
 
 Ar? a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo ! 
 Den up ter cabin he tuck'n crope, 
 An' he sot down an' giggle, "Dis is luck, 
 I hope ! " 
 
 Arf a hi-ho-hi arf a heyo! 
 
 [24 ] 
 

 Dey 'd march down de big road arm-in-arm 
 
HELLO, HOUSE! 
 
 Kaze de cabin do' wuz stan'in' ajar, 
 It 'd been leP so by oP Brer B'ar, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo ! 
 " De do' bein' open, I better go in, 
 An' see how ol' Brer Rabbit's been," 
 
 Atf a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo! 
 An' in he went an' shot de do' tight, 
 An' made de best er de lack er light, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi ar? a heyo ! 
 He drapt offter sleep, an' he sleep mighty 
 
 long, 
 Kaze dat 's what dey tol' me in de song, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi ar? a heyo ! 
 
 [26] 
 
- "^ 
 
 
 An in he went an shot de do tight 
 
HELLO, HOUSE! 
 
 Brer B'ar an 5 Brer Rabbit, dey stay an' 
 
 stay, 
 But atter so long, dey come away. 
 Ar? a hi-ho-hi an* a bey of 
 An' when de time come fer de two ter 
 
 part, 
 Dey far'well'd an' so-long' d wid der han's 
 on der heart, 
 
 Ar? a hi-ho-hi an* a hey of 
 When Brer Rabbit loped up, he seed 
 
 sump'n wuz wrong, 
 De do 5 wuz done shot, an' s'picion wuz 
 strong, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi at? a heyo ! 
 He backed off a little ways, wid " Hello, 
 
 House!" 
 But everything dar wuz as still ez a mouse, 
 Atf a hi-ho-hi ar? a heyo ! 
 [ 28 ] 
 
a ^ 
 
 Dey far welTd an so-long d wid der hari s on der heart 
 
HELLO, HOUSE! 
 
 He wobbled his nose an' shuck his head, 
 Wid, "I reely hopes my House aint dead, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo ! 
 Sump'n done happen, an' dat much I 
 
 knows, 
 But I don't wanter w'ar my mournin' 
 cloze," 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi art a heyo! 
 " Hello, House, hello!" wuz his loud cry, 
 An' he wope an' wipe his weepin' eye, 
 
 Ar? a hi-ho-hi ar? a heyo ! 
 " Dis de fust time my House fail ter 
 
 answer me, 
 An' my heart is heavy ez lead," sezee, 
 An* a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo! 
 
 [31 ] 
 
HELLO, HOUSE! 
 
 Den oP Brer Fox put de do' on de chink 
 An Brer Rabbit grinned an' 'gun an' er 
 
 wink, 
 
 Ar? a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo ! 
 Wid, "Oh, House, my House! why don't 
 
 you answer me?" 
 "Hello!" sez Brer Fox, an' "Hello!" 
 
 sezee, 
 
 Atf a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo ! 
 Brer Rabbit, he 'low, "Well, I'll hatter 
 
 leave, 
 Yo' voice done change so it makes me 
 
 rieve,' : 
 
 An* a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo ! 
 An' den he hid un' de honeysuckle vine, 
 An' Brer Fox sneaked out, an' went whar 
 he's gwine, 
 
 At? a hi-ho-hi an* a heyo ! 
 [32 ] 
 
 \ 
 

 '^ 
 
 "S 
 
 s(«J., 
 
 " I reely hopes my House aint dead" 
 
BRER RABBIT HAS TROUBLE 
 WITH THE MOON 
 
 ONE day the little boy hurt his 
 toe against a sharp rock, and he 
 ran to Uncle Remus for both aid 
 and consolation. The old man, in the 
 course of his long life, had had consid- 
 erable experience in such matters, and, 
 after anointing the wound with a salve 
 made of mutton suet and white resin, he 
 bandaged it up as neatly as a woman 
 could have done. 
 
 "Dar's a heap er up an' downs in dis 
 worl'," he remarked, " mo' speshually 
 downs. 'Taint nigh like it wuz when 
 Brer Rabbit an' all de yuther creeturs 
 wuz nex'-do' neighbors ter de Moon. 
 Dar want no hard times in dat country. 
 Dey had lots mo' frolickin' an' fiddlin', 
 
 [34] 
 
 t 
 
BRER RABBIT HAS TROUBLE 
 
 an' not nigh so much scufflin' 'roun fer 
 vittles." 
 
 " Where was that, Uncle Remus ? " 
 the little boy inquired. 
 
 " Up dar in dat country whar dey wuz 
 nigh neighbors ter Unk' Moon," replied 
 the old man, solemnly. " But dey had 
 der troubles, kaze dar wuz one time when 
 ol' Unk' Moon 'gun ter git puny, an' 
 it look mighty like he gwineter have a 
 spell er sickness." 
 
 " But how could they live up there 
 without falling off?" the child interrupted. 
 
 " Des like we does down here," Uncle 
 Remus responded, " heads up an foots 
 down. Now when de creeturs seed dat 
 Unk' Moon wuz in a bad way, dey ax 
 deyse'f what de matter. Dey call an' ax' 
 'im how he gittin' on an' he say he aint 
 
 [ 35] 
 
BRER RABBIT HAS TROUBLE 
 
 feelin' so well. It got so, atter 'while, 
 dat Unk' Moon 'ud set out in de back 
 yard mighty nigh de whole time. It went 
 on dis way, twel, bimeby, Brer Rabbit 
 clum on de fence, an' 'taint take him long 
 fer ter see dat Unk' Moon wuz in a 
 mighty bad way. It seem like he wuz 
 swinkin' up. 
 
 " He hear de fuss Brer Rabbit make 
 when he clum de fence, an' he look up 
 an' say howdy. Brer Rabbit howdy' d wid 
 'im, an' den ax 'im what de name er good- 
 ness is de matter. He say, 6 Aint dar 
 nothin' I kin do fer ter he'p you out?' 
 
 "Unk' Moon say, sezee, 'I'm feared 
 not; you aint soople 'nough.' 
 
 "'When it come ter soopleness,' sez 
 Brer Rabbit, sezee, <I takes it wid me 
 wharsomever I goes.' 
 
 [ 36 ] ^ 
 
Brer Rabbit howdy' d wid 'im, an den ax *im what de name er 
 goodness is de matter " 
 
BRER RABBIT HAS TROUBLE 
 
 " Den Unk' Moon say, 'I'll tell you des 
 how 'tis; I wanter sen' word ter Mr. Man 
 dat I aint feelin' right well. I been shinin' 
 fer 'im at night, an' done cotch col' fum 
 bein' out in de night a'r so much, en' ef I 
 don't put out my light, an take a recess, 
 I'll be in a mighty bad way. I wanter take 
 a holiday, but ef I don't sen' Mr. Man 
 word, he '11 be skeer'd ter death.' 
 
 "<Des show me de way fer ter go,' sez 
 ol' Brer Rabbit, sezee, <kaze I wanter see 
 dis thing you call Mr. Man.' 
 
 "So Unk' Moon show'd 'im de way, 
 an' tol' 'im what ter say: 'I'm gittin' weak 
 fer ter be mo' strong; I'm gwine in de 
 shade fer ter git mo' light!' 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say dis over an' over, an' 
 den he tuck a runnin' start, an' jump de 
 longjump; an' it sho wuz a long un, mon! 
 
 [39] 
 
BRER RABBIT HAS TROUBLE 
 
 He tuck a notion dat he wuz falling stidder 
 jumping an' dis make 'im open bofe eyes 
 big an' wide, an' dey been big an 5 wide 
 sense dat time. He landed all right, an' 
 den he got up an' kinder romp about fer 
 ter see ef his j'ints wuz soople. He look 
 in Mr. Man's gyarden, an' dar he see green 
 peas, an' cabbage, an' collards, an' sparrer- 
 grass, an' dey make 'im dribble at de mouf. 
 
 "He knock at de do', an' Mr. Man ax 
 'im what he want. He try ter say de 
 words dat Unk' Moon had sont. He say 
 <Unk' Moon sont dis word: "I'm gittin' 
 weak; I got no strenk; I'm gwine whar 
 de shadders stay.'" 
 
 "Mr. Man can't make dis out, so he 
 sont word back: c Seldom seed an' soon 
 forgot; when Unk' Moon dies his foots 
 gits col'!' 
 
 [40 ] 
 

 " //<? /«<:£ <z runniri start , an jump de long jump " 
 
BRER RABBIT HAS TROUBLE 
 
 "Wid dat, Brer Rabbit tuck de long 
 jump ag'in an' run an' tol' Unk' Moon 
 what Mr. Man say, an' dis make 'im 
 mighty mad; he up wid a shovel an' hit 
 Brer Rabbit on de mouf an' split his lip. 
 Brer Rabbit jump at Unk' Moon wid toof 
 an' claw, an' dar dey had it up an' down. 
 You kin see de marks down ter dis day 
 — Brer Rabbit, wid his split lip, an' Unk' 
 Moon wid de scratches on his face. 
 
 "Den, atter dat, Brer Rabbit tell de 
 yuther creeturs 'bout de sheep an' de 
 goats an' de fine fat pigs what Mr. Man 
 raisin', an' bimeby, one day, dey all tuck de 
 long jump, an' dey all been here sense dat 
 time. An' mo' dan dat, you better not let 
 yo' mammy see dat rag on yo' toe, kaze 
 she wont let you go bar'footed no mo' ! " 
 
 [42 1 
 
" He try ter say de words dat link 1 Moon had sont " 
 
OL' JOSHWAY AN' DE SUN 
 
 OL' Joshway stood in front er his tent, 
 An' sicc'd his soldiers on, 
 But when he turned fer ter look 
 aroun', 
 De day wuz nearly gone. 
 He rubbed his beard, he scratched his 
 head, 
 An' kicked his heel in de groun'; 
 Kaze he wanter finish de battle-job 
 Befo' de Sun went down. 
 
 He look ter de East an' he look ter de 
 West, 
 An' he wave his han' on high, 
 "King Sun," sezee, "I want you ter 
 see 
 Me smite um hip an' thigh! 
 
 [44] 
 
He look ter de East an he look ter de West 
 
OL' JOSHWAY AN' DE SUN 
 
 Come down ter camp an' rest yo'se'f 
 
 A little while wid me, 
 I '11 git you a fan an' big wide cheer 
 
 An' set it whar you kin see." 
 
 Dey wuz lots mo' talk, but de Sun come 
 down 
 
 An' tuck a little ease, 
 An' when he got too awful hot, 
 
 He called up ol' Brer Breeze! 
 "My time is short," sez de Sun, sezee, 
 
 "An' you better do yo' do, 
 Kaze I'm feelin' like I wanter see 
 
 Dis mortual scuffle throo!" 
 
