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 Harris 
 
 Uncle Remus and his friends 
 
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38ooksi ftp JJoel Cijatriiler Harris 
 
 UNCLE REMUS RETURNS. Illustrated. 
 LITTLE MR. THIMBLEFINGER AND HIS 
 
 QUEER COUNTRY. Illustrated by Oliver 
 
 Herford. 
 MR. RABBIT AT HOME. A Sequel to Little 
 
 Mr. Thimblefinger and His Queer Country. 
 
 Illustrated by Oliver Herford. 
 
 THE STORY OF AARON (SO-NAMED) THE 
 SON OF BEN ALL Told by his Friends and 
 Acquaintances. Illustrated by Oliver Her- 
 ford. 
 
 AARON IN THE WILDWOODS. Illustrated by 
 Oliver Herford. 
 
 PLANTATION PAGEANTS. Illustrated by E. 
 Boyd Smith. 
 
 NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS. Illustrated. 
 
 UNCLE REMUS AND HIS FRIENDS. Illus- 
 trated. 
 
 MINGO, AND OTHER SKETCHES IN BLACK 
 AND WHITE. 
 
 BALAAM AND HIS MASTER, AND OTHER 
 SKETCHES. 
 
 SISTER JANE, HER FRIENDS AND AC- 
 QUAINTANCES. A Narrative of Certain 
 Events and Episodes transcribed from the 
 Papers of the late William Wornum. 
 
 TALES OF THE HOME FOLKS IN PEACE 
 AND WAR. Illustrated. 
 
 HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 
 Boston and New York 
 
SL 
 
 UNCLE REMUS . . . SNIFFING THE AIR. Page 258. 
 
UNCLE REMUS * 
 AND HIS FRIENDS 
 
 OLD PLANTATION STORIES, SONGS, AND BALLADS 
 WITH SKETCHES OF NEGRO CHARACTER 
 
 BY 
 
 JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS 
 
 AUTHOR OF "UNCLE REMUS: HIS SONGS AND HIS SAYINGS 1 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY A. B. FROST 
 
 BOSTON AND NEW YORK 
 HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 
 
Copyright, 1892, 
 By JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS. 
 
 All rights reserved. 
 
J 
 
 3S8 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 A genial literary critic, of Boston, looking 
 over the field of letters in this republic not 
 many months ago, felt compelled to give utter- 
 ance to a note of depression. What he saw 
 was pleasing, perhaps, but not inspiring. The 
 landscape appeared to be full of the impotent 
 commotion that is seen in the neighborhood 
 of ant-hills just before a shower. Small men 
 were trying to play instruments much too large 
 for them, while others were fiddling away with 
 futile earnestness on one string. To crown 
 all, Provinciality, with an amplitude at once 
 motherly and American, spread her homespun 
 frock over the scene. There was nothing 
 new, nothing hopeful, and even those who had 
 given signs of promise were returning to bar- 
 ren imitations of their early successes. It is 
 
IV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 even so ; and hard upon the heels of this 
 critic's complaint follows this new collection 
 of " Plantation Fables." 
 
 The stories here gathered together have 
 been caught for me in the kitchen. Some of 
 them are discoveries, many are verifications of 
 stories that have been sent me by friends, and 
 others are the odds and ends and fragments 
 from my note-books which I have been able 
 to verify and complete. This work of verifi- 
 cation and putting together has been going 
 on since 1884, but not in any definite or sys- 
 tematic way. There has been a general under- 
 standing in my household for a dozen years 
 or more that preference was to be given in 
 the kitchen to a cook of the plantation type, 
 — the type that we have come to call here 
 the " old-timey " negro. Naturally, it has 
 sometimes happened that digestion was sacri- 
 ficed to sentiment, but the special result is to 
 be found in the pages that follow. There 
 has been an understanding, too, that the 
 youngsters of the household, possessing the 
 knack that nature gives to youth, were to 
 employ all their arts in discovering a new story, 
 
INTRODUCTION. V 
 
 or in verifying one already in hand. A plan 
 was finally hit upon to give the children a cue 
 word or phrase from a story that needed veri- 
 fication, or from an interesting fragment that 
 lacked completion. 
 
 In one instance this plan had a singularly 
 fertile result. The cook in charge had a son- 
 in-law named John Holder, who had shown 
 a tendency to indulge in story-telling in his 
 hours of ease. This was in 1886. Mr. Richard 
 Adams Learned, of Newton, Sussex County, 
 New Jersey, had sent me the story about the 
 man who, with his two dogs, harassed the 
 wild cattle. (See p. 91.) One of the young- 
 sters was told to ask about this story, and his 
 cue was " a man, two dogs, and the wild cat- 
 tle." But the child's memory was short. He 
 asked about a boy and two dogs, and the result 
 was the story of " The Little Boy and his 
 Dogs," to be found in the supplementary part 
 of " Daddy Jake, the Runaway " (page 76). 
 Some months afterwards the child remembered 
 the wild cattle, and got the story from John 
 Holder substantially as it had been sent me by 
 Mr. Learned. The variations are not worth 
 
vi INTRODUCTION. 
 
 taking into account. I have referred to this 
 matter because it has been made interesting 
 by an article which Mr. David Dwight Wells 
 contributes to the " Popular Science Monthly/' 
 for May, 1892. Mr. Wells embodies the wild 
 cattle story, which differs in no essential par- 
 ticular from the version sent me by Mr. 
 Learned. Mr. Wells had the story from a 
 gentleman who was born about the beginning 
 of this century in Essequibo, British Guiana, 
 South America. The story was told to Mr. 
 Learned by his grandfather (born in 1802), 
 who had it from his old " mammy " nurse in 
 Demarara. In John Holder's story the names 
 of the dogs are changed to Minny-minny- 
 morack and Follamalinska ; in Mr. Learned's 
 story the names are Yarmearoo and Genga- 
 maroto ; in Mr. Wells's, Ya-me-o-ro and Cen- 
 ga-mo-ro-to. The Georgia negro had the 
 story pat, and out of it grew the tale of the 
 "Bull that went a-courting" (see p. 81), 
 which the wild cattle story seems to be the 
 sequel of. Thus we have a series that ought 
 to be of some interest to students of folk-lore. 
 But the folk-lore branch of the subject I 
 
INTBODUCTION. vii 
 
 gladly leave to those who think they know 
 something about it. My own utter ignorance 
 I confess without a pang. To know that you 
 are ignorant is a valuable form of knowledge, 
 and I am gradually accumulating a vast store 
 of it. In the light of this knowledge, the 
 enterprising inconsequence of the Introduction 
 to " Nights with Uncle Remus " is worth not- 
 ing on account of its unconscious and harm- 
 less humor. I knew a good deal more about 
 comparative folk-lore then than I know now ; 
 and the whole affair is carried off with remark- 
 able gravity. Since that Introduction was 
 written, I have gone far enough into the sub- 
 ject (by the aid of those who are Fellows of 
 This and Professors of That, to say nothing 
 of Doctors of the Other) to discover that at 
 the end of investigation and discussion Specu- 
 lation stands grinning. 
 
 The stories in this volume were written 
 simply and solely because of my interest in 
 the stories themselves, in the first place, and, 
 in the second place, because of the unadulter- 
 ated human nature that might be found in 
 them. As I wrote them with my own children 
 
Vin INTRODUCTION. 
 
 around me, or with their voices sounding not 
 far away, I seemed to see other children laugh- 
 ing as the homely stories were read to them ; 
 I seemed to see gray-haired children smiling, if 
 they found here, close to the earth, a stroke of 
 simplicity ringing true to life ; and it seemed 
 to me that these visions, vain though they 
 might be, were more promising than a hope- 
 less journey through the wilderness to discover 
 at what place and at what hour the tribes of 
 the mountains and the citizens of the plains 
 shook their hairy fists at each other, and went 
 jabbering their several ways. 
 
 Naturally, these stories are written in what 
 is called the negro dialect. It seemed to be 
 unavoidable. I sympathize deeply and heartily 
 with the protest that has been made against the 
 abuse of dialect. It is painful, indeed, when 
 the form of the lingo trails on the earth and 
 the thought flies in the air. I had intended 
 to apologize for the plantation dialect, but a 
 valued correspondent in " The Flatwoods " 
 assures me that " old man Chaucer was one 
 of the earliest dialect writers," and I have re- 
 cently seen (in the New York " Independent ") 
 
INTRODUCTION. IX 
 
 an essay by Professor March, in which there 
 is a perfectly serious effort to rival the pho- 
 netics employed by Uncle Remus. 
 
 The student of English, if he be willing to 
 search so near the ground, will find matter to 
 interest him in the homely dialect of Uncle 
 Remus, and if his intentions run towards 
 philological investigation, he will pause before 
 he has gone far and ask himself whether this 
 negro dialect is what it purports to be, or 
 whether it is not simply the language of the 
 white people of three hundred years ago 
 twisted and modified a little to fit the lingual 
 peculiarities of the negro. Dozens of words, 
 such as hit for it, ax for ask, whiles for while, 
 and heap for a large number of people, will 
 open before him the whole field of the phi- 
 lology of the English tongue. He will dis- 
 cover that, when Uncle Remus tells the little 
 boy that he has " a monstus weakness fer 
 cake what 's got reezins in it," the pronun- 
 ciation of reezins uncovers and rescues from 
 oblivion Shakespeare's pun on raisins, where 
 Falstaff tells the Prince, " If reasons were as 
 plentiful as blackberries, I would give no man 
 a reason on compulsion, I." 
 
X INTRODUCTION. 
 
 After all, this is a tremendous apology to 
 make for the humble speech of Uncle Remus, 
 yet it has delayed for a moment the announce- 
 ment that the old man will bother the public no 
 more with his whimsical stories. I have hesi- 
 tated a little over it. Uncle Remus has found 
 out for me many friends in all parts of the 
 world. Thousands of people whom I shall never 
 meet, thousands of little children whom I shall 
 never see, have sent me the most precious to- 
 kens of their appreciation. It is not an easy 
 nor a pleasing ceremony to step from behind 
 the curtain, pretending to smile and say a brief 
 good-by for Uncle Remus to those who have 
 been so free with their friendly applause. No 
 doubt there is small excuse for such a leave- 
 taking in literature. But there is no pretense 
 that the old darkey's poor little stories are in 
 the nature of literature, or that their re-telling 
 touches literary art at any point. All the 
 accessories are lacking. There is nothing here 
 but an old negro man, a little boy, and a dull 
 reporter, the matter of discourse being fan- 
 tasies as uncouth as the original man ever 
 conceived of. Therefore, let Uncle Remus's 
 
INTRODUCTION. xi 
 
 good-by be as simple as his stories ; a swift 
 gesture that might be mistaken for a saluta- 
 tion as he takes his place among the affable 
 Ghosts that throng the ample corridors of the 
 Temple of Dreams. 
 
 J. C. H. 
 
 Atlanta, Georgia 
 
CONTENT* 
 
 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 I. Why the Hawk catches Chickens . . 3 
 
 II. Brother Bear and the Honey Orchard 12 
 
 III. Brother Rabbit has Fun at the Ferry 24 
 
 IV. Death and the Negro Man ... 34 
 V. Where the Harrycane comes from . 39 
 
 VI. Why Brother Wolf did n*t eat the Lit- 
 tle Rabbits 45 
 
 VII. Mrs. Partridge has a Fit . . .64 
 VIII. Brother Fox "smells Smoke" . . 60 
 IX. Brother Fox still in Trouble . . 69 
 X. Why Brother Fox's Legs are Black . 77 
 XI. Why Brother Bull Growls and Grum- 
 bles . . .81 
 
 XII. The Man and the Wild Cattle . . 91 
 XIII. Brother Rabbit frightens Brother Ti- 
 ger 101 
 
 JQV. Brother Billy Goat eats his Dinner . 112 
 
 XV. The King that talked biggity . . 118 
 
 XVI. Brother Rabbit's Money Mint . . 122 
 
xiv CONTENTS. 
 
 XVII. Why the Moon's Face is Smutty . . 130 
 XVIII. Brother Rabbit conquers Brother 
 
 Lion 134 
 
 XIX. " Heyo, House ! " 142 
 
 XX. According to how the Drop Falls . 147 
 XXI. A Fool for Luck . . . . . 154 
 
 XXII. The Man and his Boots. . . .160 
 
 XXIII. Brother Mud Turtle's Trickery . . 167 
 
 XXIV. How the King recruited his Army . 176 
 
 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 I. 
 
 The Plough-Hands' Song . 
 
 . 
 
 . 193 
 
 II. 
 
 A Song of the Mole 
 
 . 
 
 . 195 
 
 III. 
 
 " Oh, gimme de Gal ! " 
 
 • « 
 
 . 196 
 
 IV. 
 
 Christmas Dance Song . 
 
 . . 
 
 . 197 
 
 V. 
 
 " Dem Lam's a-cryin' ! " 
 
 
 . 199 
 
 VI. 
 
 " Run, Nigger, run V* . 
 
 . 
 
 . 200 
 
 VII. 
 
 Corn-Shucking Song 
 
 • i 
 
 . 201 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Oh, July ! Dis Long Time ! 
 
 . . 
 
 . 202 
 
 IX. 
 
 Walk-a Chalk 
 
 
 . 204 
 
 X. 
 
 "Come along, True Believer!" . 
 
 . 204 
 
 XL 
 
 A Negro Love Song . 
 
 
 . 206 
 
 XII. 
 
 "De ol' Sheep sharp" . 
 
 t • 
 
 . 207 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Ring dem Charmin' Bells . 
 
 ♦ 
 
 . 210 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Hog-Feeder's Song . 
 
 • » 
 
 . 212 
 
 XV. 
 
 Nursery Song . . • 
 
 
 . 213 
 
 XVI. 
 
 My Honey, my Love • 
 
 • • 
 
 • 215 
 
CONTENTS. xt 
 
 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 I. Uncle Remus at the Telephone . . 219 
 
 II. Uncle Remus receives a Valentine . 225 
 
 III. "Miss Sally" and the Tree Man . 231 
 
 IV. Intimidation of a Colored Voter . . 238 
 V. A Story of a Blind Horse . . . 243 
 
 VI. Uncle Remus in Limbo .... 248 
 
 VII. Uncle Remus thinks he finds a Snake 254 
 
 VIII. Uncle Remus and the Comet . . . 261 
 
 IX. Some Advice to a Colored Brother . 266 
 
 X. Preaching that is Preaching, and Uncle 
 
 Remus's Comments on it . . . . 271 
 
 XL Called to Account by the Preacher . 279 
 
 XII. Uncle Remus's Experience with " Ha'nts " 284 
 
 XIII. A Queer Experience with the Phono- 
 
 graph . .292 
 
 XIV. A Case of the Grippe .... 301 
 XV. Uncle Remus's Ideas of Conjuring . 308 
 
 XVI. Views on the African Exodus . . 315 
 XVII. Uncle Remus on an Electric Car . 324 
 XVIII. William Henry at School . . . 330 
 XIX. Uncle Remus's Grandson gets into Seri- 
 ous Trouble 339 
 
 XX. The Experience of William Henry as 
 
 a Farmer 346 
 
 XXI. The Georgia Watermelon . . . 351 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAUB 
 
 " Uncle Remus . . . sniffing the air " Frontispiece. 
 " Brer B'ar tied hard en fas' " . . . .22 
 
 "Go on, Brer B'ar— go on!" .... 28 
 
 "Lemme tas'e, daddy!" . . . . . .50 
 
 "Brer Fox fetch a squall" .... 72 
 
 " Billybaloo-bal! " 84 
 
 " Brer Rabbit . . . a-laughin' fit ter kill " . 104 
 "you too much fer me, brer rabbit " . . 126 
 "Brer Lion showed his tushes" . . . 140 
 
 "He ax Brer Fox pardon" 170 
 
 "Oh, gimme de gal" 196 
 
 • I 'M SHOLY GWINE TER BREAK SUMP'N " . • . 294 
 
UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE 
 BOY. 
 
UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE 
 BOY. 
 
 WHY THE HAWK CATCHES CHICKENS. 
 
 One day, Uncle Remus sat in the sun mak- 
 ing a fish basket. The little boy watched 
 him weave the white oak splits together a 
 long time, waiting for a story. Finally a ban- 
 tam rooster, wandering near, crowed shrilly 
 three or four times. The noise broke the 
 silence so unexpectedly that Uncle Remus 
 jumped nervously, and then hurled the un- 
 finished basket at the rooster, which ran away 
 screaming and cackling. The rooster be- 
 longed to the little boy, and was a favorite 
 pet, but the youngster laughed heartily at 
 Uncle Remus's irritation, which was partly 
 real and partly affected. 
 
 " Nummine ! " exclaimed the old man, re- 
 covering his basket, " what fattens de chickens 
 fattens de hawk." 
 
4 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Now, Uncle Remus," the child protested, 
 not catching the meaning of the homely 
 proverb, " you know hawks don't eat corn 
 and dough, and worms and bugs." 
 
 "No, dey don't," responded the old man em- 
 phatically. " Ef dey did, dat ar bantin chicken 
 mought live ter git gray. Mos' eve'y mornin' 
 der's a big hawk sailin' 'roun' here, en he '11 
 sholy git dat ar uppity little rooster. You 
 better have 'im put in de pot now. I bin 
 noticin' deze many odd-come-shorts dat hawks 
 is got a spite at roosters, speshually when dey 
 ain't too big fer um ter tote off. Dey wuz a 
 time when de hawks ain't had no mouf fer 
 chicken, but dat time done gone by." 
 
 " Did n't the hawks always catch chickens, 
 Uncle Remus ? " asked the little boy. 
 
 " Sholy I done tell you 'bout dat," the old 
 man remarked, looking at the child with a 
 great affectation of astonishment. " Now den, 
 — rack yo' brain, en tell me ef I ain't done 
 tol' you how come de hawk fer ter be constant 
 a-huntin' chickens en flyin' off wid um." 
 
 The little boy thought the matter over, 
 and then shook his head. He did n't know 
 whether to make a vigorous denial or to say 
 nothing. So he compromised by shaking his 
 head. 
 
WHY THE HAWK CATCHES CHICKENS. 5 
 
 " Well ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus, " ef dat 
 don't bang my time, Joe 's dead an' Sal 's a 
 widder. You '11 wake up some er deze fine 
 mornin's en hear yo' mammy laugh en say she 
 got a mighty big load off'n her min' kaze dey 
 done sont oF man Remus ter de 'sylum. En I 
 ain't never been tell you dat ? Hit 's in about 
 de fus' tale I hear my grandaddy tell. I mos' 
 shame ter go back en pick it up now." 
 
 The little boy said nothing, but sat in an 
 expectant attitude. The old man gathered 
 together a dozen or more splits, placed them 
 where they would be in reach, and then be- 
 gan : — 
 
 " 'T ain't no use ter tell you nothin' 't all 
 'bout how hawks does now. Dey er done 
 broke in ter ketchin' chickens — de goshawk, 
 de swamphawk en de bluedarter, de forky 
 tail en de fan tail, — all un um. But way 
 back yonder dey ain't know nothin' 't all 'bout 
 no chicken, kaze dey ain't had de tas'e un um. 
 I dunner what dey did eat, but I hear tell dat 
 times got so hard wid ole Brer Hawk dat he 
 had ter scuffle 'roun' right smartually. Yit it 
 seem like scufflin' ain't do no good. He fly 
 dis away, en he fly dat, yet he ain't fin' nothin' 
 fer ter eat, en it look like hit 'uz gwine ter be 
 
6 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 all-night-Isom wi'd 'im. Whiles he wuz flyin' 
 roun', he seed de Sun shinin' up dar in de 
 elements, so he bowed his head en say, 
 ' Howdy/ En de Sun he howdied back, he did, 
 en dey struck up a kinder speakin' 'quaintance. 
 
 " Bimeby, Brer Hawk made so bol' ez ter 
 tell de Sun 'bout de trouble w'at he got, en so 
 de Sun, he up'n 'low, he did, dat ef Brer Hawk 
 kin ketch 'im in bed, he '11 gi' 'im all de vit- 
 tles he kin eat en show 'im whar ter git mo.' " 
 
 "Catch the Sun in bed, Uncle Kemus?" 
 asked the little boy. 
 
 " Dat what I said, honey. Ef Brer Hawk 
 kin ketch de Sun in bed, den de Sun say he 
 willin' fer ter show Brer Hawk whar ter git 
 his vittles. Dis make mo' trouble fer Brer 
 Hawk. He got up sooner en sooner eve'y 
 mornin', but eve'y time he lay eyes on de Sun, 
 he wuz up en a-shinin'. Den he sot up all 
 night, but dat ain't make no drffunce. He 
 can't ketch de Sun in bed. Hit went on dis 
 away twel Brer Hawk git so weak he kin 
 skacely ruffle a fedder. He got dat poor en 
 light dat he can't fly ag'in de win' nohow, en 
 den he des natchally gun out. 
 
 " He 'uz hoppin 'bout in de top uv a great 
 big pine when he hear Brer Rooster callin' 
 
WHY THE HAWK CATCHES CHICKENS. 7 
 
 'im. He tuck a notion dat Brer Rooster wuz 
 des makin' game un 'im, so he holler back, 
 sezee : — 
 
 u ' Don't bodder 'long er me, Brer Rooster. 
 Scratch up yo' little grub woims en cackle 
 over urn, en eat urn, but don't pester 'long er 
 me.' 
 
 " Brer Rooster holler back, sezee : — 
 
 " ' What de matter wid you ? How come 
 you look so pale? How come you look so 
 lonesome ? ' 
 
 Uncle Remus made each question as near 
 as possible an imitation of the crowing of 
 a rooster, which amused the little boy very 
 much. 
 