 Well, dey fit an' fit an' fowt an' fowt 
 Right dar in de light er de Sun, 
 
 But Joshway frailed um out an' soon 
 He had um on de run. 
 
 [46 ] 
 
^- *. 
 
 King Sun, he say, "I'm over due. 'Cross dar whar de nizht 's still black 
 
OL' JOSHWAY AN' DE SUN 
 
 King Sun, he say, "I'm over due. 
 
 'Cross dar whar de night's still black 
 De folks will wake 'fo' de chickens crow 
 
 An' put der big clocks back." 
 
 Ol' Joshway thanked him mighty polite, 
 
 An' ax him fer ter come ag'in; 
 King Sun, he say, "I speck dat I 
 
 Will be whar I 've allers been." 
 Den he mosied off, kaze he aint got 
 time 
 
 Fer ter set an' talk an' stay; 
 He hatter go off whar de night still dark 
 
 An' start ter breakin' day. 
 
 Well, time run on an' people 'spute 
 
 'Bout Joshway an' de Sun, 
 Some say dis an' some say dat, 
 
 An' splain why Joshway won; 
 
 [48 ] 
 
OL' JOSHWAY AN' DE SUN 
 
 Sometimes when he wuz settin' 'roun' 
 Whar he could n't he'p but hear, 
 
 He'd say, "Go in de settin'-room an see 
 How he scorched my big armcheer!" 
 
 [49] 
 
BRER RABBIT CAUSES BRER 
 FOX TO LOSE HIS HIDE 
 
 ONE day when the sun was shining 
 brightly, and everything appeared 
 to be serene, the little boy seemed 
 to be worried about something. Uncle 
 Remus was putting the finishing touches 
 to a fish-basket that had been taking up 
 his time for several days, and, for a minute 
 or two, he paid no attention to the young- 
 ster, who was sitting on the door-sill, gaz- 
 ing into far-off space. 
 
 " What de matter, honey? It look 
 like ter me dat you got trouble on de 
 min\ Dat kinder trouble is sorter like 
 a baby's toof-ache: you dunner how ter 
 git at it." 
 
 " I was just thinking," said the little boy, 
 
 " how the lion could have any hair on his 
 
 [50] 
 
" // V//, Brer Lion, he scramble out des ez hard ez he kin " 
 
BRER FOX LOSES HIS HIDE 
 
 body if he was scalded. Mother says he 
 could n't." 
 
 "What Miss Sally say?" Uncle Remus 
 asked. 
 
 "Why, grandmother said she'd rather 
 count the hairs on a tarrypin's back than 
 to bother about the small things in a story 
 that was worth listening to." 
 
 The grin on Uncle Remus's face was 
 one of pure joy. " What I been tell- 
 ing you 'bout yo' gran'mammy. Miss 
 Sally oughter be de gov'ner er de 
 Nunited State er Georgy, kaze what she 
 dunno, dey aint nobody gwine ter tell you. 
 You aint hear all dat tale, an', by good 
 rights, you oughter ax me de questions 
 what you ax yo' mammy. She aint tell 
 you de tale." This was a rebuke, and the 
 little boy received it as such, and he ap- 
 
 [ 53 ] 
 
BRER FOX LOSES HIS HIDE 
 
 peared to be very penitent, though he said 
 nothing. 
 
 "What you gwine do when you fin' 
 yo'se'f in scaldin' water?" Uncle Remus 
 inquired. "Is you gwine ter set in it twel 
 you done cooked? Well, Brer Lion, he 
 scramble out des ez hard ez he kin, an' dat 
 wa'n't quick 'nough fer ter save his wool. 
 An 9 needer wuz it quick 'nough, fer ter 
 keep 'im fum bein' mighty so' in a 'bun- 
 nunce er places here an' dar on his hide. 
 He went home, he did, an 5 tuck ter his bed, 
 an' he stay dar twel he get so dat he kin 
 move about widout squallin'. 
 
 " In dem times, he wuz de king er de 
 creeturs, an' whiles he wuz layin' dar in bed 
 dey all call on 'im fer ter see how he gittin' 
 on. Dey all pay him visits 'ceppin' ol' 
 Brer Rabbit; he aint gone ter de house, 
 
 [54 1 
 
" Dis make Brer Rabbit set down an study " 
 
BRER FOX LOSES HIS HIDE 
 
 but he went nigh 'nough ter fin' out dat 
 Brer Fox been tellin' some mighty mean 
 tales 'bout 'im. 
 
 "When de yuther creeturs hear Brer 
 Fox runnin' Brer Rabbit down, an' see dat 
 Brer Lion wuz willin' fer ter lissen at 'im, 
 dey all jine in an' say de wuss dey kin; 
 an what dey aint know dey make up. 
 Eve'y whar he go, Brer Rabbit hear 'bout 
 de talk dey been havin', an' some un it wuz 
 so bad dat it fa'rly make his y'ears burn. 
 Den one day he hear tell dat Brer Lion, 
 bein' de King er de creetur's, had tol' Brer 
 Fox fer ter ketch 'im an' fetch 'im dar whar 
 Brer Lion live at. 
 
 "Dis make Brer Rabbit set down an' 
 study. He know Brer Fox can't ketch 
 'im, but he study how he gwine ter git 
 even wid 'im. He study, an' study, twel 
 
 [ 56] 
 
BRER FOX LOSES HIS HIDE 
 
 bimeby, one day, he put out fer ter see 
 how Brer Lion gittin' on. 
 
 "De road he went tuck 'im right by 
 Brer Fox house. Brer Fox wuz settin' on 
 de front porch when Brer Rabbit went by, 
 an' he look like he 'stonish'; but he aint 
 say nothin'. Brer Rabbit aint turn his 
 head, kaze he know'd dat Brer Fox 'ud 
 foller 'long atter. 
 
 "He went on, he did, twel he git ter 
 Brer Lion's house. He rap on de do', 
 an' Brer Lion groan an' growl, an' say, 
 'Come in.' So said, so done. Brer Lion 
 watch Brer Rabbit mighty hard, an' bimeby 
 he say, 4 What's all dis I hear?' 
 
 "< You'll hatter tell me,' sez ol' Brer 
 Rabbit, 'kaze I been off on a long journey. 
 Stidder callin' on you an' settin' 'roun' 
 here, a-doin' uv no good whatsomever, I 
 
 t57 ] 
 
BRER FOX LOSES HIS HIDE 
 
 been tryin' fer ter fin 5 sump'n dat'd kyo 
 you.' 
 
 " < Don't tell me 'bout it,' sez Brer 
 Lion, sezee. < Everybody been tellin' me 
 what'd kyo me, an' I aint kyo'd yit; I'm 
 wuss off dan befo' ! ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, c l could 'a' come des 
 ez much ez de rest er de creeturs, an' 
 'twould 'a' done des ez much good. But 
 I know'd,' sezee, <dat when anybody gits 
 scald' wid milk-warm water, dey's sump'n 
 de matter wid um sho'nough. So I tuck'n 
 went off whar Mammy-Bammy-Big-Money 
 live at, an' I ax her what de matter when 
 some folks kin git scald' in milk-warm 
 water. She tuck off her lef slipper, shuck 
 out de pebbles an' count 'em ez dey fell 
 out, an' say de onliest way fer ter work a 
 kyo is ter poultice de burns wid de fresh 
 
 [ 58 ] 
 
 \ 
 
" Brer Lion say y ' What 's all dis I hear ? 
 
BRER FOX LOSES HIS HIDE 
 
 hide er his best frien'. I ax who it is,' 
 sez ol' Brer Rabbit, sezee, 'an' she say he 
 got sharp nose, short y'ears, slim legs, an' 
 a bushy tail/ 
 
 "Brer Lion aint wait a minit; he call 
 ter some er de creeturs what hangin' 'roun', 
 an' he say, < Fetch me de hide er Brer 
 Fox!'" 
 
 Uncle Remus paused and leaned his 
 head on his hand. 
 
 " What then ? " the little boy inquired. 
 
 "De creeturs, dey fotch it," replied the 
 old man, with something like a sigh. 
 
 [60] 
 
UNCLE REMUS ADDRESSES 
 BROTHER WIND 
 
 BRER WIND, please stop yo' 
 prankin', 
 Ez you go ridin' by! 
 You keer no mo' fer Chris'mus 
 Dan a mule in a patch er rye! 
 You make folks drap der bundles 
 
 Dat deyer totin' by; 
 Ef I could change my howdye, 
 
 1 'd make it a short good-bye! 
 But 'fo' you go, please tell us 
 Whar you hid at last July? 
 De 9 er last July? 
 
 De country roun' we panted 
 
 You could hear de babies cry 
 
 [61 ] 
 
BROTHER WIND 
 
 De Breeze you sont wuz feeble, 
 He couldn't do mo' dan sigh, 
 
 An' when we wanter cool off, 
 You never did come nigh! 
 
 Now, whiles youer here, please tell me 
 Whar you stayed at last July — 
 De 9 er last July. 
 
 You stayed 'way all de summer, 
 
 A-lettin' us sweat an' fry 5 
 So please des stop yo' capers, 
 
 An' tell me de reason why; 
 Now, here you come at Chris'mus, 
 
 A-ridin' yo' hosses high! 
 I never did like sech doin's, 
 
 An' dis is de reason why: 
 I 'd heap ruther tol' you howdye 
 
 Some time in last July — 
 
 De 9 er last July! 
 
 [62 ] 
 
He could tit do mo' dan sigh 
 
BROTHER WIND 
 
 It's gittin' close to Chris'mus, 
 
 Wid de chillun feelin' spry, 
 An' here you come wid yo' rippit, 
 
 A-blowin' san' in der eye, 
 An' tryin' ter drive ol' Santy 
 
 'Way off ter de Bye-an'-Bye, 
 An' leave de empty stockin's 
 
 A-hangin' high an' dry ! 
 Des stop an' tell me, please, suh - 
 
 Whar wuz you last July? 
 De 9 er last July? 
 
 Youer roarin' up de chimbleys, 
 An' a-rampin' thoo de sky; 
 
 Youer whistlin' roun' de cornders, 
 An' folks kin hear you cry! 
 
 De chillun got de shivers, 
 Dey dunner how er why; 
 
 You make um think of ghostes 
 
 Dat come a-ramblin' nigh ! 
 
 [6 4 ] 
 
An try in ter drive oF Santy 'way offer de Bye-ari-Bye 
 
BROTHER WIND 
 
 Now, stop an' le' me ax you, 
 Whar wuz you last July? 
 De 9 er last July ? 
 
 Ez fur ez de birds an' furder, 
 
 You spread yo' wings an' fly; 
 An' you take along de snow-storm 
 
 Dat you 've picked up on de sly ! 
 Col' brefF, col' feet an' fingers ! 
 