 "Well," the old man continued, "atter 
 while Brer Hawk drapped down en sot on de 
 fence, whar he kin talk ter Brer Rooster, kaze 
 he so hongry it make his tongue weak. He 
 sot dar on de fence, he did, en up'n tol' Brer 
 Rooster 'bout how he been tryin' f er ter ketch 
 de Sun in bed. Dis make Brer Rooster laugh 
 twel you mought er heerd 'im squall all over 
 de hoss lot. He 'low, sezee : — 
 
 " i Massy, massy ! Why n't you tell me ? 
 Why n't you tell me long ago ? ' 
 
 " Wid dat, Brer Rooster up'n say, sezee, dat 
 
8 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 dey ain't no mornin' but what he kin ketch de 
 Sun in bed, en he tell Brer Hawk dat ef he '11 
 des come en roos' some'rs close by, he kin 
 ketch de Sun de ve'y nex' mornin'. Brer 
 Rooster say, sezee, dat when he clap his wing 
 en crow, den de time done come fer Brer 
 Hawk ter start off fer ter ketch de Sun in 
 bed. 
 
 " Well, den, ole Brer Hawk look like he 
 mighty thankful. He bowed his head, he did, 
 en look des ez nice ez a nigger does when you 
 gi' 'im biscuit en gravy ; en he say he gwine 
 stay ez close ter Brer Rooster ez he kin 
 scrouge. Brer Rooster, he sorter cluck down 
 in his goozle, en 'low, sezee : — 
 
 " i Git des ez close ez you please, Brer 
 Hawk, but don't hunch me. I 'm mighty 
 nervious in my sleep, en ef you hunch me 
 endurin er de night, der 's bleedz ter be 
 trouble.' 
 
 " Ole Brer Hawk, he say, sezee : — 
 
 " ' I ain't a tetchous man myse'f, Brer 
 Rooster, yit I speck I got manners nuff not 
 ter pester dem what is.' 
 
 " Dey sot dar on de roos', dey did, des like 
 two bluebirds on a fence post, en ef dey wuz 
 any fuss made it wuz when ole Dominicker hen 
 
WHY THE HAWK CATCHES CHICKENS. 9 
 
 drenip 'bout little Billy Black Mink, en hol- 
 ler'd out in 'er sleep. Dey sot dar, dey did, 
 en nodded right along. Bimeby, 'bout er 
 nour 'fo' day, Brer Rooster woke up, en clap 
 his wings en holler : — 
 
 " c Now yo' time ter go ! ' Den he wait lit- 
 tle, en holler n'er time : 6 Now yo' time ter 
 go!' 
 
 " Wid dat, Brer Hawk riz en flew, en he 
 flewd so fas' en he flewd so fur dat he come 
 ter de place whar de Sun live at, en he cotch 
 de Sun in bed." 
 
 "The Sun in bed, Uncle Remus?" ex- 
 claimed the little boy. 
 
 " In bed ! " responded the old man, with 
 unusual emphasis, " right dar in bed. En 
 't want no trundle bed needer. It wuz one er 
 deze yer big beds wid high posties. Yasser ! 
 De Sun wuz in dar, en he had de bed kivver 
 all drawd up 'roun' his head, en he 'uz snorin' 
 same ez somebody filin' a cowhorn. Brer 
 Hawk rapped on de head-board, en holler out, 
 sezee : — 
 
 " ' Mos' time fer day ter break ! Git up 
 fum dar ! Brek'us '11 be mighty late ef you 
 lay dar all day ! ' 
 
 "Sun 'low, < Who dat?' 
 
10 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 ei Brer Hawk say, ' 'T ain't nobody but me.' 
 
 " Sun 'low, ' What you wanter come wakin' 
 me up f er ? I boun' I '11 have de headache de 
 whole blessid day.' 
 
 " Den Brer Hawk put de Sun in min' er de 
 promise what he made. Den de Sun got mad. 
 He 'low, sezee : — 
 
 " ' How you speck I gwine fin' you in vit- 
 tles ? Who show you de way ter my bed ? ' 
 
 " Brer Hawk say it 'uz Brer Rooster. Den 
 de Sun raise up in bed, he did, en wink one 
 eye, en 'low, sezee : — 
 
 " ( Go back dar en tell yo' Brer Rooster dat 
 he got to fin' you in vittles.' 
 
 "Brer Hawk ain't like dis much, en he 
 sorter hung 'roun', like he waitin' fer sumpin. 
 Dis make de Sun mad, en he jump out er bed 
 en run Brer Hawk out'n de house wid de 
 poker. Brer Hawk ain't know what to do. 
 He flewd back ter whar Brer Rooster wuz 
 scratchin' in de trash pile, en tole 'im what de 
 Sun say. Dis make Brer Rooster laugh. He 
 'low, sezee : — 
 
 " ' How I gwine ter fin' you in vittles ? I 
 got a mighty big fambly ter look atter, en I 
 be bless ef dey don't git hongrier en hongrier 
 eve'y day dat comes.' 
 
WHY THE HAWK CATCHES CHICKENS. 11 
 
 " Brer Hawk 'low, ' I bleedz ter eat, Brer 
 Rooster, en I 'm lots hongrier dan what yo' 
 fambly is.' 
 
 " Brer Rooster 'low, sezee : ' Well, Brer 
 Hawk, you 'er mo' dan welcome ter drap down 
 here en scratch in de trash. I speck yo' claws 
 des ez good ez what min' is. 'Sides dat, you 
 ain't bleedz ter holler en cackle eve'y time you 
 fine a woim.' 
 
 "But Brer Hawk shake his head. Dat 
 kinder doin's don't nigh suit 'im. Hit look 
 too much like work. So he sail up in de tree- 
 top, en sot dar, en bimeby here come ole Miss 
 Hen wid 'er chickens, which dey let in ter 
 scratchin' 'longside Brer Rooster. Brer Hawk 
 look at um, en he ax hisse'f , sezee : ' What 
 make my mouf water ? ' Den he 'membered 
 'bout how de Sun wunk at 'im, en it come 
 'cross his min' dat chicken meat mought tas'e 
 good. Wid dat he drapped down on one er 
 Brer Rooster's chilluns, en kyard it off, en it 
 fit his appetite so mighty well dat he been 
 eatin' Brer Rooster's fambly eve'y chance he 
 
 git." 
 
 Uncle Remus paused to trim and smooth 
 the end of a split. Then he said : — 
 
 " Brer Hawk hongry yit. You better watch 
 out fer yo' bantin'." 
 
It. 
 
 BROTHER BEAR AND THE HONEY ORCHARD. 
 
 One day while Uncle Remus was oiling the 
 harness in the carriage-house, he heard the lit- 
 tle boy's baby brother crying, and went out to 
 investigate the matter. He soon discovered 
 that the baby was crying for a piece of cake 
 which the little boy held in his hand, and re- 
 fused to give up. The old man stood watch- 
 ing long enough for the little boy to see him, 
 whereupon he exclaimed solemnly, " Laws a 
 massy ! " Then he shook his head solemnly 
 from side to side, and returned to the carriage- 
 house. It was not long before the little boy 
 followed him there. Uncle Remus pretended 
 not to notice the youngster's presence, and 
 began to talk to himself. 
 
 " I done, put it down in my min' long time 
 ago dat stingy folks ain't gwine ter come ter 
 no good een. I done seed too much un it. 
 Dar wuz ol' man Dickerson — he save money 
 en save money; he pinch here en he pinch 
 
THE HONEY ORCHARD. 13 
 
 dar, en he so stingy he won't buy him a dram 
 skacely. En de gracious en de goodness ! 
 What good do it do 'im? He sot dar in de 
 house too stingy to scratch hisse'f right hard, 
 en swivel up en die, en now dem ar chillun er 
 his'n is flingin' it fur en wide. Shoo ! When 
 it come ter stingy folks, take em 'way fum 
 me! Don't lemme come nigh um ! I done 
 see too much un um." 
 
 " Well, Uncle Remus " — began the little 
 boy, but the old man interrupted, — 
 
 " Heyo, dar ! Dat you ? Why n't you 
 stay out dar en feed dat ar baby some mo' ? " 
 
 " Well, Uncle Remus, I had a piece of cake 
 for you, and the baby saw it and cried for it, 
 and I did n't want him to have it. He gets 
 everything, anyhow." 
 
 " What dat in yo' pocket ? " asked the old 
 man. 
 
 " Well, that 's my piece of cake." 
 
 " Den why n't you gi' de baby my piece, en 
 den fetch me yone ? " 
 
 " Then I would n't have had any." 
 
 "I speck dat's so," said Uncle Remus, 
 thoughtfully. " Maybe de cake mought er 
 flung de baby in a spasm, en den I'd a had 
 ter got on a hoss en gallop atter de docter, en 
 
14 tTNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 de hoss mought er stumbled en broke my 
 neck, en den deze yer triflin' good-f er-nothin 5 
 niggers roun' de house would 'a' had a big 
 jollification. 
 
 " En yit," the old man went on, slowly eat- 
 ing the cake from the little boy's hand, "I 
 'spizes ter see stinginess. Hit put me in min' 
 er ol' Brer B'ar en de honey orchard. Ef I 
 ain't done tole you dat tale, I 'd like ter know 
 de reason why, kaze it all de time a poppin' in 
 my head." 
 
 The little boy was very, very sure he had 
 never heard of the honey orchard before. 
 
 " "Well," said Uncle Remus, " dey wuz one 
 time when mos' all de creeters, horn, claw, en 
 wing, live in de same settlement. Dey 'd have 
 some fusses, but dey ain't had no f allin' out, 
 en dey wuz livin' des ez satisfactual ez what 
 folks does. Times wuz mighty hard, en 't wuz 
 in about all dey kin do fer ter scuffle 'long en 
 make buckle en tongue meet. Rake en scrape 
 ez dey would, some un um 'ud hatter go ter 
 bed hongry. Yit dey took notice er one thing, 
 dat whiles all un um wuz gittin' po' en po'er, 
 ole Brer B'ar wuz gittin' fatter en fatter. 
 Whiles de t'er creeturs' ribs wuz stan'in' out 
 like bar'l hoops, Brer B'ar wuz slick en roun' 
 
THE HONEY ORCHARD. 15 
 
 ez a butter ball. He des waller'd in fat ; he 
 wuz too fat ter keep de flies off'n hisse'f . 
 
 " Dey all study en study how Brer B'ar kin 
 keep so fat when times is so hard. Brer Bab- 
 bit made up his min' dat he gwine ter git at 
 de bottom er de matter, an' so he keep his eye 
 on Brer B'ar. He watch 'im, he did, en 't wan't 
 long 'fo' he seed dat Brer B'ar wuz doin' 
 mighty quare. Stidder settin' up late en 
 talkin' politics, he 'd go ter bed wid de chick- 
 ens, en by good daylight he 'd be up en gone. 
 Dis bodder Brer Rabbit might'ly. He got so 
 pester'd en fretted dat many 's de time when 
 he 'd be gwine' long de road he 'd squat right 
 flat on de groun' en scratch his head en 
 study. 
 