 No wonder you cough an' cry ; 
 It makes me sick fer ter hear you, 
 
 Whiles youer sailin' by! 
 But I wish you 'd stop an' tell me 
 
 Whar you slep' at last July — 
 De 9 er last July! 
 
 Ef you'd 'a' been lyin' off some'rs 
 When de heat wuz a-risin' high, 
 
 I bet you 'd 'a' heern us pantin' — 
 I bet you 'd 'a' heern us fry! 
 
 [66 ] 
 
c 
 
 N 
 
 ), 
 
 \) 
 
 "J. 
 
 
 I wish you *d V cum an fanned us so?netime in last July 
 
BROTHER WIND 
 
 Kaze all de green wuz a-wiltin', 
 An 5 de gyarden groun' wuz dry ; 
 
 King Sun, he say, " I '11 sizzle urn, 
 Er I '11 know de reason why ! " 
 
 I wish you 'd 'a' cum an' fanned us 
 Sometime in last July — 
 De 9 er last July! 
 
 Brer Wind, please stop an' lissen, 
 
 An' heed my Chris'mus cry — 
 Quit cuttin' up yo' capers 
 
 Under de wide blue sky ! 
 You hear dem chillun singin' ? 
 
 Well, you better min' yo' eye! 
 Des save yo' strenk fer summer, 
 
 An' don't fergit fer ter try 
 An' wake us up an' cool us 
 
 Sometime in hot July — 
 De 9 er next July! 
 
 [ 68] 
 
 y 
 
HOW BRER RABBIT SAVED 
 BRER B'AR'S LIFE 
 
 JUST above the spring, on the home- 
 place, there was a large over-hanging 
 rock that was a source of great interest 
 to the little boy. He wondered how it 
 grew there, he wondered if it had anything 
 to do with the water-supply that bubbled 
 beneath it, and when he had forgotten to 
 wonder about one thing, he speedily began 
 to wonder about something else concerning 
 the rock — whether there was a gold mine 
 beneath it, or a cavern, and if this were so, 
 whether a door would fly open if some par- 
 ticular word or phrase was said. It pre- 
 sented a problem to the youngster that he 
 could not long escape from; and it was so 
 interesting in all its parts and particulars 
 
 that it would be well if some of our noisy 
 
 [69 ] 
 
BRER B'AR'S LIFE IS SAVED 
 
 modern scientists would leave their foolish 
 speculations, go to the old plantation, and 
 there contemplate the puzzle presented by 
 the hanging rock. The little boy asked 
 Uncle Remus about it more than once, 
 and he was so persistent in recurring to the 
 matter that the old man finally told him a 
 story about it. 
 
 "Ef I aint mighty much mistooken," 
 he said, " dat ar rock is de ve'y one what 
 Brer Rabbit fool some er de creeturs wid. 
 I dunno ef 't wuz Brer B'ar er Brer Fox, 
 but we '11 say dat 't wuz oP Brer B'ar, an' 
 let it go at dat. In one way an' anudder, 
 Brer Rabbit wuz all de time a-pesterin' de 
 yuther creeturs, pullin' der tails an' runnin' 
 off, er makin' jokes 'bout um, er playin' 
 pranks on um. 
 
 " Ef you been follerin' me 'long dis fur, 
 
 [ 70 ] 
 
BRER B'AR'S LIFE IS SAVED 
 
 you know dat some er de pranks dat ol' 
 Brer Rabbit played on de creeturs got um 
 in deep trouble. OP Brer B'ar aint got no 
 tail fer ter be pulled, but he had feelin's 
 fer ter be hurted. I dunner what Brer 
 Rabbit done ter him at dis intickler time, 
 but he done sump'n, an' I speck 'twuz 
 a-plenty. Anyhow, Brer B'ar got right 
 behime Brer Rabbit, an' he pusht him so 
 close, dat befo' Brer Rabbit kin git in a 
 holler-tree, Brer B'ar ketched him by de 
 behime leg an' helt 'im. He try fer ter 
 pull 'im out, but Brer Rabbit kinder brace 
 hisse'f ag'in de inside, an' dar he wuz. 
 He stick his head ez fur up de holler ez 
 he kin an' den he laugh an' say, sezee: 
 " c You think you got me, don't you, 
 Brer B'ar? Well, you aint 5 dat what 
 youer pullin' an' tuggin' at aint nothin' 
 
 [ 72 ] 
 

 " Anyhow, Brer B' ar got right behime Brer Rabbit, an he pusht him close " 
 
BRER B'AR'S LIFE IS SAVED 
 
 but a last year's sprout growin' out'n de 
 groun' in here. Ef you think it 's my 
 behime leg, des git a rock an 5 hit, an' 
 hit, an' you'll see dat I wont flinch.' 
 
 " Brer B'ar looked aroun' fer ter fin' a 
 rock, but dar wan't none right at han', an' 
 so he went off fer ter git one. Time he 
 come back, he say, sezee, c Whar de sprout, 
 Brer Rabbit ? ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit, he 'spon', sezee, 4 1 
 thought you want comin' back, Brer B'ar, 
 an' I tuck'n broke it off so I kin take it 
 ter my ol' 'oman fer ter make a toof-bresh 
 out'n 5 she '11 like it fine ! ' 
 
 " I speck," Uncle Remus went on, look- 
 ing curiously at the child, "dat dat holler- 
 tree must 'a' been up dar in de pastur' 
 whar de barn is, an' ef dat 's so, we kin 
 foller de tale wid bofe eyes an' min'. 
 
 [ 75 1 
 
BRER B'AR'S LIFE IS SAVED 
 
 When Brer Rabbit come out 'n de holler 
 fer ter go home, he know'd in reason dat 
 Brer B'ar wuz some'rs close about watchin' 
 fer 'im. He crope out, he did, an' look 
 all 'roun', an' den he made a dash fer de 
 open, but ol' Brer B'ar wuz right at han', 
 an' when Brer Rabbit made his dash, Brer 
 B'ar made one too, an' he wuz so servig- 
 rous dat Brer Rabbit hatter run un' dat 
 hangin' rock dat 's been a-pesterin' you. 
 He run un' dar, he did, an' Brer B'ar 
 retched fer 'im, an' he come so close ter 
 gittin' 'im dat he 'uz skeer'd mighty nigh 
 col'. 
 
 " He holler out, he did. i Look out 
 dar, Brer B'ar ! I feel dis rock a-fallin' ! 
 It '11 git me, but it '11 git you, too, an' den 
 what good is yo' temper gwine do you ? 
 Don't you feel it sinkin' down ? Go git 
 
 [ 76 ] 
 

 ***-o*. 
 
 * ^ 
 
 " * Look out dar, Brer Far ! I feel dis rock a-fallin I ' " 
 
BRER B'AR'S LIFE IS SAVED 
 
 sump'n fer ter prop it up wid ! I don't 
 min' gittin' ketched myse'f, but I don't 
 wanter set here an' see you mashed ez flat 
 ez a battercake ! ' 
 
 " An' so Brer B'ar, he run off fer ter 
 get a pole fer ter prop up de rock wid, an' 
 when he come back, Brer Rabbit wuz done 
 gone, an' 't wuz many a long day 'fo' he 
 seed 'im ag'in." 
 
 The little boy sat reflecting, and finally 
 he said : 
 
 " Well I knew there was something cu- 
 rious about the rock." 
 
 Whereupon, Uncle Remus closed his 
 eyes and held them so until the child 
 slipped out of the house and went to 
 play. 
 
 [78] 
 
UNCLE REMUS SINGS A SONG 
 
 BRER B'AR came a-loping down de 
 road — 
 (Too long — too long fer you! ) 
 De Swamp Owl hooted, an' a Rooster 
 crow'd — 
 (Too long — too long fer you ! ) 
 De ol' Oak say, " I 'm a-stayin' whar I grow'd 
 (Too long — too long fer you ! ) 
 
 Brer Coon come a-pacin' down de road — 
 (Too long — too long fer you ! ) 
 
 Brer Rabbit say, " Yo' legs been bow'd 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 An' what you is de folks done know'd 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 "Ez ter what you is, der min's bestow' d 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 Kaze de little gray monkey's tail done grow'd 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 [79] 
 
UNCLE REMUS SINGS A SONG 
 
 An' de Elephant comin' wid his snout 
 done th'ow'd 
 (Too long — too long fer you ! ) 
 
 "An 5 oP Rhynossyhoss, his horn a load 
 (Too long — too long fer you! ) 
 
 Will soon come a-trottin' down de road 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 I 'm afeard he '11 tromple down de Toad 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 " Don't you never go down de ol' West 
 
 Road — 
 
 (Too long — too long fer you ! ) 
 
 Kaze a mighty heap er folks has long ago 
 
 go'd — 
 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 All a-cuttin' de craps what dey has sow'd — 
 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 [80] 
 
Ari de Elephant comiri wid his snout done th'ow'd " 
 
UNCLE REMUS SINGS A SONG 
 
 "Dey all went by, kaze dey thunk dey 
 know'd — 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 How many come back when der beards 
 had grow'd — 
 (Too long — too long fer you ! ) 
 How many saved de seed what dey had 
 mow'd — 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 
 "An' ol' Brer B'ar, wid his whiskers 
 grow'd — 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 Tried ter fin' out sump'n dat he never had 
 know'd — 
 (Too long — too long fer you!) 
 How kin a man flourish when he's pigeon- 
 toed ? 
 (Too long — too long fer you!") 
 
 [ 82 ] 
 
UNCLE REMUS RECEIVES A 
 
 LETTER 
 
 I HOPE I see you well," Uncle Remus 
 remarked politely to the cook. 
 "Well, I aint right well," was the 
 reply; " how you come on ? " 
 
 " I 'm kinder 'twix' de ham an' shoulder; 
 I b'lieves dey calls it middlin'. I 'm here 
 ef dat 's anything fer ter be thankful fer; 
 I 'm still a-shufflin' 'long, pickin' up a stray 
 meal's vittles whar I kin. But you look 
 like you been sick; I speck you must 'a' 
 shed many a pound sence last I seed you. 
 Ef I had n't 'a' bit my tongue, I 'd 'a' ax'd 
 you whar dey planted you dat you could 
 'a' grabbled out so quick, an' I 'd 'a' 
 ax'd ef you brung back de box dat dey 
 buried you in. But I done got so now 
 
 [ 83 1 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 dat I don't run on like I useter. Times 
 change, an' folks changes wid um. Dem 
 what I meet wid now aint no mo' like dey 
 useter be dan a blackjack is a sweetgum. 
 You kin see money writ all over der face; 
 dey gits up soon an' goes ter bed late, an' 
 dey don't know der own chillun when dey 
 meet um on de street." 
 