 "Brer Rabbit had done got de knack er 
 settin' up all night en sleepin' late in de day, 
 but bimeby, one night he tuck'n pay Brer B'ar 
 a visit f er to see what he kin fin' out. He got 
 ter de door, he did, en scrape his foot on de 
 step en sorter cle'r up his th'oat. Ole Miss 
 B'ar, she come out on de porch fer ter see who 
 't is, en she uz monst'us perlite. She howdied 
 wid Brer Rabbit, en ax 'im ef he won't come 
 in en take off his things en set awhile wid um. 
 Brer Rabbit say he don't keer ef he do, bein' 's 
 
16 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 how he ain't seed urn all in so long, en ole Miss 
 B'ar, she rustle roun' en fotch a cheer, en ax 
 Brer Rabbit fer ter make hisse'f at home. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit cross his legs, he did, en 'low 
 dat he ain't seed Brer B'ar in a coon's age ; en 
 Miss B'ar, she fan herse'f wid a turkey-tail fan ? 
 en 'low dat times so hard her ole man hatter 
 work soon en late fer ter make bofe eens meet. 
 Den she skusen herse'f, en say she got ter go 
 right now en fix a bag er ashes fer 'im ter take 
 ter work wid 'im in de mornin'. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit ax what in de name er good- 
 ness Brer B'ar do wid a bag er ashes, en ole 
 Miss B'ar laugh en say she dunner what on 
 top side er yeth he do wid um, but she speck 
 hit 's des one er his notions. 
 
 " Ole Miss B'ar work her fan twel it fair 
 flutter, en she 'low, c Goodness knows, dat ole 
 bag er ashes is done 'casion me mo' trouble 
 dan it wuth. But you know how men folks 
 is, Brer Rabbit, dey '11 have der way ef it 's 
 de las' ac'. What my ole man want wid a 
 bag er ashes eve'y mornin' is mo'n I kin tell 
 you, but have um he will, spite er all creation. 
 Dey got ter be out dar by de chimbley cornder 
 so he kin git um when he start ter work.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' Whar Brer B'ar now ? 
 I ain't hear 'im in dar.' 
 
THE HONEY ORCHARD. 17 
 
 " Ole Miss B'ar laugh twel she bent over 
 She 'low, ' You ain't gwine ter hear 'im nuther^ 
 Brer Babbit, 'less you happen ter hear him 
 sno'. Sleep ! I ain't never is see nobody 
 what kin sleep like my ole man. He ain't 
 take time ter eat, skacely, 'fo' he 's ready fer 
 de bed, en he don't mo' 'n strike de bed 'fo' 
 he 's soun' er sleep. I laugh, en tell 'im it 's 
 mighty blessin' for 'im dat I ain't know what 
 a sleepy-head he is 'fo' I marry 'im.' " 
 
 The little boy wanted to laugh, but the 
 gravity with which Uncle Eemus narrated the 
 conversation warned him that his mirth would 
 be ill-timed. The old man made no pause. 
 
 "Wid dat Brer Eabbit say he better be 
 gwine, en he tip ole Miss B'ar a bow en wish 
 'er mighty well. He went off a little piece, he 
 did, en sot down by de road, en twis' his mus- 
 tashes, en study 'bout dat bag er ashes. He 
 ax hisse'f wuz ole Miss Bar tryin' fer ter fool 
 'im, en he got so pestered dat he ain't know 
 what ter do. 
 
 "Atter so long a time, he slipt back ter 
 Brer B'ar's house, en, sho nuff, dar wuz de bag 
 er ashes in de chimbley cornder, en inside de 
 house he could hear Brer B'ar sno'in away like 
 somebody sawin' gourds. Brer Kabbit make 
 
18 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 up his min' dat he 'd sorter hang 'roun en see 
 whar Brer B'ar go ter so soon in de mornin\ 
 So he capered 'roun in de grass one half de 
 night, en played wid de lightnin' bugs tudder 
 half. 
 
 " Time de chickens 'gun to crow f er day, 
 Brer B'ar wuz up en a-stirrin', en by de time 
 it wuz light good, he' d done slung de bag er 
 ashes 'cross his shoulder en wuz a-makin' for de 
 woods. Brer Eabbit try ter keep up, but he 
 skeered ter git too close, en f us' news he know 
 Brer B'ar done make his disappearance. When 
 dat happen, dey ain't nothin' mo' fer Brer Rab- 
 bit ter do but go home en dream 'bout what 
 de name er goodness Brer B'ar gwine do wid 
 dat bag er ashes. 
 
 " De nex' night Brer Rabbit played roun' 
 en run atter lightnin' bugs twel everything got 
 still at Brer B'ar's house, en den he went ter 
 look fer de bag er ashes. Sho' nuff, dar 't wuz 
 — same bag in de same chimbley cornder. 
 Brer Rabbit felt de heft un it, en it seem like 
 ter him dat dey wuz 'bout a bushel er ashes in 
 dar. Den he grab holt er one cornder er de 
 bag en tored a hole in it. Some er de ashes 
 got up Brer Rabbit's nose, en he fin' out he 
 bleedz ter sneeze. He hoi' in ez long ez he 
 
THE HONEY ORCHARD. 19 
 
 kin, en make a break f er ter git ez fur f urn de 
 house ez he kin 'fo' de sneeze come. He helt 
 his breff, he did, long ez he kin, en when de 
 sneeze did bust aloose, gentermens ! he turned 
 a fair somerset backerds, en dey wuz sech a 
 splutterment dat de Guinny hens got ter hol- 
 lerin' en de chickens ter cackling en ole Brer 
 Rabbit tuck his foot in his han' en lit out f um 
 dar. 
 
 " Well, suh, nex' mornin' he got up some 
 sooner dan he in de habits er doin', en he went 
 'roun' by Brer B'ar's house. He went 'roun' 
 de same way whar he see Brer B'ar go de 
 mornin' 'fo' dat, en he ain't gone fur twel he 
 see whar de ashes been spillin' out'n de bag. 
 Dat what he make de hole in de bag fer. 
 Eve'y time Brer B'ar take a step, he 'd jolt de 
 ashes out. Brer Rabbit, he f oiler' d de track 
 er de ashes. He foller'd long, he did, up hill 
 en down, thoo bushes en thoo briers, twel 
 bimeby he come 'pon Brer B'ar, en what you 
 reckon dat creetur wuz a-doin' ? " 
 
 Uncle Remus paused, as if he expected the 
 youngster to give an answer. Receiving none 
 he went on, — 
 
 "Well, suh, he wan't doin' nothin' in de 
 roun' worF but eatin' honey! Pyo honey 1 
 
20 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 Eatin' honey en cleanin' de comb. Des de 
 natchul start-naked bee-juice ! When Brer 
 Rabbit see dat, he like ter fainted. He flung 
 bofe han's up en fell down on de groun' like 
 he dead. De sight skeer 'im." 
 
 66 Why, there was n't anything to frighten 
 him," said the little boy. 
 
 " He bleedz ter be skeered. Ole Brer B'ar 
 ain't look like hisse'f . He done empty de bag 
 er ashes on de groun' en waller in um twel he 
 look like he done turn gray endurin' de night. 
 He put um on 'im, I speck, fer ter keep bees 
 f um stingin' 'im. Dar he wuz, up a tree, eatin' 
 honey by de han'ful, en all 'roun' dat place 
 dey wuz a clump er big poplar trees. Eve'y 
 one un um wuz holler, en eve'y one un um 
 wuz full er honey, kaze Brer Rabbit seed de 
 bees des a-swarmin' in en out constant. He 
 sot dar, he did, en watch Brer B'ar eatin 
 honey twel he 'gun ter dribble at de mouf, en 
 he got so hongry dat bimeby he went up 
 closter, en ax Brer B'ar fer ter please, suh, gi' 
 'im a han'ful er honey. 
 
 " Brer B'ar 'low, ' G' way fum dar, you 
 triflin', low down vilyun ! I gi' you nothin' ! 
 Go on 'bout yo' business, 'fo' I come down 
 dar en w'ar you out ter a frazzle ! ' 
 
THE HONEY ORCHARD. 21 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' Please, suh, Brer B'ar, 
 des gimme a little piece ; des a teenchy bit er 
 de comb, Brer B'ar.' 
 
 " Wid dat, Brer B'ar sorter scramble down 
 de tree like he comin' atter Brer Rabbit, en I 
 bet you Brer Rabbit got up en dusted 'way 
 fum dar. He tuck a nigh cut home, en he sot 
 down in de chimbley cornder en studied out a 
 plan fer ter git even wid Brer B'ar. So de nex' 
 day, whiles Brer B'ar done gone ter de honey 
 orchard, Brer Rabbit 'semble all de creeturs, 
 horn, claw, en wing, en tell um how de Ian' 
 lay, en how Brer B'ar been foolin' um. He 
 say 't ain't no wonder dat Brer B'ar rollin' in 
 fat when he go off dar eve'y day en gorge his- 
 se'f on honey, en not let nobody get a smell 
 un it, much less a tas'e. 
 
 " All de creeturs 'gree wid Brer Rabbit, en 
 dey say dey 'd do anything he tell um, ef dey 
 kin l'arn Brer B'ar some manners. Den Brer 
 Rabbit say he speck de bes' way ter do is ter 
 git up a harrycane. De creeturs ax 'im how 
 de name er goodness dey gwine do dat, en 
 Brer Rabbit say he '11 fix it. Den he tuck um 
 all out dar close ter de honey orchard, en all 
 de big creeturs he made stan' by big saplin's, 
 en de !ittle uns he put at de little saplin's. 
 
22 UNCLE REMUS AND TEE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Now den, when you hear me 
 holler, you rub up 'gin' deze saplin's en shake 
 um ez hard ez you kin.' 
 
 " De wing creeturs what kin fly, he made 
 git up in de top er de trees. He 'low, i When 
 you hear me holler, you flutter des ez hard ez 
 you kin.' 
 
 " De wing creeturs what kin run, he made 
 um git in de broom-sage, en he 'low, 6 When 
 you hear me holler, run thoo de grass ez hard 
 ez you kin.' 
 
 " Brer Kabbit had a long rope, en he went 
 off a little piece f er ter git a good start, en ter- 
 rectly here he come, draggin' de rope en run- 
 nin' like a yaller dog wid a tin pail tied ter his 
 tail. Brer B'ar, up dar in de bee-tree, hear 
 'im runnin', en ax 'im what de matter. 
 