 "Yes," said the cook, with a sigh, "I 
 speck that's about de way of it. I aint so 
 mighty old myse'f but folks has done 
 change might'ly sence I grow'd up, bofe 
 white an' black." 
 
 "Aint it de trufe?" exclaimed Uncle 
 Remus. " But fer dat, I would n't be here 
 right now. What you reckon Miss Sally 
 done done? She done gone an' sont her 
 gran'child 'way off yan whar de wedder 
 
 aint so changeable. She hear him sneeze 
 
 [8 4 ] 
 
Dey gits up soon an goes ter bed late, an dey don t know der own chiilun 
 
 when dey meet urn " 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 three times one night, an' nothin' would do 
 but he must be toted off ter de eend er de 
 worl\ I up an' tol' her dat I could stan' 
 it ef she could, an' den she tuck an' flew 
 up, an' gi' me what she call a piece un her 
 mind. De chile's mammy aint a-keerin', 
 kaze she like fer ter be on de go, an' now 
 dey done been gone dis long time. Nobody 
 kin out-talk Miss Sally. You kin go out'n 
 de room an' leave 'er, an' she '11 be talkin' 
 at you when you come back. Whar de 
 boss?" 
 
 "He's in there," answered the cook; 
 "I'll go see ef he's busy er no." 
 
 "Des tell 'im dat ol' man Remus is 
 out here watchin' de oven, an' dat he's 
 done got a letter fum Miss Sally's gran'- 
 baby dat he wants read out des like it is, 
 wid all de words in de right place." 
 
 [ 86 ] 
 
" I got a whole bag full er reasons" the old man responded 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 "Whyn't you git yo' Miss Sally to read 
 it to you, ef she's so high an' mighty/' 
 
 " I got a whole bag full er reasons," 
 the old man responded, with a twinkle in 
 his eye. "Miss Sally's a settled 'oman 
 by now, but she don't no mo' mind pro- 
 jickin' wid you dan' she minds eatin'. 
 She'd read it, an' be mighty glad ter do 
 it, but you 'd never know ef de talk she 
 read out wuz in dar er no. She'll joke 
 wid you ef you so sick you can't skacely 
 hoi' yo' head up. She'd be sho fer ter 
 put sump'n in de letter dat aint dar, an' 
 you never kin tell when she's leavin' 
 sump'n out. But nummine dat, dey aint 
 nobody on de top side er de green groun' 
 dat y'ever got ahead of her yit. I may 
 talk about her myse'f, but I aint gwine ter 
 stan' aroun' an' let nobody else do it, kaze 
 
 [ 88 ] 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 I knows her better dan she knows 'erse'f. 
 When I was a boy, I use ter caper 'roun' 
 an' frolic wid her gran'daddy, an' now here 
 she is a gran'mammy in her own right, an' 
 lookin' mighty nigh ez young ez de boy's 
 mammy. But you aint got no time fer 
 ter lissen at me 5 you done got dinner on, 
 an' you don't wanter stan' dar an' see it 
 burn. Go tell de boss dat ol' man Re- 
 mus is out here, an' ef he can't see me, 
 well an' good; I'll stay here twel he kin, 
 an' maybe I '11 git my name in de pot. 
 Seem like ter me dat I smells sump'n 
 dat '11 tas'e mighty like collards when you 
 git um in yo' mouf." 
 
 The cook laughed and went into the 
 house to inquire if Uncle Remus could see 
 his old-time friend. He could, to a cer- 
 tainty, and he did. From the bottom of 
 
 [ 89 ] 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 his hat, which he held in his hand, Uncle 
 Remus took a letter that had been deliv- 
 ered by the postman, and asked if it would 
 be too much trouble to read it. Why, it 
 would be no trouble at all. The letter had 
 never been opened since the child-writer 
 sealed it, but this was soon remedied. 
 The handwriting was that of a little fellow 
 who was trying to learn the vertical style, 
 which has done so much to destroy the 
 individuality of the younger generation, 
 and it read as follows: 
 
 Dear Uncle Remus, — We are stopping at this 
 place to wait for a little while until another train 
 passes, because there has been a reck on the road, 
 and mamma has gone to sleep with a handchif over 
 her face, to keep off the flies that are made alive 
 by the heat in the sleeping car. There's very 
 many of them specially where a bald-hedded man 
 is trying to keep hisself awake by fighting of them. 
 
 [90] 
 
From the bottom of his hat Uncle Remus took a letter 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 One has just lit on this paper. I would kill him 
 only it might blot the paper. How are you get- 
 ting on without me ? I hear you are taken up 
 with another little boy which is pretyer than me. 
 I didn't want to leave at all, but you know how 
 granma is, if I sneeze more than twicte she gives me 
 a mustard plaster or a hot bath, and both of them 
 are very warm. Mamma said when she got on the 
 car that she hoped to have a little piece now, and 
 there was a lady with a parrot that looked at me very 
 hard. The bird is pigin-toed, an' has a bill as big 
 as the horn of my gote. It is fixed so he can 
 hang on the lim of a tree. The lady told me 
 three times not to put my finger in the cage be- 
 cause the parrot will nip it. Granma isnt here, 
 and so I am waiting for the parrot to doze off so 
 I can see whether his top-not is dyed. Please 
 don't tell any more Brother Rabbit tales till I get 
 back, which I hope will be rite soon. Mamma 
 has just woke up an' asked a man if we were go- 
 ing to stay here all night, and the man said he 
 would n't know til about six o'clock to-morer 
 morning. Mamma got kind of red in the face and 
 turned her back on the man, and then he winked 
 
 [92 1 
 
fi(. 
 
 / am waiting for the parrot to doze off so I can see whether his top-not is 
 
 dyed 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 at me and opened his mouth very wide. When he 
 goes away, Mamma will say he has been drinking. 
 If its ginjer-rale, I hope he will give me some, be- 
 cause ginjer-rale makes a fuss when you take out 
 the stoper, and is warm as brinjer when you drink 
 it fast. I dident know I could rite such a long 
 letter. But Mamma says that wen you travel, it is 
 improving to the mind. I have only one more 
 page of paper left, and so I must close soon, be- 
 cause there are some dogs around the Car, and I 
 am going to bet the porter a dime that he can't 
 make them Fite. If he does I know which one 
 will whip he is a brinnel dog with a ring around 
 his nek, and he hold his bob-tail very high. I hear 
 a wistle some where and I am afraid its the train 
 we are waiting for, because I havent seen a sure 
 enough dog fite not since I left home. Well, I 
 must close, write as soon as you get this. Grandma 
 will give you a stamp, and tell me what she says 
 when you ask her. I sure wish she was here 
 now. 
 
 Uncle Remus stood very still while the 
 reading was going on, and when it was 
 
 [94] 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 over with, it was some time before he said 
 anything. He stooped and picked up a 
 stray pin that he saw lying on the floor, 
 and sighed. Finally he made a remark 
 that seemed to ease his mind. "Well, 
 suh!" he said, "is anybody ever see de 
 beat er dat? Dat little bit er feller, not 
 much bigger dan yo' two fists, a-settin' 
 right flat down an' a-writin' all dat to de 
 ol' nigger. You mayn't b'lieve me, suh, 
 but dat wipes out de whole war. I 'm 
 kinder skeer'd fer ter show dat letter ter 
 Miss Sally, bekaze she'll make a heap er 
 fun un it, an' do like she's a-laughin' fit 
 ter kill, an' when you look at 'er right 
 close, you'll find dat she's been a-cryin' 
 all de time. I don't mind seein' some 
 folks cry, but when Miss Sally starts her 
 boo-hoo ter gwine, I know dat dar's sump'n 
 
 [95 1 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 'way back yanderdat I dunno nothin' 'bout, 
 an' when I try fer ter think what 'tis, it 
 seem mo' like a dream, no matter how 
 bright de sun tryin' ter shine, bekaze when 
 Miss Sally cries I know 't aint 'bout nothin' 
 right at hand, but 'bout sump'n way back 
 yander dat she done most fergot about, 
 less'n a word er a letter. You know how 
 wimmen is, suh ; dey er fur an' away ahead 
 er de men folks. It seem like dey er con- 
 stant a-runnin' back ter ol' times. You 
 think de young gals giggles too much: 
 well, des wait twel you have a granchiP, 
 an' den you '11 see ef dey been gigglin' too 
 much. Let um giggle, / say ! " 
 
 The old man thankfully accepted the 
 invitation to stay to dinner, and went back 
 to the kitchen, where he could be heard 
 trying to convert the cook to some new 
 
 [96] 
 
/ am going to bet the porter a dime that he cant make them Fite " 
 
UNCLE REMUS' LETTER 
 
 form of belief — not that he believed it 
 himself, but in the hope that he could ag- 
 gravate her into showering upon him the 
 friendly abuse he was so fond of. The 
 cook, however, was very even-tempered, 
 and as a last resort, Uncle Remus sang 
 this old song. 
 
 OL' JOB! POOR JOB! 
 
 Moses had trouble, trouble enough, 
 
 Sence he floated on de Niles, 
 But, at de wust, he'd up an' say, 
 Des look at Job an' his biles ! 
 OP Job! Poor Job! 
 
 He 'd lay an' sweat fum day ter 
 day, 
 He had so many biles! 
 
 He had no room fer smiles ! 
 [98 ] 
 
'^j^t^v. 
 
 Accepted the invitation to stay to dinner, and went back to the kitchen 
 
UNCLE REMUS 5 LETTER 
 
 John, he paced his prison cage, 
 
 I dunner how many miles, 
 An' den he say ter de king's daughter 
 What you think er Job an' his biles ? 
 OP Job! Poor Job! 
 
 He had no room fer smiles 5 
 He railed at all de neighbors, 
 He had so many biles ! 
 
 St. Paul, he wandered 'roun' an' 'roun' 
 
 A-many a thousand miles, 
 An' he allers tell de folks what he see 
 Fer ter 'member Job an' his biles ! 
 Ol' Job! Poor Job! 
 
 He aint got time fer smiles; 
 Attercountin' all his goats and camels, 
 He tried fer ter count his biles! 
 
 [ 100 ] 
 
HOW BRER RABBIT RAISED 
 THE DUST 
 
 ONCE 'pon a time, er two times er 
 mo', 
 Molly-ily-oly, oly-ily-mo' ! 
 De creeturs tuck a notion dey'd a-courtin' 
 
 g°> 
 
 Gooly-ooly, an' a gil-gal go ! 
 
 Dey pestered Miss Meadows bofe day an 5 
 
 ni g ht > 
 An' eve'y body knows dat dat want right! 
 
 Riley-ooly-rinktum, riley-ily-right ! 
 
 But dat Miss Meadows — mon, she's a sight! 
 
 "Is my house a tavern?" she ax de gals, 
 
 Gilly-ill-gooly, gilly-ill-gals ! 
 " I lay I '11 fix um wid der shills an' der 
 shalls ! 
 