 " Wid dat Brer Rabbit fetch a whoop, ea 
 'low, 'Dey 's a harrycane comin', Brer B'ar, en 
 I bleedz ter run somer's en tie myse'f ter 
 a tree, fer ter keep fum bein' blow'd away. 
 Don't you hear it comin' ? ' 
 
 " Co'se, when Brer Rabbit holler'd, de 
 creeturs at de saplin's 'gun ter shake um, en 
 de wing creeturs in de trees 'gun ter flutter, 
 en de yuthers 'gun ter run in de grass, en dey 
 make de biggest kind er noise. Brer B'ar, he 
 
THE HONEY ORCHARD. 23 
 
 scrambled 'bout half-way down de bee-tree, en 
 den he turn eve'ything loose en hit de groun' 
 kerbiff! Look like 't wuz nuff ter jolt de life 
 out'n 'im. 
 
 " He say, * Fer massy sake, Brer Rabbit, tie 
 me 'long wid you. Dis des ez good a place ez 
 you '11 fin'. Tie me wid you, Brer Rabbit.' 
 
 "De creeturs keep on makin' der fuss, en 
 Brer B'ar git skeerder en skeerder. Brer 
 Rabbit tuck Brer B'ar at his word, en he tied 
 'im hard en fas' ter a tree. When he had 'im 
 fastened so he can't git loose, he call ter all de 
 creeturs, Brer Rabbit did, en tell um ter come 
 look at Brer B'ar. 
 
 " Den he 'low, i Whiles de harrycane gwine 
 on, less us go git a bait er honey. Dey ain't 
 no win' what kin blow Brer B'ar off whiles he 
 fix dis away.' 
 
 " Wid dat dey raided de honey orchard, en 
 gobble up all dey want, en tuck some home 
 fer der wimmen folks en chilluns." 
 
 " Who unfastened Brother Bear ? " the lit- 
 tle boy asked. 
 
 " Eh-eh, honey ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus. 
 "You pushes yo' inquirements too fur. Dat 
 what 's in de tale I kin tell you ; dat what 
 ain't you '11 hatter figger out fer yo'se'f." 
 
xn. 
 
 BROTHER RABBIT HAS FUN AT THE FERRY. 
 
 One night when the little boy ran out to 
 Uncle Remus's house, he heard the old man 
 talking with some of the other negroes about 
 an accident at Armour's Ferry. The flat, as 
 the ferry-boat was called, had broken the rope 
 which was used to tow it across the Oconee, 
 and had drifted down the river. Two mules, 
 hitched to a wagon, jumped overboard and 
 were drowned. 
 
 " Ah, Lord," exclaimed Uncle Eemus, when 
 the negroes had gone. "Ef ole Brer B'ar 
 had been de fe'yman, I lay dey would n't er 
 been none er dat kinder gwines on." 
 
 " Uncle Johnny Eoach is the ferryman 
 now," remarked the little boy, by way of say- 
 ing something. 
 
 " Dat man is ole, mon," said Uncle Remus ; 
 "he ole en shaky. He bin dar I dunner how 
 long. He gray en trimbly. 'T wan't dat away 
 wid Brer B'ar. He wuz young, en h& ain't 
 
FUN AT THE FERRY. 25 
 
 had a gray ha'r in his head. Folks use ter 
 come 'long dat away, en gi' 'im a sev'mpunce 
 des ter see 'im r'ar back on his footses en 
 snatch dat ar flat 'cross de river. I tell you, 
 mon, dem wuz gay times." 
 
 Here Uncle Kemus paused, and looked 
 steadily into the fireplace, and sighed. The 
 impression he left on the little boy was that he 
 himself had crossed the ferry while Brother 
 Bear was in charge. But where was the 
 story ? The youngster looked at the old man 
 intently, and waited patiently. 
 
 "Brer B'ar wuz a mighty fine fe'yman," 
 said Uncle Remus, after awhile, taking off his 
 spectacles and rubbing them gently on his 
 knee. " Dey ain't no two ways 'bout dat. 
 But dey wuz one time when he got outdone. 
 I dunner what time er de day, ner what day er 
 de mont', but 't was some'rs 'twixt two sun-ups. 
 Brer B'ar wuz settin' in de shade, wishin' dat 
 some un 'ud come long en drap a sev'mpunce 
 in his pocket. He wuz des 'bout ter doze off 
 when he hear somebody holler. 
 
 " Man 'cross de river say, ' Hello ! ' 
 
 " Brer B'ar raise up en 'low, ( How you like 
 f er somebody ter call you Hello ? ' 
 
 " Man holler back, 6 Come put me 'cross/ 
 
26 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer B'ar 'spon', < Ah-yi.' 
 
 " De man wuz ri(iin , a gray mar , en de gray 
 mar' had a gray colt wid 'er. Brer B'ar swung 
 de flat on t'er side, en whiles she wuz a-swing- 
 \ul he uz countin' his money. 
 
 " Oh, de rope is long, ketch a holt, ketch a holt. 
 Oh, de rope is long, ketch a holt, — 
 A dimefer de mar', a dimefer de man, 
 En a thripfer de little gray colt." 
 
 " De flat she swung 'roun', en Brer B'ar he 
 sung out, ' Ride in, mister, en make yo'se'f 
 at home.' 
 
 " Right den en dar," continued Uncle Re- 
 mus, leaning back in his chair and lifting his 
 eyebrows, "right den en dar de trouble be- 
 gun. Nobody wa'n't ter blame ; nobody 
 wa'n't de 'casion un it. Hit des come up dry 
 so, des like de measles did when you had urn." 
 
 " What trouble was it, Uncle Remus? " the 
 little boy asked. 
 
 "Hit des broke out by hit's own 'lone 
 se'f," responded the old man, solemnly. " De 
 man, he cluck ter de mar', en try f er ter ride 
 'er in de flat, but de mar' she hilt er head 
 down en sorter snort, en 'fuse ter budge. De 
 man try ter coax 'er, but she won't be coaxed. 
 Den he gi' 'er de whip en spur, but she whirl 
 
FUN AT THE FERRY. 27 
 
 'roun' en 'fuse ter go in de flat. She 'd go 
 up, she 'd go down, she 'd go anywhar en 
 eve'ywhar 'ceptin' in de flat. Den de man lit 
 en tried ter lead 'er, but de mar' drug 'im 
 'bout over de san' like he ain't weigh mo' 'n 
 two poun' en a half. Brer B'ar try ter he'p, 
 but 't ain't do no good. De colt, seed dat 
 his mammy wuz skeer'd, en he 'gun ter whicker 
 en squeal en run 'roun' like a pig wid hot dish- 
 water on his back. Dis make a bad matter 
 wuss. 
 
 " Dar dey stood. De man, he study, en Brer 
 B'ar, he study, but 'tain't do no good. Bimeby 
 Brer B'ar look 'roun', en who should he see 
 settin' cross-legged on a stump a-watchin' un 
 am, but ole Brer Rabbit? Dar he wuz, des 
 ez natchul ez one er deze yer dagarrytypes. 
 Fum whar he stood Brer B'ar could n't tell 
 whedder Brer Rabbit wuz laughin' er whed- 
 der he wuz cry in', but his face wuz mighty 
 wrinkled up. Brer B'ar call 'im, but Brer 
 Rabbit shuck his head. Brer B'ar ax 'im ter 
 come he'p 'im git de mar' on de flat, but 
 Brer Rabbit shuck his head. Brer B'ar wuz 
 ^out ter 'buze Brer Rabbit 'fo' comp'ny, but 
 a n'er notion struck 'im, en he tuck en wob- 
 bled off ter whar Brer Rabbit wuz setting 
 
28 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOT. 
 
 Time he got whar dey could hold er confab, 
 Brer Rabbit 'low : — 
 
 u c What de name er goodness is you all 
 tryin' ter do down dar? What kinder capers 
 is you cuttin' up ? I bin settin' here watchin' 
 you, en des dyin' er laughin' at de way you en 
 de man en dem creeturs been gwine on.' 
 
 " Brer B'ar try ter 'splain, but Brer Rabbit 
 keep a-talkin' : — 
 
 " ' Go on back down dar, Brer B'ar, en 
 fool 'roun' wid um some mo'. Fer gracious 
 sake lemme have my fun out ! Go on, Brer 
 B'ar — go on ! Whiles I 'm a-settin' here 
 chawin' my terbacker, lemme 'joy myse'f, en 
 git de wuf er my holiday. Go joon 'roun' 
 some mo' ! ' 
 
 "Den Brer B'ar up'n tell Brer Rabbit 
 what de matter is, en Brer Rabbit laugh en 
 holler fit ter kill hisse'f. He low: < My 
 goodness, Brer B'ar, I had de idee dat you all 
 been cuttin' up dem capers a-purpose.' 
 
 " Brer B'ar 'low : ' No, bless gracious ! 
 Dat man yonder want ter be put 'cross. He 
 des bleedz ter be put 'cross, but how I gwine 
 do it, I '11 never tell you.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, sezee : i Well, Brer B'ar, 
 ef you let dat bodder you mo'n a minnit, you '11 
 
FUN AT THE FERRY. 29 
 
 make me b'lieve dat you got dropsy er de 
 head. I hear tell dat lots er folks is gittin' 
 down wid dat kinder sickness.' 
 
 " Den Brer B'ar say he speck he got it, kaze 
 he can't make no 'rangement fer ter git dat 
 old mar' on de flat. Brer Rabbit look at 'im 
 right hard, en sorter wrinkle up his face. He 
 'low, sezee : — 
 
 " ' Brer B'ar, hit des ez easy ez gwine ter 
 sleep in a swing.' 
 
 " Brer B'ar say, sezee : i Brer Rabbit, how 
 I gwine do ! Ef you '11 tell me dat, I '11 do 
 anything you ax me; you can't ax me nothin' 
 I won't do.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, sezee : * Well den, Brer 
 B'ar, all you got ter do is ter shove de colt 
 on de flat, en de mammy '11 foller right atter.' 
 
 " Old Brer B'ar went a-wobblin' back ter de 
 river, en when he got dar he driv de colt on 
 de flat, en de mar' f ollered atter, same ez ef 
 she 'd 'a' been born en raise on a flat. When 
 Brer B'ar see dat, he 'low, ' Well ! ' 
 
 " De man ax 'im who tol' 'im how ter do 
 dat. Brer B'ar make answer dat 't wuz Brer 
 Rabbit, en den he went on to tell de man 
 'bout what er soon creetur Brer Rabbit is, dat 
 nobody can't fool 'im, en nobody can't outdo 
 
30 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 'im. De man lissen, an den he low dat he 
 comin' back dat away in a day er two, en he bet 
 a pot er honey agin a dish er cream dat he kin 
 outdo Brer Babbit. Brer B'ar tuck de bet, en 
 den dey shuck han's ter make it mo' bin din'. 
 
 " Well, 't wan't long atter dat 'f o' here come 
 de man back, en dis time he had two mar's. 
 He wuz ridin' one, en leadin' de udder, en dey 
 wuz bofe des ez much alike ez two peas. Dey 
 wuz de same color, de same size, en de same 
 gait. Brer B'ar tuck de man 'cross on t'er 
 side, en den he say dat now is de time fer ter 
 settle de bet. He 'low, sezee : — 
 
 " ' One er deze mar's is de mammy, en de 
 udder one is de colt. Now call up Brer Bab- 
 bit, en ax 'im ter tell me which is which, en 
 which is de udder. Ax 'im ter tell me which 
 is de mammy, en which is de colt. En he 
 ain't got ter look in der mouf nudder.' 
 
 " Brer B'ar look at um mighty close, en den 
 he shake his head. 
 
 " Man say, ' Go fetch me my dish er 
 cream/ 
 
 " Brer B'ar look, en look, en still he shake 
 his head. 
 
 " Man say, ' Go fetch my dish er cream/ 
 
 " Brer B'ar feel mighty bad, kaze he smel] 
 
FUN AT THE FERRY. 31 
 
 de pot er honey in de man's saddle-bags, en it 
 make his mouf water. 
 
 " Man keep on sayin', ' Go fetch my dish 
 er cream.' 
 
 " But Brer B'ar ain't gwine ter give up dat 
 away. He done made de 'rangement fer ter 
 call Brer Rabbit when de man come back, en 
 he went 'pon top er de hill en holler fer 'im. 
 I tell you now, 't wan't long ' fo ' Brer Rabbit 
 hove in sight. He come a-hoppin' en a-jump- 
 in', he come a-rippin' en a-rarin'. 
 
 " Brer B'ar 'low, sezee : ' Ef you know'd 
 what you got ter do, I lay you would n't be in 
 sech a hurry.' 
 
 " Den he up'n tell Brer Rabbit de whole 
 circumstance er de case. Brer Rabbit laugh, 
 but Brer B'ar he look sollumcolly. Brer 
 Rabbit tuck'n tol' Brer B'ar fer ter git two 
 bunches er grass en put um dar front er de 
 mar's. Brer B'ar do des like Brer Rabbit tell 
 'im, en den de mar's sot in ter eatin' ; but 
 one un um eat 'er bunch fust, en start ter 
 eatin' on t'er bunch. Den de mar' what wuz 
 eatin' on dat bunch helt up 'er head. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, sezee : ' Dat un what 
 holdin' up 'er head, she de mammy.' 
 
 " De man he give up. He say dat beat his 
 
32 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 time, en den he ax Brer Rabbit how kin he 
 teH. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, sezee : i De colt, bein' 
 ez she is de youngest, is got de bes' toofies. 
 De best toofies eat de grass fust. Den when 
 de mammy see de colt ain't got none, she 
 willin , ter 'vide wid 'er. Ef de mammy had 
 made at de colt's bundle, de colt 'd sholy V 
 bit at 'er.' 
 
 "De man look 'stonish, but he ain't sati'- 
 fied. He gun Brer B'ar de pot er honey, but 
 he say he got n'er pot, en he willin' ter bet 
 dat he kin fool Brer Rabbit nex' time. Brer 
 B'ar tuck de bet. 
 
 " Den de man lef ' his hosses dar, en tuck a 
 little basket en went off in de woods. He 
 wuz gone a right smart little whet, but bimeby, 
 here he come back. He hilt de basket high, 
 so Brer Rabbit can't see de inside, en den he 
 hung it on a tree lim\ Den he ax Brer Rab- 
 bit what de basket got in it. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit study, en den he 'low, sezee : 
 ' De sparrer kin tell you. 9 
 
 " De man look at 'im hard, en den he say,, 
 sezee : ' What kinder creetur is you, nohow ? * 
 
 " He tuck de basket down, he did, en sho* 
 *nuff, dar wuz a sparrer in it. He gun Brer 
 
FUN AT THE FERRY, 33 
 
 B'ar de t'er pot, en ez he wuz gwine, he holler 
 back at Brer Rabbit, sezee : — 
 
 " ' You er one er deze yer graveyard rab- 
 bits, dat w'at you is/ 
 
 " Brer Rabbit laugh, but he ain't say no- 
 thin'. He des dip 'is paw in de pot er honey 
 en lick it off, en he work his mouf like it tas'e 
 mighty good." 
 
 " Uncle Remus," said the little boy, as the 
 old man paused, " how did Brother Rabbit 
 know there was a sparrow in the basket ? " 
 
 " Who say he know it, honey ? " 
 
 "Did n't you say so?" 
 
 "Shoo, honey, freshun up yo' 'membunce. 
 When de man ax Brer Rabbit, What in dar? 
 he make answer dat a sparrer kin tell 'im, 
 kaze a sparrer flyin' 'roun' kin see what in de 
 basket." 
 
 "Well," said the little boy, with a sigh, 
 " I thought Brother Rabbit knew." 
 
 " Luck tol' 'im, honey ; Brer Rabbit wuz a 
 mighty man fer luck." 
 
IV. 
 
 DEATH AND THE NEGRO MAN. 
 
 One day Uncle Kemus was grinding the 
 axe with which he chopped kindling for the 
 kitchen and the big house. The axe was 
 very dull. It was full of "gaps/' and the 
 work of putting an edge on it was neither 
 light nor agreeable. A negro boy turned the 
 grindstone, and the little boy poured on water 
 when water was needed. 
 
 " Ef dis yer axe wuz a yard longer, it ud be 
 a cross cut saw, en den ef we had de lumber 
 we could saw it up en build us a house," said 
 the old man. 
 
 The negro boy rolled his eyes and giggled, 
 seeing which Uncle Eemus bore so heavily on 
 the axe that the grindstone could hardly be 
 turned. The negro boy ceased giggling, but 
 he continued to roll his eyes. 
 
 " Turn it ! " exclaimed the old man. u Turn 
 it ! Ef you don't turn it, I '11 make you stan' 
 dar plum twel night gwine thoo de motions. 
 
DEATH AND THE NEGRO MAN. 35 
 
 I '11 make you do like de nigger man done 
 wben he got tired er work." 
 
 The old man stopped talking, but the grind- 
 ing went on. After awhile, the little boy 
 asked, — 
 
 " What did the man do when he got tired 
 of work?" 
 
 " Dat 's a tale, honey, en tellin' tales is 
 play in'," replied Uncle Remus. He wiped the 
 blade of the axe on the palm of his hand, and 
 tried the edge with his thumb. " She won't 
 shave," he said, by way of comment, " but I 
 speck she '11 do ter knock out kindlin'. Yit 
 ef I had de time, I 'd like ter stan' here en see 
 how long dish yer triflin' vilyun would roll 
 dem eyes at me." 
 
 In a little while the axe was supposed to be 
 sharp enough, and then, dismissing the negro 
 boy, Uncle Remus seated himself on one end 
 of the frame that supported the grindstone, 
 wiped his forehead on his coat sleeve, and 
 proceeded to enjoy what he called a breathing 
 spell. 
 
 " Dat ar nigger man you hear me talk 
 about," he remarked, " wuz a-gittin' sorter oF, 
 en he got so he ain't want ter work nohow you 
 kin fix it. When folks hangs back fum work 
 
36 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 what dey bin set ter do, hit natchully makes bad 
 matters wuss, en dat de way 't wuz with dish 
 yer nigger man. He helt back, en he hung 
 back, en den de white folks got fretted wid 
 'im en sot 'im a task. Gentermens ! dat nig- 
 ger man wuz mad. He wuz one er deze yer 
 Affiky niggers, en you know how dey is — • 
 bowlegged en bad tempered. He quoiled en 
 he quoiled when he 'uz by his own lone se'f, 
 en he quoiled when he 'uz wid tudder folks. 
 
 " He got so mad dat he say he hope ole 
 Gran'sir Death '11 come take him off, en take 
 his marster en de overseer 'long wid 'im. He 
 talk so long en he talk so loud, dat de white 
 folks hear what he say. Den de marster en 
 de overseer make it up 'mongst deyse'f dat 
 dey gwine *er play a prank on dat nigger 
 man. 
 
 " So den, one night, a leetle atter midnight, 
 de marster got 'm a white counterpane, he did, 
 en wrop hisse'f in it, en den he cut two eye- 
 holes in a piller-case, en drawed it down over 
 his head, en went down ter de house whar de 
 nigger man stay. Nigger man ain't gone ter 
 bed. He been fryin' meat en bakin' ashcake, 
 en he sot dar in de cheer noddin', wid grease 
 in his mouf en big hunk er ashcake in his 
 
DEATH AND THE NEGRO MAN. 37 
 
 han\ De door wuz half-way open 3 en de fire 
 burnin' low. 
 
 "JDe marster walk in, he did, en sorter cle'r 
 up his th'oat. Nigger man ain't wake up. 
 Ef he make any movement, it uz ter clinch 
 de ashcake a leetle tighter. Den de marster 
 knock on de door — blim-blim-blim ! Nig- 
 ger man sorter fling his head back, but 't wan't 
 long 'fo' hit drapt forrerd ag'in, en he went 
 on wid his noddin' like nothin' ain't happen. 
 De marster knock some mo' — blam-blam- 
 blam ! Dis time de nigger wake up en roll 
 his eye -balls roun'. He see de big white 
 thing, en he skeered ter move. His han' 
 shake so he tu'n de ashcake loose. 
 
 " Nigger man low, * Who dat ? ' 
 
 " De marster say : * You call me, en I 
 come.' 
 
 " Nigger man say : ' I ain't call you. What 
 yo' name?' 
 
 " Marster 'low, ' Grandsir Death.' 
 
 " Nigger man shake so he can't skacely set 
 still. De col' sweat come out on 'im. He 'low, 
 'Marse Death, I ain't call you. Somebody 
 been fool you.' 
 
 "De marster 'low, 'I been hear you call 
 me p'intedly. I listen at you ter-day, en yis- 
 
38 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 tiddy, en day 'f o' yistiddy. You say you want 
 me ter take you en yo' marster en de overseer. 
 Now I done come at yo' call.' 
 
 " Nigger man shake wuss. He say : 6 Marse 
 Death, go git de overseer fust. He lots bigger 
 en fatter dan what I is. You '11 like him de 
 bes'. Please, suh, don't take me dis time, en 
 I won't bodder you no mo' long ez I live.' 
 
 " De marster 'low, i I come f er de man dat 
 call me ! I 'm in a hurry ! Daylight mus' n't 
 ketch me here. Come on ! ' 
 
 " Well, suh, dat nigger man make a break 
 for de winder, he did, en he went thoo it like 
 a frog divin' in de mill pon'. He tuck ter 
 de woods, en he 'uz gone mighty nigh a week. 
 When he come back home he went ter work, 
 en he work harder dan any er de res'. Some- 
 body come 'long en try ter buy 'im, but his 
 marster 'low he won't take lev'm hunder'd 
 dollars for 'im, — cash money, paid down in 
 his han' ! " 
 
WHERE THE HARRYCANE COMES FROM. 
 
 While Uncle Remus was telling the little 
 boy how the negro man had been frightened 
 by his master, the clouds began to gather in 
 the southwest, dark and threatening. They 
 rose higher and higher, and presently they 
 began to fly swiftly overhead. Uncle Remus 
 studied them carefully a moment, and then 
 remarked sententiously : — 
 
 " Mo' win' dan water, I speck." 
 