 Shilly-ooly-sholy, sholy-iley-shalls ! 
 
 [ ioi ] 
 
BRER RABBIT RAISED DUST 
 
 An' you better go put on yo' balmorals! 
 An' don't pester me wid yo' dil-dol-dals," 
 
 Dilly-ann-dinktum, illy-oll-dals ! 
 De dil-dol-dals wuz Sue's an' Sal's. 
 
 Well, de ve'y nex' day, all de creeturs wuz 
 dar, 
 Darly-ily-oly, oly-ily-dar ! 
 Brer Wolf wid his grin, an' ol' Brer B'ar, 
 Barly-billy-bumptum, billy-bumptum 
 bar! 
 Brer Fox an' Brer Rabbit, wid his pop- 
 eye ! 
 A-seein' what he seed, an' tryin' fer ter 
 sigh, 
 Sigh-along, fly-along, sing-along-a- 
 sigh ! 
 An' so humble dat he showed de white er 
 his eye. 
 
 [ 102 ] 
 
Be creeturs tuck a notion dey V a-courtin go 
 
BRER RABBIT RAISED DUST 
 
 Miss Meadows an' de gals had on der 
 best frocks, 
 Frackity-ackity, purty little frock! 
 An 5 "Why does you gents allers come in 
 flocks?" 
 Fle-flo-flickity, fly-flee-flock ! 
 " Down here by de branch dar 's a great 
 
 big rock, 
 An' de gent dat kin take a sludge-ham- 
 mer an' knock 
 Knick-knack -knock, knickity-ann- 
 knock! 
 Out de dust gits a gal wid 'er smick- 
 smack-smock! " 
 
 Dey 'p'inted de day, an' all un um dar 
 
 Dooly-ily-dum, dooly-ily-dar ! 
 Kinder thunk dat de gal'd go ter Brer B'ar, 
 
 Billy-illy-bumptum, ol' Billy B'ar! 
 
 [ 104 ] 
 
" De gent dat kin take a sludge-hammer an knock 
 Out de dust gits a gai wid 'er smick-smack-smock ! " 
 
BRER RABBIT RAISED DUST 
 
 Brer Rabbit, he sot down ter work de 
 
 matter out, 
 An' he aint thunk long, 'fo' he riz wid a 
 
 shout! 
 Sholy-sheely-shoo, an' sheely-sholy- 
 
 shout ! 
 An' he dance de double-shuffle fer a nour, 
 
 nigh about! 
 
 When de time come, his slippers he got, 
 
 Gooly-ooly-goo, gilly-ooly-got ! 
 An' filled um wid ashes fum de ol' ash-pot, 
 
 Pottery-ottery, black ol' pot! 
 He shuffle ter de place, wid, " Good-day, 
 
 gents ! 
 I 'm a-feelin' dat weak dat I could n't dim' 
 a fence, 
 Feely-oly-foo, an-a-ten-rail-fence ! 
 
 But ter git dat gal is my intents ! " 
 
 [ 1 06 ] 
 
<oz 
 
 4ri filled urn void ashes fum de oF ash-pot 
 
BRER RABBIT RAISED DUST 
 
 "An' de same is mine," growled ol' Brer 
 B'ar, 
 Barley-o, an' Billy-Billy-B'ar! 
 "I'll knock out de dust an' never raise a 
 ha'r!" 
 Hilly-hilly-ho, an' hilly-hilly-har ! 
 Brer Wolf, he grin, "You'll fin' me dar, 
 I'm sump'n uv a hitter, I thank my 
 star!" 
 Star-ee-star-oo, an' a-twinkle little star! 
 An' ol' Brer Fox say, " De trial must be 
 fa'r." 
 
 All er de creeturs wuz ter have three tries, 
 Trinky-tree, trinky-ann-tries ! 
 
 An' de gals wuz afeard dey 'd git dust in 
 der eyes, 
 Izy-oozy-izzy, oozy-izzy-eyes ! 
 
 Brer Wolf wuz de fust, an' den Brer Fox, 
 
 [ 108 ] 
 
An de dust flew'd up ter de top er de tree 
 
BRER RABBIT RAISED DUST 
 
 An' dey like to a-knock deyse'fs out'n der 
 socks ! 
 Sicky-icky-ox, sicky-ann-socks ! 
 But de dust aint come, spite er der knocks ! 
 
 Den ol' Brer B'ar, he hit, an' he failed, 
 
 Filamaloo-fail, filmo-failed ! 
 Sezee, "Byjing! I thunk I had her nailed," 
 
 Nail-a-roo, nail-a-rum nailed ! 
 Den ol' Brer Rabbit, he hit de rock three, 
 An' de dust flew'd up ter de top er de 
 tree, 
 
 Treelum-troolum, tricky-ann-tree ! 
 Kaze de ashes dey riz eve'y time he bent 
 his knee! 
 
 [ in ] 
 
THE STORY OF TEENCHY- 
 TINY DUCK 
 
 AS usual Uncle Remus made his 
 / % appearance just before dinner, 
 "^ When asked about it, he laughed 
 heartily. "Well, suh," he said, "I never 
 yit seed a dinner dat could skeer me. I 
 don't keer how big it is, ner how fine, 
 I kin look it right in de face an' eyes, an' 
 never turn a ha'r. Ol' Miss use ter say 
 dat I wuz a mighty bol' nigger when it 
 come ter vittles, an' I speck dat 's so, 
 kaze de onliest skeer I have is dat de cook 
 wont save me none." 
 
 " Where is the little boy?" 
 
 "Oh, he done come back. He went 
 out dar ter Californy fer ter fix his lungs 
 an' livers, an' he come wid me fer ter see 
 how fur you live fum town. He's out 
 
 [ 112 ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 dar in de yard fishin' fer jacks. He'll 
 take a piece er grass an' run it down in a 
 hole, an' de fust news you know, he done 
 cotch one. I tol' him dat ef he wanted 
 ter hear me tell a tale, he'd hatter come 
 in here an' tell you howdye. I 'm mighty 
 glad yo' room is so close ter der kitchen 5 
 I kin set on dis trunk an' tell you what 
 you gwineter have fer dinner. Cabbage 
 fer one thing, an' inguns fer an'er. De 
 cook sho must 'a' know'd I wuz comin'." 
 At this juncture, the little boy ran in, 
 full of health and perspiration; he had been 
 having a glorious time, and he wished that 
 he lived somewhere where there were plenty 
 of trees and grass. The jack-bugs that 
 you caught in town were hardly worth 
 fishing for, they were so small and poor. 
 His trip to Southern California had evi- 
 
 r 113 ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 dently done him a world of good. His 
 pallor had disappeared, and he was now as 
 ruddy and rugged as you could wish. He 
 was very polite, too, for he knew that 
 Uncle Remus was regarding him with crit- 
 ical eyes. But when all the formalities 
 were over, his mind reverted to the story 
 that he had been promised, and he re- 
 minded Uncle Remus of it. 
 
 "You hear dat!" the old negro ex- 
 claimed. "All you hear fum dat boy is 
 tell me a tale, tell me a tale, an 5 when dat's 
 done, it's tell me anudder, tell me anud- 
 der; it don't make no diffunce dat age is 
 a-creepin' on de ol' nigger. An' I speck 
 I '11 hatter turn over an' do de best I kin. 
 It puts me in mind er ol' Teenchy Duck 
 dat foun' a money-purse in de river." 
 
 "How was that?" the little boy asked; 
 
 [ in J 
 

 
 (}%r>. 
 
 *(*/, 
 
 Singin de hongry song — \ Quack ! quack ! gi me a piece er bread ! 
 
f 
 
 TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 "you never told me that story; you've 
 been keeping it to yourself all this time." 
 
 " Name er goodness, honey ! I 'm bleeze 
 ter have some secrets; look how ol' I is, 
 an' how wobbly! You don't want me not 
 to have no secrets, does you ? " 
 
 "No," said the boy unblushingly; 
 "not story secrets. How can a common 
 everyday story be a secret!" 
 
 "Well ef de tales I tells is des ever-day 
 tales, an' common too, you mought ez 
 well not take de trouble fer ter lissen at 
 um. Go out dar an 5 ketch you some mo' 
 jack-bugs." 
 
 The little boy looked at the old negro as 
 though he did n't understand what had been 
 said; he made no movement to go, but 
 was evidently uneasy. "Well, tell me about 
 Teenchy Duck," he said after a while. 
 
 [ 116 ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 "'Taint no use," replied Uncle Remus 5 
 "she wa'n't nothin' but a common every- 
 day puddle duck; an' mo' dan dat she 
 aint got but two foots fer ter waddle about 
 on. Aint she too common fer you ? " 
 
 The little boy made no answer what- 
 ever; he had grown wise to the old ne- 
 gro's methods, and so he simply waited. 
 Uncle Remus, seated upon the low trunk, 
 pulled a few ravelings from his sleeve, 
 cleared his throat, and told the following 
 story : 
 
 "One time — I dunner ef it wuz in 
 Greene County, er in Bald'in — dar lived 
 a man an' a 'oman dat wuz mighty poor. 
 Dey aint got no money, an' dey aint had 
 time fer ter save none; much ez dey kin 
 do fer ter keep body an' soul tergedder. 
 Dey aint got no farm, an' dey aint got no 
 
 [ 117 ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 gyarden patch. All dey had in de roun' 
 worl' wuz a little puddle duck dat walked 
 roun' an' roun' all day singin' de hongry 
 song — c Quack! quack! gi' me apiece er 
 bread ! ' Look like it would n't 'a' took 
 much ter feed her, kaze she wuz sech a 
 little bit er duck dat folks called her 
 Teenchy-Tiny Duck. Well, one day, 
 whiles she wuz paddlin' in de river — I 
 dunno ef it wuz de Oconee er de Ocmul- 
 gee — she up an 5 found a money-purse all 
 full er shiny gold. No sooner did she 
 see it dan she made a tumble racket: 
 4 Somebody los' der purty money ! Purty 
 money ! purty money ! Who los' der 
 purty money? 5 
 
 "Brer Rabbit, on de bank, look out'n 
 his hidin' place, an' kinder grin, an' den 
 he wunk one eye, but he aint say a word. 
 
 [ 118 ] 
 
" He holler out : ' Dat 's mine ! dat 's mine ! I des now drapt it ' 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 Bimeby a rich man come 'long; he had a 
 walkin'-stick in his han', an' ever 5 once an' 
 awhile he'd stop an' make marks in de 
 san', a-countin' up de money what he had, 
 an' dat what he done lent out; he wuz one 
 er de kind what you call big rich fer dem 
 days. Well, whiles he wuz walkin' 'long, 
 he hear de fuss dat Teenchy-Tiny Duck 's 
 a-makin', an' he look close fer ter see 
 what de matter. Den an' dar his eye lit 
 on de money-purse, an' he seed de gold 
 a-shinin' thoo. He holler out: 'Dat's 
 mine! dat's mine! I des now drapt it;' 
 an' wid dat he tuck de gold an slapped it 
 in his kyarpet-sack. 
 