 " How can you tell, Uncle Remus ? " asked 
 the little boy. 
 
 " Caze when cloud got water in it you kin 
 see de shadder er de rain ; you can see where 
 she starts ter break off fum de cloud. Dat 
 cloud yonder look black, but she 's all stirred 
 up ; you can't see no rain trailin' down. She 
 look like she been tousled and tumbled." 
 
 Just then the old man and the little boy 
 felt the cool wind strike their faces, and the 
 leaves of the trees began to rustle. Straight- 
 
40 UNCLE EEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 way they heard a sighing sound in the dis- 
 tance, which gradually increased to a steady 
 roar, accompanied by an occasional gleam of 
 lightning and rumbling of thunder. 
 
 " I speck we better git in under de shin- 
 gles/' said Uncle Kemus. " It mought be a 
 harrycane, an den agin it mought n't." 
 
 They went into the old negro's cabin, and 
 sat there watching the approaching storm. It 
 was not much of a storm after all. There 
 was a very high wind, which seemed to blow 
 through the tops of the trees (as Uncle Re- 
 mus expressed it, " She rid high ") without 
 reaching the ground. While the gale in the 
 upper air was at its height, there was a sud- 
 den downpour of hail, which rattled on the 
 roof with startling effect for a few moments. 
 In half an hour the clouds had been whisked 
 away out of sight, and the sun was shining 
 again. The little boy had a good many re- 
 marks to make about the wind and the hail, 
 and a great many questions to ask. Uncle 
 Remus himself was unusually talkative, and, 
 finally, in response to some suggestion of the 
 child's, said : — 
 
 " Dem what done seed one harrycane ain't 
 gwine hone atter no mo' — dat dey ain't. I 
 
WHERE THE HABRYCANE COMES FROM. 41 
 
 use ter hear ole Miss talk 'bout a bed tick dat 
 wuz blow'd f um Jones county mos' ter 'Gusty. 
 Dat same harrycane blow'd de roof off'n a 
 house whar de folks wuz eatin' supper, en 
 did n't put de candle out. Dat what ole 
 Miss say," said the old man, noting the little 
 boy's look of astonishment, — " dat what ole 
 Miss say, en she yo' gran-mammy. You kin 
 'spute it ef you wanter. It tuck a mule en 
 landed 'im in de tree top, en tuck de mat- 
 tress fum under a baby in de cradle en lef 
 de baby layin' dar. I wuz stannin' right by 
 when ole Miss sesso." 
 
 " Where do the harrycanes start from, 
 Uncle Eemus ? " asked the little boy. 
 
 The old man chuckled, as he took a chew 
 of tobacco : — 
 
 " What de use er me tellin' you, honey ? 
 You won't nigh believe me, en mo'n dat ; 
 you '11 go up yander en tell Miss Sally dat de 
 ole nigger done gone ravin' 'stracted." 
 
 " Now, Uncle Eemus, you know I won't," 
 protested the little boy. 
 
 " Well, folks lots older en bigger dan what 
 you is ud go en do it, en not so much ez bat 
 der eyes." € 
 
 The old man paused, took off his spectacles, 
 
42 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 and rubbed his eyes with thumb and forefin- 
 ger. Replacing the glasses, he looked care- 
 fully around, laid his hand confidentially on 
 the little boy's shoulder, and said in a low 
 whisper : — 
 
 " I '11 tell you whar de harrycane starts. 
 Dey starts in de big swamp ! In a hollow 
 tree ! Down dar whar de bullace vines 
 grows ! Dat 's whar dey starts." 
 
 " I don't see how that can be," said the 
 puzzled youngster. 
 
 "I speck not," remarked Uncle Remus, 
 dryly. " You dunner how 't is dat dat ar 
 acorn in yo' han' is got a great big oak tree 
 in it. Dey got ter be a startin' place. Ef 
 trees wuz ter start out trees, you 'd see a mon- 
 st'us upsettin' all roun' ev'eywheres. Dey 'd 
 be trouble, mon, en a heap un it." 
 
 " But how can a harrycane start in a hollow 
 tree, Uncle Remus ? " the child asked. 
 
 " Well, suh, one time when I wuz a little 
 bigger dan what you is, dey wuz a ole Affiky 
 man live on de place, en he kep' a-tellin' me 
 tales, and bimeby one day he 'low he wanter 
 shew me some harrycane seed. I ain't had 
 much sense, but I had 'nuff fer ter tell 'im I 
 don't wanter look at urn, kaze I f ear'd dey 'd 
 
 
WHERE THE HABRYCANE COMES FROM. 43 
 
 sprout en come up right 'fo' my eyes. Den 
 dat ole Affiky man, he squinch his eyes at me 
 en tell me de tale how de harrycane start. 
 
 " Hit 's all on account er ole Sis Swamp-Owl. 
 All de birds er de a'r sot her ole man fer ter 
 watch de vittles one time, en he tuck'n went 
 ter sleep en let some un steal it. Dey kotch 
 'im sleep, en f um dat time out dey start in ter 
 fight 'im eve'y time he show his head in day- 
 light. Dis make Ole Sis Swamp-Owl mad, en 
 so one day, when de hot wedder come, she 
 make up her min' dat she gwine ter gi' de 
 tudder birds some trouble. She come out de 
 holler tree en sot up in de top lim's. She 
 look to'rds sundown, rain-seeds floatin' 'roun' ; 
 she look up in de elements, dey look hazy. 
 She tap on de tree. 
 
 " ' Wake up, ole man ; harrycane gittin' 
 ripe.' 
 
 " She stretch out 'er wings, so — en flop 
 um down — dis away — en right den an dar 
 de harrycane seed sprouted." 
 
 Uncle Remus used his arms to illustrate the 
 motion of the wings. 
 
 " When she flop 'er wings, de tree leafs 
 'gun ter rustle. She flop um some mo', en 
 de lim's 'gun ter shake, en de win' kotch up 
 
44 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 mo' win, en git harder en harder, twel bimeby 
 it look like it gwine ter claw de grass out de 
 groun\ Den de thunder en de lightnin' dey 
 jin'd it, en it des went a-whirlin'. 
 
 " Sence dat time, whenever ole Sis Owl gits 
 tired er de crows en de jaybirds, en de bee- 
 martins pickin' at her en her folks, she des 
 comes out en flops her wings, en dar 's yo 5 
 harrycane." 
 
VI. 
 
 WHY BROTHER WOLF DID N T EAT THE 
 LITTLE RABBITS. 
 
 "Uncle Remus," said the little boy one 
 day, " why don't you come up to the big 
 house sometimes, and tell me stories ? " 
 
 " Shoo, honey, de spoon hatter go ter de 
 bowl's house. Ef I wuz atter you ter tell me 
 tales, I 'd come up dar en set in de back 
 porch en lissen at you eve'y day, en some- 
 times eve'y night. But when de spoon want 
 anything, it hatter go ter de bowl. Hit bleedz 
 ter be dat away." 
 
 " Well, you used to come." 
 
 " Des so ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus. " But 
 whar wuz you 'bout dat time ? Right flat er 
 yo' back, dat 's whar you wuz. You laid dar 
 en swaller'd dat doctor truck twel I be blest 
 ef you had mo' heft dan a pa'tridge egg wid' 
 de innerds blow'd out. En dar wuz Miss 
 Sally a-cryin' en gwine on constant. Ef she 
 wan't cryin' bout you, she wuz quoilin' at me 
 
46 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 en Marse John. 'Oman tongue ain't got no 
 Sunday. Co'se, when I git dar whar you wuz, 
 I hatter set down en tell tales fer ter make 
 you fergit 'bout de fuss dat wuz gwine on. 
 I 'member one time/' Uncle Remus went on, 
 laughing, " I wuz settin' dar by yo' bed, 
 tellin' some great tale er nudder, en de fus' 
 news I know'd I woke up and foun' myse'f 
 fast asleep, en you woke up en foun' yo'se'f 
 in de land er Nod. Dar we wuz, — me in de 
 cheer, en you in de bed ; en I 'd nod at you, 
 en you 'd sno' back at me ; en dar wuz de old 
 torty-shell cat settin' by de h'ath, runnin' dat 
 ar buzz-wheel what cats has got somewhars in 
 der innerds ; en de clock wuz a-clockin' en de 
 candle a-splutterin' ; en des 'bout dat time 
 Miss Sally come in en rap me 'pon topper de 
 naked place on my head wid er thimble ; en 
 I kotch my breff like a cow a-coughin', en den 
 Miss Sally start in ter quoilin', en Marse John 
 ax 'er what she doin', en she 'low she des 
 whisperin' ter me ; en Marse John say ef she 
 call dat whisperin', he dunner what she call 
 squallin' ; en den I up en groanded one er deze 
 yer meetin'-house groans. 
 
 " Dem wuz great times, mon," continued the 
 old man, after pausing to recover his breath. 
 
THE LITTLE RABBITS. 47 
 
 * Dey mos' sholy wuz. Hit look like ter me 
 'bout dem days dat you wan't no bigger dan 
 a young rabbit atter de hide been tuck off. 
 You cert'nly wuz spare-made den. I sot dar 
 by yo' bed, en I say ter myse'f dat ef I wuz de 
 ole Brer Wolf en you wuz a young rabbit, I 
 would n't git hongry nuff fer ter eat you, 
 caze you wuz too bony." 
 
 " When did Brother Wolf want to eat the 
 young rabbit, Uncle Remus ? " inquired the 
 little boy, thinking that he saw the sugges- 
 tion of a story here. 
 
 He was not mistaken. The old man re- 
 garded him with well feigned astonishment. 
 
 "Ain't I done tole you 'bout dat, honey? 
 Des run over in yo' min', en see ef I ain't." 
 
 The youngster shook his head most em- 
 phatically. 
 
 " Well," said Uncle Remus, " ole Brer 
 Wolf want ter eat de little Rabs all de time, 
 but dey wuz one time in 'tickeler dat dey 
 make his mouf water, en dat wuz de time 
 when him en Brer Fox wuz visitin' at Brer 
 Rabbit's house. De times wuz hard, but de 
 little Rabs wuz slick en fat, en des ez frisky 
 ez kittens. Ole Brer Rabbit wuz off som'ers, 
 en Brer Wolf en Brer Fox wuz waitin 'fer 'im. 
 
48 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 De little Eabs wuz playin' 'roun', en dough 
 dey wuz little dey kep' der years open. Brer 
 Wolf look at urn out'n de cornder uv his eyes, 
 en lick his chops en wink at Brer Fox, en 
 Brer Fox wunk back at 'im. Brer Wolf 
 cross his legs, en den Brer Fox cross his'n. 
 De little Kabs, dey frisk en dey frolic. 
 
 " Brer Wolf ho'd his head to'rds um en 
 'low, ' Dey er mighty fat.' 
 
 " Brer Fox grin, en say, ' Man, hush yo' 
 mouf ! ' 
 
 " De little Rabs frisk en frolic, en play 
 furder off, but dey keep der years primed. 
 