 "Atter he done gone, Teenchy-Tiny 
 got so mad dat all she kin do is ter dance 
 'roun' on her two footsies. She say, c De 
 gran' rascal done took it all, an' aint never 
 
 [ 120 ] 
 
*>^ 
 
 --sr 
 
 r *•* <-— 
 
 C^BL <>• 
 
 % 
 
 ;fi(. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit see her an ax her what de matter mought be " 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 gi' me nothin' fer findin' it!' Den she 
 waddled off home an' tol' um what done 
 happened. De man wuz so mad dat he 
 wanter pull all his ha'r out; he say, he 
 did, 'Git outer my house an' lot, sech as 
 dey is, and don't never come back here 
 twel you git dat money what de rich man 
 tuck!' Teenchy-Tiny Duck aint know 
 what ter do. She went back ter de river 
 bank, an' sot down an' cried. Brer Rab- 
 bit see her an' ax her what de matter 
 mought be. She up an' tol' 'im all about 
 it, an' he wiped one eye an' wunk de udder. 
 Sezee, ( Well, why n't you go atter de man 
 an' git de money?' She say, 'How I 
 gwineter git de money atter I find de 
 man?' Brer Rabbit say, sezee, 'Dey's 
 allers a way, ef not two.' 
 
 "So off she put, a-waddlin' an' 
 
 [ 122 ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 a-quackin', <I want my purty money! I 
 want my purty money ! ' She foller'd de 
 man by de marks er de cane in de ground. 
 She pass by ol' Brer Fox, an 5 he ax her 
 what de matter. She up 'n' toP 'im. He 
 ax her what she gwiner do when she fin' 
 de rich man, an' she say she gwine git 
 de purty money an 5 take it back home. 
 4 Shill I go wid you ? ' sez ol' Brer Fox, 
 sezee, an' she say dat nothin' '11 suit her 
 better. c I '11 hatter hide,' sez ol' Brer Fox; 
 i how I gwine do it ? ' 6 Git in my satchel,' 
 sez Teenchy-Tiny. Brer Fox say 'taint 
 nigh big enough, an' she make answer. 
 4 My satchel is a stretchin' satchel.' 
 
 "She aint gone fur befo' she met ol' 
 Brer Wolf. He lissen at de talk 'bout de 
 money, an' say, i Whar you come fum an' 
 
 whar you gwine, an' what you gwine atter ? * 
 
 [ 123 ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 She up an' tol' 'im. « Maybe I kin he'p 
 you,' sezee, 'but I'm tired, an' I can't go 
 so fur.' She says, se' she, < Git in my 
 satchel.' He say, ''Taint nigh big 'nough.' 
 She say, 'It's de stretchin' satchel; jump 
 in.' Well, in he jumped, an' atter dat, 
 Teenchy-Tiny can't go so mighty fast, 
 kaze she got too big a load. But she 
 waddled on, ^quackin' 'bout de purty 
 money. 
 
 "Bimeby, whiles she wuz gwine on 
 down de road, she come up wid Uncle 
 Ladder, takin' his noon rest by de side 
 of a tree. Uncle Ladder, he say, sezee, 
 4 You must not feel so well fum de way 
 youer gwine on.' Den Teenchy-Tiny up 
 an' tol' him about de bad luck she done 
 had; she shuck her head backerds an' 
 
 forrerds, an' quacked so loud, dat Uncle 
 
 [ 124 ] 
 
" She say, < It 's de stretchin satchel; jump in ' " 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 Ladder wuz sorry. He ax her ef he kin 
 do anything fer ter he'p her out, an' she 
 say she speck he kin do a heap to he'p her. 
 Uncle Ladder says, sezee, dat he 'd be glad 
 ef he kin, but he can't walk, an' he dunner 
 how he gwine wid her. Teenchy-Tiny 
 say, < Des git in my satchel, an' I '11 tote 
 you de best I know how.' So Uncle Lad- 
 der got in de satchel, an' off she started." 
 
 At this point Uncle Remus glanced 
 suddenly at the little boy, who had an 
 expression of unbelief on his face. He 
 caught the eye of the old negro, and re- 
 marked, " I was just thinking what mother 
 would say to that." 
 
 "Is she here?" Uncle Remus inquired 
 in a matter-of-fact way. "Well, den, 
 honey, ef she aint here, an' not likely ter 
 
 be, dey aint no reason why de tale aint 
 
 [ 126 ] 
 
^ 
 
 " She quacked so loud dat Uncle Ladder wuz sorry " 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 des ez good ez some yuther tales you 've 
 hearn me tell 'fo' now. 
 
 "Well, Uncle Ladder clomb in de 
 satchel, an' he had plenty er room, an' 
 Teenchy-Tiny Puddle Duck went wobblin' 
 on, quackin' 'bout de purty money what 
 done been tuck fum 'er. Now whiles she 
 gwine on, follerin' de tracks er de rich man's 
 walkin'-cane, she come right face wid de 
 best frien' she'd y'ever had, an' dat wuz 
 Gran'pappy River. He stop runnin', he 
 did, an' say, sezee, c Why, what de mat- 
 ter? When I seed you dis mornin', you 
 look like you wuz happy, an' now, here 
 you is in deep trouble. How kin I he'p 
 you? Maybe I'd better go wid you; I 
 sholy would ef I had legs.' " 
 
 Here Uncle Remus paused a moment to 
 
 glance at the little boy out of the corner 
 
 [ 128 3 
 
" She come right face wtd Gran pappy River " 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 of his eye, but the youngster had ceased 
 to be doubtful ; he had become interested. 
 Uncle Remus shook his head triumphantly, 
 and went on: "Gran'pappy River got in 
 de satchel widout drownin' anybody, an' 
 Teenchy-Tiny Duck went on, still foller- 
 in' de tracks dat de rich man's walkin'-cane 
 had made in de groun', an' purty soon, 
 ef not sooner, she come ter a big Bee 
 Hive. Ol' man Drone wuz a-sunnin' his- 
 se'f, an' when he seed her he got ter 
 laughin' an' 'twant long 'fo' all de Bees 
 had come out fer ter see what de trouble 
 wuz all about. An' when dey seed her, 
 dey laugh an' laugh twel some on 'em fell 
 down fum de bench. But Teenchy-Tiny 
 Puddle Duck look so solium dat dey 
 hushed up one an'er atter while, an' say, 
 <We-all wuz des laughin' kaze you got 
 
 [ 130] 
 
cc 0/' man Drone wuz a-sunnin hissef 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 sech a big fat satchel. Tell us what de 
 matter is.' 
 
 "She sot down an' tol' 'em all about 
 her troubles, an' it look like dey git bigger 
 an' wusser de mo' she talk about um. De 
 Bees said dey'd be mo' dan glad fer ter 
 he'p her out ef dey know'd how, an' dey 
 ax ef dey can't go wid 'er. c Git in my 
 satchel,' se' she, an 5 , sho 'nough, in dey 
 swarmed. She went on, sometimes 
 a-waddlin' an' sometimes a-toddlin', an' 
 long about night, she come ter de place 
 whar de rich man live at. She crope un' 
 de gate, an' went up ter de big house hol- 
 lerin' fer her purty money. De rich man 
 he hear her, an' he know'd des 'zackly 
 what she come fer. He laugh, he did, an' 
 make some er de niggers put her in de 
 hen-house 'long wid de geese an' de tur- 
 
 [ 133 ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 keys, an' tol' de cook fer ter have 'er fer 
 dinner de nex' day. So said, so done. 
 Inter de hen-house she went, an' time she 
 git in dar de yuther fowls 'gun ter make a 
 mighty racket; I speck dey must er ketch a 
 whiff er Brer Fox. Anyhow, dey got atter 
 her, dark ez 'twuz, dey got atter her, an' 
 pecked on her an' beat her wid der wings, 
 an' she hatter call on Brer Fox fer ter 
 come outer de satchel an' see what he kin 
 do ter settle de 'spute. 
 
 "Well, out he come, an' mighty glad er 
 de chance. All de fowls quit der 'sputin' 
 an' when de cook come out de nex' mornin' 
 fer ter git Teenchy-Tiny, she sho did open 
 her eyes. De groun' wuz strowed wid 
 dead chickens, an' turkeys, an' gooses, 
 kaze Brer Fox sho had done his work 
 well. De cook was so 'stonish' dat she 
 
 [ 134] 
 
" De cook was so ' ' stonisJi dat she run ter de big house " 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 run ter de big house widout takin' time 
 fer ter pull de hen-house door shet. 
 Teenchy-Tiny Duck marched out wid her 
 fat satchel an' went 'roun' ter de front, 
 quackin' an squallin', <Gi' me back my 
 purty money ! Gi' me back my purty 
 money ! ' De rich man's wife, when de 
 cook got thoo tellin' her tale, up an' say, 
 <Dat aint no Duck; it's a witch. Ef you 
 don't gi' her her money back, we'll sho 
 have bad luck ! ' But de man des laugh, 
 an' he laughed ever' time he hear Teenchy- 
 Tiny Duck holler. An' she kep' it up all 
 day long. Sometimes she 'd set down an' 
 rest, but de most er de time, she wuz 
 totin' her big satchel about over de place, 
 an' hollerin' ter de man fer ter gi' her 
 back her purty money what she found. 
 "Night come ez night will, an' de rich 
 
 [ 136] 
 
" Put her in de stable 'long wid de mules an hosses " 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 man made de niggers take de Duck an' 
 put her in de stable 'long wid de mules 
 an' hosses. He say, 'We'll see what 
 she '11 holler in de mornin'.' No sooner 
 said dan done, an' Teenchy-Tiny Duck 
 wuz so skeer'd dat she call ter Brer Wolf, 
 dat ef he don't come an he'p 'er, she sholy 
 will be trompled under de creeturs' foots. 
 Well, Brer Wolf aint need no second tel- 
 lin' ; he work so hard an' he work so fast, 
 dat when de plough-hands an' de waggin 
 drivers come for ter git der teams de nex' 
 mornin', dey fin' um all stretched out stiff. 
 When dis word went out, de rich man's 
 ol' 'oman beg an' beg 'im fer ter gi' de 
 money back ter Teenchy-Tiny Duck. 
 But de man wuz too mad ter lissen. So 
 he went out in de yard, an' tell his niggers 
 fer ter fling her in de well. 
 
 [ 138 ] 
 
An Teenchy-Tiny Duck clom it round by round, an she come out a-hollerin 
 
 fer her pur ty money " 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 " All dis time, an' whiles dey wuz totin' 
 her off, Teenchy-Tiny Duck keep on 
 squallin' an quackin', <Gi' me back my 
 purty money ! ' Dey flung her in de well, 
 an' ez she fell, she holler ter de Ladder 
 fer come he'p her. De Ladder got out'n 
 de satchel an' kinder stretched itse'f, kaze 
 it had been might'ly cramped in dar. It 
 stretched itse'f twel it got ter de top, an' 
 Teenchy-Tiny Duck clom it round by 
 round, an' come out, an' she come a-hol- 
 lerin' fer her purty money. You may 
 well believe dat dem are niggers an' all de 
 balance wuz might'ly 'stonished. But de 
 rich man got madder dan he wuz befo'. 
 He stomped his foots an' pulled his ha'r, 
 an' des vow dat he aint gwine ter turn de 
 money loose. He run out, he did, an' toP 
 um ter heat de bakin' oven red-hot an' 
 
 [ 140 ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 put her in. An' all dat time Teenchy- 
 Tiny wuz marchin' up an 5 down squalliir 
 an' quackin' fer her purty money. Dey 
 got de oven mighty hot, an' de rich man 
 tol' um fer ter fling her in. De niggers 
 wuz skeer'd but dey hatter do what der 
 marster tol' um. Time dey done it, 
 Teenchy-Tiny Duck call fer ol' friend, de 
 River, an' he bust outer de satchel an' 
 squelched de fier, an' Teenchy-Tiny come 
 marchin' out, hollerin' louder dan ever fer 
 her purty money. 
 
 " An' still de rich man wont turn de 
 money loose, no matter how much his 
 wife beg him. He say he'll 'ten' ter de 
 job hisse'f; an' dat night, when ever'body 
 but him had done gone ter bed, he tuck his 
 walkin'-cane, an' went out an' got Teenchy- 
 Tiny Duck, an' wuz des in de ac' er beatin' 
 
 E hi ] 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 her plum ter death, when she called on de 
 Bees fer ter come an' he'p her. Dey come 
 swarmin' out, an 5 de way dey treat dat 
 rich man wuz 'nough fer ter make you 
 smile er cry, whichever way yo' mind 
 mought lean. He could n't run fast 'nough 
 fer ter git de money, an' when he got it 
 he hand it ter Teenchy-Tiny Duck, an' 
 tol' her ter go on 'bout her business, an' 
 pester him no mo'. She waddled off down 
 de road, an' she tuck all her friends back 
 whar dey j'ined her — de Bees ter de Hive, 
 de Ladder ter de wall, an' de River ter its 
 bed. Brer Wolf an' Brer Fox 'low dat 
 dey kin walk faster dan she could tote um. 
 Her marster an' mistiss got de money dat 
 aint b'long ter um, an' it look like dey 
 ought er be happy, but dey wa'n't; dey 
 know'd dey wuz spendin' dat dat wa' n't 
 
 [ 142 ] 
 
An toF her ter go on 'bout her business^ an pester him no mo* ' 
 
TEENCHY-TINY DUCK 
 
 der'n. But dey feed Teenchy-Tiny Duck 
 twel she got so fat an' sassy dat she wont 
 'sociate wid nobody but de fambly dat dey 
 calls Muscovey; you know what I mean." 
 Of course the little boy knew, but he 
 was thinking about it so hard that he for- 
 got to laugh. Uncle Remus adjourned to 
 the kitchen, where he soon had the cook 
 talking in wrathful tones. As for the little 
 boy he found a big picture book, in which 
 he became so absorbed that it would have 
 been difficult for a stranger to imagine that 
 there was a little boy in the house. 
 
 [ 144 ] 
 
BRER RABBIT AND THE 
 PIMERLY PLUM 
 
 BY de side er de road, Brer Rabbit 
 sot down, 
 Wid a look on his face 'twixt a 
 smile an 5 a frown, 
 Kaze he waitin' fer Brer Fox ter come back 
 
 fum town; 
 Brer Rabbit wait 'twixt doubt an 5 hope, 
 Den he hear Brer Fox, kaze he know'd 
 
 his lope; 
 Brer Fox come up wid a sneeze an' a grin, 
 An' he say, "Brer Rabbit, wharbouts you 
 
 been?" 
 Brer Rabbit, he 'low, "I been rovin' some, 
 An' den I been huntin' de Pimmerly Plum ! 
 
 "I got on de trail, an' here I come, 
 Kaze a poun' er sugar an' a pint er rum 
 
 [ 145 1 
 
THE PIMMERLY PLUM 
 
 Aint nigh so sweet ez de Pimmerly Plum ! " 
 Now, de Pimmerly Plum wuz monstus 
 
 skace, 
 An' Brer Fox can't ermember dat he 
 
 y'ever had a tas'e; 
 So he sot right down on his hunkers an' 
 
 wait; 
 Brer Rabbit hummed a chune dat he'd 
 
 l'arned uv late — 
 " Good luck, good luck ter mine an' me, 
 Kaze we sot in de shade er de sweet-gum 
 
 tree ! " 
 
 " Make 'as'e, Brer Rabbit," sez ol' Brer 
 
 Fox, 
 "Kaze I done got myse'f in a kin' uv a 
 
 box, 
 Brer B'ar is a-comin' an' he'll chunk me 
 
 wid rocks, 
 
 [ 146 ] 
 
So he sot right down on his hunkers an wait 
 
THE PIMMERLY PLUM 
 
 An 5 oP Brer Wolf, he's a-comin' too — 
 I 'clar' ter gracious, I dunner what ter do." 
 Brer Rabbit, he chuckle wid his he-he-he, 
 "Brer Fox, go git un' de sweet-gum tree." 
 Brer Fox, he say, " I aint feelin' well, 
 An' I know I '11 be sick ef you don't tell ! " 
 
 Brer Rabbit start ag'in wid his te-he-he, 
 An' " Mo' dan once, I've tol' you," sezee, 
 "An' ef you can't hear, why, don't blame 
 
 me; 
 I done tol' you 'bout de ol' sweet-gum, 
 Kaze dat's whar you'll fin' de Pimmerly 
 
 Plum ! 
 You'll hatter put yo' unpatience aside, 
 Git under a Plum, an' dar abide; 
 You shet yo' eyes an' open yo' mouf, 
 An' you won't wait long, kaze dar 's been 
 
 a drouf ! " 
 
 [ 148 ] 
 
" You 'II hatter -put yo 1 unpatience aside " 
 
THE PIMMERLY PLUM 
 Brer Fox say, "Goody!" an 5 show his 
 
 •urn, 
 
 An' he say ter Brer Rabbit, " Please do 
 
 come, 
 Kaze I want you ter show me de Pim- 
 
 merly Plum ! " 
 Brer Rabbit giggle, but he tuck 'im along, 
 An' ez he went, he sing dis song — 
 "A poun' er sugar an' a pint er rum, 
 Aint nigh so sweet ez de Pimmerly Plum ! " 
 He made 'im set down un' de sweet-gum 
 
 tree, 
 An' he went sneakin' off wid his te-he-he ! 
 
 Brer Fox helt his mouf like he 'bout ter 
 
 gi' a yap, 
 But he wuz a-waitin' fer de Plum ter drap ! 
 An' Brer Rabbit make like he gwine ter 
 
 take a nap; 
 
 [ 150] 
 
THE PIMMERLY PLUM 
 
 Brer B'ar an' Brer Wolf come swingin' 
 
 along, 
 A-whistlin' a chune, er singin' a song; 
 Brer Rabbit wave his han' an' p'int ter 
 
 Brer Fox 
 A-settin' dar like his jaws got de locks; 
 Hearin' a big ha-ha! Brer Fox lookt 
 
 aroun', 
 
 An' I let you know he snoke fum dat 
 groun' ! 
 
 [ 151 1 
 
THE STORY OF BRER FOX 
 AND LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 THE little boy had made no com- 
 ments on the story of Teenchy- 
 Tiny Duck after Uncle Remus 
 told it, preferring to bury his talents in 
 the new picture book, but he asked the 
 old negro about it when they were ready 
 to go home. "How did the Duck get 
 the Ladder in her satchel ? " he inquired. 
 Uncle Remus sighed and looked around 
 him. "We aint in no court-house, is 
 we, honey? Kaze ef we is, I'm gwine 
 off some'rs whar dey aint no court-houses 
 an 5 lawyers; I done had my fill un um. 
 Plain livin' suits me, an' de planer it is de 
 better I likes it. Now, maybe dat Ladder 
 wuz one er de telescopius kind what kin 
 
 [ 152 ] 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 fold up. I aint never seed one un um 
 myself, but I speck dey had um in dem 
 days. We got mighty big idees, but we 
 aint no smarter dan folks dat's done come 
 an' gone. Mo 5 dan dat, a tale's a tale, 
 an 5 you can't make nothin' else out'n um. 
 When de tale wuz tolden unto me, I aint 
 ax nothin' about no Ladder. 'T wuz in de 
 satchel in de tale, an' 'twant no business 
 er mine fer ter take it out. It'd be dar 
 yit, ef I had my way. Furdermo', when 
 you git so you can't b'lieve tales, it's time 
 fer yo' pa fer ter put you in some sto' 
 whar you kin l'arn all about swindlin' yo 
 neighbors. Dat's de kind er folks dat 
 wanter pick a tale ter pieces like dey wuz 
 pickin' a chicken — an' goodness knows I 
 wish I had one ter pick right now! " 
 
 " How deep was the well that the Lad- 
 
 [ 153 1 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 der helped the Duck out of? " inquired 
 the little boy. 
 
 " Ah ! now you 're tryin' fer ter talk hoss 
 sense! I dunner how deep de well wuz; 
 it mought 'a' been a inch an' a quarter, er 
 it mought er been sev'mty-five feet; ez 
 de well wuz, so wuz de Ladder, an' I '11 
 let you medjur um fer yo'se'f, kaze I aint 
 gwine roun' medjurin' yuther folks's wells 
 an' Ladders 5 I got sump'n better ter do 
 dan dat. I had a tale on my mind dat I 
 wuz des gwine fer ter tell you, but, la! 
 you done got me so mixt up dat I aint got 
 right good sense. Is ter-day yistiddy, er 
 is it day 'fo' yistiddy? I wish you'd tell 
 me dat, kaze somebody done tol' me dat 
 my allmanac is got rain whar it oughter 
 be shine ? " 
 
 "Can't you remember the story?" 
 
 [ 154] 
 
T wuz in de satchel in de tale, an 7 want no business er mine fer ter 
 
 take it out " 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 asked the little boy. " Can't you tie a string 
 around your thumb and remember it? 
 That's the way mamma does when she 
 wants papa to bring her something from 
 town." 
 
 "No, no, honey! Dey tells me dat 
 when a man gits in de inhabitants of tyin' 
 strings on his fingers, he '11 be sho ter die 
 wid a rope roun' his neck. Dat may not 
 be so, an' you neen'ter run an' tell yo' 
 mammy 'bout it; you may tell Miss Sally, 
 but nobody else, kaze ef you does you '11 
 sho git me in trouble when I go atter you 
 fer ter fetch you down. An', speakin' er 
 town, dat ve'y word makes de tale pop 
 back in my mind. Aint I tell you a tale 
 once 'bout little Mr. Cricket? Eft want 
 you, den it wuz yo' pa. 
 
 "Well, you know Mr. Cricket aint so 
 
 [ 156 ] 
 
J 
 
 " Mr. Cricket didn't do nothiri in de roun worT but play on his jife an 
 
 his fiddle " 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 mighty big, but he big 'nough fer ter make 
 a heap er fuss in de worl' ; some er de 
 creeturs say dat he made mo' fuss dan he 
 done good. I aint 'sputin' dat, an' I aint 
 'greein' wid it, kaze we er all here fer 
 sump'n, good er bad, an' we bleedze fer 
 ter foller our noses ef we git anywhar 'tall, 
 an' ef we don't fall down an' git talked 
 about, we may thank all de stars on de 
 underside er de sky. 
 
 " Dis Mr. Cricket I 'm tellin' you 'bout 
 aint never had no chance fer ter live in no 
 chimbly-jam. He stayed out in de bushes 
 an' de high grass, an' he did n't do nothin' 
 in de roun' worl' but play on his fife an' 
 his fiddle; when he got tired er one, he'd 
 turn ter de udder. 
 
 " He done dis spite er de fack dat dey 'd 
 had a mighty bad year; not much rain, 
 
 [ 158 ] 
 
" ' Hello, Brer Fox! what you gwine ? 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 but a mighty sight er thunder. When 
 you git ez old ez Noah you'll know what 
 I mean. Little Mr. Cricket went on dis- 
 a-way twell de cool nights an 5 days 'gun 
 ter come on, an' sometimes he hatter warm 
 hisse'f by gittin' under a clump er grass. 
 But he wuz cheerful; he aint drapt no 
 sobs, an' he aint shed no sighs, an' he 
 kep on a-flutin' an' a-fiddlin'. 
 
 44 One day when de sun wuz shinin' kinder 
 thankful like, he clum on top er de tall 
 grass, an' fiddled away like somebody wuz 
 fryin' meat. He hear some un comin', 
 an' he look right close, an', lo beholes ! 
 it wuz ol' Brer Fox. He 'low, 4 Hello, 
 Brer Fox ! whar you gwine ? ' 
 
 44 Brer Fox kinder pull hisse'f up, an' ax 
 4 who dat ? ' 
 
 44 Little Mr. Cricket say, 4 It aint no- 
 
 [ 160 ] 
 
" * I useter be a rover in my young days, an I 'm still a-rovin ' 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 body in de roun' worl' but me; I know 
 I aint much, but I 'm mighty lively when 
 de sun shines hot. Whar you gwine, 
 Brer Fox ? ' 
 
 " Brer Fox, he say, 'I'm gwine whar 
 I'm gwine, dat's whar I'm gwine, an' I 
 wouldn't be too much 'stonished ef I wuz 
 ter land in town in time fer ter git my 
 dinner. I useter be a rover in my young 
 days, an' I 'm still a-rovin'.' 
 
 "'Well, well!' sez little Mr. Cricket, 
 sezee, 'we all goes de way we're pushed 
 by mind er hand, an' it takes a mighty 
 little shove fer ter send us de way we're 
 gwine. I use' ter belong ter de rover 
 fambly myse'f, but now I done settle down, 
 an' don't do a thing in de worl' but have 
 my own fun in my own way an' time. 
 
 But sence I seed you an' hear you talk so 
 
 [ 162 ] 
 

 " ' £/" /r^ #/»/,' j<?z i?r*r i 7 ^, ^z<f*, c / 7/ ^<f/M him 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 gayly, I done tuck a notion fer take dinner 
 in town myse'f.' 
 
 "Brer Fox Mow, <How will you git dar, 
 little friend?' 
 
 "Mr. Cricket say, 'Aint you never 
 watched my motions? I got legs an' 
 feet, an' I done cotch de jumpin' habit 
 fum ol' Cousin Brown Grasshopper — de 
 kind what crawls a little, walks a little, flies 
 a little, an' hops like two-forty on de shell 
 road. What time you speck fer ter git 
 ter town ? ' 
 
 "Brer Fox 'spon', 4 Gi' me two good 
 hours, an' I '11 be right dar wid my appe- 
 tite wid me.' 
 
 "Little Mr. Cricket seem like he wuz 
 'stonished; he helt up all his hands an' 
 mighty nigh all his footses. 4 Two hours ! 
 Well, by de time you git dar, I'll done 
 
 [ i6 4 ] 
 
" Brer Fox pant an 'low, ' No, su/i, I been comhi full tilt all de time ' 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 been had my dinner, an' ready for ter take 
 my nap.' 
 
 "Brer Fox grin at him, an' Mow, *Ef 
 you'll beat me so much ez ten inches, I'll 
 pervide yo' dinner, an' let you choosen yo' 
 own provender. Ef I beat you, why, den 
 you'll hatter pervide de dinner — a half- 
 grown lam' an' a sucklin' shote.' 
 
 "Little Mr. Cricket say he'll be mo' 
 dan glad fer ter fill out dat p'ogrance. An' 
 den Brer Fox, atter grinnin' ag'in, started 
 off in a lope. But, des 'fo' Brer Fox 
 make his start, little Mr. Cricket made his 5 
 he tuck a flyin' jump an' land on Brer Fox 
 big bushy tail, an' dar he stayed. 
 
 "When Brer Fox had been gwine a 
 little mo' dan a hour, he meet Brer Rabbit 
 on de road, an' dey howdied. Brer Fox 
 laugh an' up an' tell Brer Rabbit 'bout de 
 
 [ 167 ] 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 race twix' him an' Mr. Cricket. OP Brer 
 Rabbit, he smole a smile an' roll his eye- 
 balls; he do so funny dat Brer Fox ax 'im 
 what de nation is de matter wid 'im. 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say he wus des thinkin' 
 how Brer Fox'd feel fer ter find Mr. 
 Cricket dar befo' him. Brer Rabbit 'low, 
 c De cute little creetur passed me on de 
 road a quarter hour ago 5 ef you're gwine 
 ter git dar ahead un him, you'll hatter 
 whip up yo' hosses. What you been doin' 
 all dis time? You must 'a' fell asleep an' 
 did n't know it' Brer Fox pant an' 'low, 
 € No, suh, I been comin' full tilt all de time.' 
 
 "Brer Rabbit 'spon', <Den all I got fer 
 ter say is dat Mr. Cricket is got a mighty 
 knack fer gittin' over groun'. I speck he 
 done dar by dis time!' 
 
 " < Ef he aint,' sez Brer Fox, sezee, 
 
 [ 168 ] 
 
» . 9t 
 
 " Mr. Cricket tuck a fly in jump 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 4 1 '11 ketch him,' an' wid dat, he put out 
 an' went des ez hard ez he kin; but fast 
 ez he went Mr. Cricket wuz gwine des ez 
 fast; — I dunno but what he had gone fast 
 asleep in de saft bed whar he wuz hidin' 
 at. 
 
 "When Brer Rabbit see Brer Fox mend 
 his gait, he des roll over an' waller in de 
 san', an' laugh fit fer ter kill. He say 
 ter hisse'f, * I 'm mighty glad I met my 
 ol' friend, kaze now I know dat all de 
 fools aint dead — an' long may dey live fer 
 ter gi' me sump'n ter do. I dunner how 
 in de wide worl' I'd git along widout um. 
 Dey keeps me fat an' sassy, whedder craps 
 is good er not.' Kaze when Brer Rabbit 
 wuz lookin' Brer Fox over, his eye fell on 
 little Mr. Cricket, an' dis what make he 
 roll it so; he seed Mr. Cricket settin' up 
 
 [ 170 ] 
 
" He say, ' How in de wide worF did you git here so quick, 
 Mr. Cricket t * " 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 dar des ez snug ez a bug in a rug, ef you 
 know how snug dat is. 
 
 "Well, de upshot er de whole business 
 wuz dat when Brer Fox got ter town an' 
 come ter de gate — dey had towns walled 
 in in dem days — Mr. Cricket tuck a flyin' 
 jump an' landed on top whar he could 
 watch Brer Fox, an 5 see what he gwine 
 ter do. 
 
 "Brer Fox, he knock at de gate, an' 
 den walk up an' down waitin' fer some un 
 ter open it. 
 
 "Mr. Cricket, on top er de wall, holler 
 out, c Heyo, Brer Fox! whar you been all 
 dis time? You must 'a' stopped some'rs 
 on de road fer ter git yo' dinner $ an' I 'm 
 sorry, too. I done been had mine so long 
 dat I 'm e'en about ready an' willin' fer ter 
 eat ag'in. I had de idee, fum what you 
 
 [ 172 ] 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 said, dat you wuz gwine ter come on ez 
 hard ez you could. You must 'a' stopped 
 on de way an' had a confab wid Brer 
 Rabbit; I met him on de way, an 5 it look 
 like ter me dat he wuz ready fer ter pass 
 de time er day wid anybody dat come 
 along.' 
 
 "Brer Fox look like he wuz 'stonished. 
 He say, 'How in de wide worP did you 
 git here so quick, Mr. Cricket ? ' Mr. 
 Cricket, he make answer, < I kin hardly 
 tell you, Brer Fox. You know how I 
 travels — wid a hop, skip an' a jump — 
 well, I hopped, an' skipped an' jumped a 
 little quicker dis time, an' got here all safe 
 an' soun'. When ol' 'quaintances holler 
 at me on de road, I des kep' on a-gwine ; 
 I done foun' out long ago dat de way fer ter 
 git anywhar is ter go on whar you gwine.' 
 
 [ 173 ] 
 
LITTLE MR. CRICKET 
 
 "Brer Fox shuck his head, an' panted, 
 an' when dey let him in de gate, he run his 
 han' in his pocket, an' paid fer Mr. Crick- 
 et's dinner; an' den, atter dinner, Mr. 
 Cricket sot back an' tuck a chaw ter- 
 backer, an' warmed hisse'f in de sun. 
 
 "Now, den," remarked the old darkey, 
 "ef you want ter know de rest er de tale, 
 you'll hatter git some un else fer ter tell 
 you, kaze it aint no nigger tale, nohow." 
 
 But the little boy seemed to be satis- 
 fied with it all, and presently he was lying 
 flat on the floor gazing at the ceiling. 
 
if^y v