 " Brer Wolf look at um en low, c Ain't dey 
 slick en purty ? ' 
 
 " Brer Fox chuckle, en say, 6 Oh, I wish 
 you 'd hush ! ' 
 
 " De little Rabs play off furder en furder, 
 but dey keep der years open. 
 
 " Brer Wolf smack his mouf ; en 'low, € Dey 
 er joosy en tender.' 
 
 " Brer Fox roll his eye en say, ' Man, ain't 
 you gwine ter hush up, 'fo' you gi' me de fid- 
 gets ? ' 
 
 " De little Rabs dey frisk en dey frolic, but 
 dey hear eve'ything dat pass. 
 
 " Brer Wolf lick out his tongue quick, en 
 'low, * Less us whirl in en eat um.' 
 
THE LITTLE BABBITS. 49 
 
 rt Brer Fox say, ' Man, you make me hon- 
 gry ! Please hush up ! ' 
 
 u De little Rabs play off f urder en f urder, 
 but dey know 'zackly what gwine on. Dey 
 frisk en dey frolic, but dey got der years wide 
 open. 
 
 " Den Brer Wolf make a bargain wid Brer 
 Fox dat when Brer Rabbit git home, one un 
 urn ud git 'im wropped up in a 'spute 'bout 
 fust one thing en den anudder, whiles tudder 
 one ud go out en ketch de little Rabs. 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, i You better do de talkin', 
 Brer Wolf, en lemme coax de little Rabs off. 
 I got mo' winnin' ways wid chilluns dan what 
 you is.' 
 
 " Brer Wolf say, ' You can't make gourd 
 out'n punkin, Brer Fox. I ain't no talker. 
 Yo' tongue lots slicker dan mine. I kin bite 
 lots better'n I kin talk. Dem little Rabs don't 
 want no coaxin' ; dey wants ketchin' — dat 
 what dey wants. You keep ole Brer Rabbit 
 busy, en I '11 ten' ter de little Rabs.' 
 
 " Bofe un um know 'd dat whichever cotch 
 de little Rabs, de tudder one ain't gwine smell 
 hide ner hair un um, en dey flew up en got 
 ter 'sputin', en whiles dey wuz 'sputin' en 
 gwine on dat away, de little Rabs put off down 
 
50 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 de road, — blickety-blickety , — for ter meet 
 der daddy. Kase dey know'd ef dey stayed 
 dar dey 'd git in big trouble. 
 
 ? Dey went off down de road, de little Rabs 
 did, en dey ain't gone so mighty fur 'fo' dey 
 meet der daddy comin' long home. He had 
 his walkin' cane in one han' en a jug in de 
 udder, en he look ez big ez life, en twice ez 
 natchul. 
 
 " De little Rabs w run to'rds 'im en holler, 
 i What you got, dadd/ ? What you got, 
 daddy V 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, fc Norinv' but er jug er 
 'lasses.' 
 
 " De little Rabs holler, c Lemme tas'e, daddy ! 
 Lemme tas'e, daddy ! ' 
 
 " Den ole Brer Rabbit sot de jug down in 
 de road en let um lick de stopper a time er 
 two, en atter dey done get der win' back, dey 
 up'n tell 'im 'bout de 'greement dat Brer 
 Wolf en Brer Fox done make, en 'bout de 
 'spute what dey had. Ole Brer Rabbit sorter 
 laugh ter hisse'f, en den he pick up his jug en. 
 jog on to'rds home. When he git mos' dar he 
 stop en tell de little Rabs fer stay back dar out 
 er sight, en wait twel he call um 'fo' dey 
 come. Dey wuz mighty glad ter do des like 
 
THE LITTLE BABBITS. 51 
 
 dis, kaze dey 'd done seed Brer Wolf tushes, 
 en Brer Fox red tongue, en dey huddle up in 
 de broom-sage ez still ez a mouse in de flour 
 bar'l. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit went on home, en sho 'nuff, 
 he fin' Brer Wolf en Brer Fox waitin' fer 'im. 
 Dey 'd done settle der 'spute, en dey wuz set- 
 tin* dar des ez smilin' ez a basket er chips. 
 Dey pass de time er day wid Brer Rabbit, en 
 den dey ax 'im what he got in de jug. Brer 
 Rabbit hummed en haw'd, en looked sorter 
 solium. 
 
 " Brer Wolf look like he wuz bleedz ter 
 fin' out what wuz in de jug, en he keep a pes- 
 terin' Brer Rabbit 'bout it ; but Brer Rabbit 
 des shake his head en look solium, en talk 
 'bout de wedder en de craps, en one thing en 
 anudder. Bimeby Brer Fox make out he wuz 
 gwine atter a drink er water, en he slip out, 
 he did, fer ter ketch de little Rabs. Time he 
 git out de house, Brer Rabbit look all 'roun' 
 ter see ef he lis'nen, en den he went ter de 
 jug en pull out de stopper. 
 
 " He han' it ter Brer Wolf en say, ' Tas'e 
 dat.' 
 
 " Brer Wolf tas'e de 'lasses, en smack his 
 mouf . He 'low, ' What kinder truck dat ? 
 Hit sho is good.' 
 
52 UNCLE EEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit git up close ter Brer Wolf en 
 say, ' Don't tell nobody. Hit 's Fox-blood.' 
 
 " Brer Wolf look 'stonish'. He 'low, ' How 
 you know ? ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, c I knows what I knows ! ' 
 " Brer Wolf say, ' Gimme some mo' ! * 
 " Brer Rabbit say, i You kin git some mo' 
 fer yo'se'f easy 'nuff, en de fresher 't is, de 
 better.' 
 
 " Brer Wolf 'low, c How you know ? f 
 " Brer Rabbit say, c I knows what I knows ! ' 
 " Wid dat Brer Wolf stepped out, en start 
 to'rds Brer Fox. Brer Fox seed 'im comin', 
 en he sorter back off. Brer Wolf got little 
 closer, en bimeby he make a dash at Brer 
 Fox. Brer Fox dodge, he did, en den he put 
 out fer de woods wid Brer Wolf right at his 
 heels. 
 
 " Den atter so long a time, atter Brer Rab- 
 bit got done laughin', he call up de little Rabs, 
 gi' um some 'lasses fer supper, en spanked um 
 en sont um ter bed." 
 
 " Well, what did he spank 'em for, Uncle 
 Remus ? " asked the little boy. 
 
 " Ter make um grow, honey, — des ter make 
 um grow ! Young creeturs is got ter have der 
 hide loosen'd dat away, same ez young chit 
 Inns." 
 
THE LITTLE RABBITS. 53 
 
 "Did Brother Wolf catch Brother Fox?" 
 " How I know, honey ? Much ez I kin do 
 ter f oiler de tale when it keeps in de big road, 
 let 'lone ter keep up wid dem creeturs whiles 
 dey gone sailin' thoo de woods. De tale ain't 
 persoo on atter um no furder dan de place 
 whar dey make der disappear'nce. I tell you 
 now, when I goes in de woods, I got ter know 
 whar I 'm gwine." 
 
VII. 
 
 MRS. PARTRIDGE HAS A FIT. 
 
 "I reckon maybe you done got de idee 
 dat Brer Rabbit is in about de smartest cree- 
 ter in de whole er creation/' said Uncle Re- 
 mus, after he had cleaned out his pipe, and 
 refilled it. " Well, suh, ef you got dat idee, 
 you er mighty much mistaken, kaze eve'y once 
 in a while sump'n er nudder 'ud happen fer 
 ter take de starch out'n Brer Rabbit. Hit 
 allers happen dat away. Go whar you will en 
 when you may, en stay long ez you choosen 
 ter stay, en right dar en den you '11 sholy fin' 
 dat folks what git full er consate en proudness 
 is gwine ter git it tuck out'n urn. You kin 
 see it gwine on right here 'f o' yo' eyes. Look 
 at dat Yaller Jake. Miss Sally got 'im ter 
 drive de carriage t'er Sunday, en 'fo' he got 
 back home he done f ergot dat his mammy wuz 
 a nigger 'oman. He 'uz high up one day, en 
 under de strap de nex'. 
 
 " Dat de way wid Brer Rabbit. Des 'bout 
 
MXS. PARTRIDGE HAS A FIT. 55 
 
 time he git it stuck in his min' dat dey ain't 
 nobody kin outdo 'im, up somebody 'd jump 
 en do 'im scan'lous. Dem what he ain't got 
 in de cornder er his min', dey de ve'y ones what 
 make 'im feel mighty umble-come-tumble. 
 
 " One time, when Brer Rabbit wuz feelin* 
 like he 'uz high ez a poplar tree en big aroun' 
 ez a gin-house, he tuck a notion dat he want 
 some bird eggs. Creeturs gits notions in 
 der heads same ez folks does, en dat de kind 
 er notion Brer Rabbit tuck up. Nothin '11 do 
 but he mus' have some bird eggs. Dat de 
 way he put it down. He bleedz ter have bird 
 eggs. 
 
 " He got 'im a basket, he did, en hung it on 
 his arm, en sot out ter hunt urn. He tuck a 
 nigh cut thoo de woods, en whiles he gwine 
 'long struttin' en hummin' one er deze yer 
 sassy chunes, he come 'cross Miss Pa'tridge. 
 You done hear 'bout Miss Pa'tridge, ain't 
 you?" Uncle Remus asked, noting the little 
 boy's look of surprise. " Mos' any day in de 
 week, en Sunday flung in fer good medjer 
 you kin hear um hollerin' en axin' ole Bob 
 White ef his peas mos' ripe, en will 'is dogs 
 bite, speshul at night. 
 
 " Well, suh, whiles Brer Rabbit gwine 'long 
 
56 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 huntin' bird eggs, he struck up wid' Miss 
 Pa'tridge. She 'd done grabbled a hole in de 
 hot san', en she wuz settin' in it, flingin' up 
 de dust wid foot en wing. 
 
 " Atter dey 'd howdied, Brer Rabbit 'low, 
 • What make you waller in de dust ? ' 
 
 " Miss Pa'tridge say, ' I 'm tryin' ter gitf 
 de freckles off. Where you gwine wid dat 
 baskit?' 
 
 "Brer Rabbit 'low he huntin' bird eggs. 
 Miss Pa'tridge ask 'im ef 't ain't bad manners 
 ter rob bird-nesses. Brer Rabbit 'low he done 
 hear talk 'bout it, but when a man git hongry, 
 he can't stan' on manners. Dey jower'd, dey 
 did, twel bimeby Miss Pa'tridge say dat ef 
 Brer Rabbit is bent on robbin' bird-nesses, 
 she 'd take en show 'im whar some wuz ; en 
 wid dat, off dey put, Miss Pa'tridge leadin' de 
 way. 
 
 "Fust dey come whar dey wuz a nes' wid 
 two big eggs in it. Brer Rabbit 'low, 'Dat 
 ain't no bird-nes'. Dat's a hen-nes'.' 
 
 " Miss Pa'tridge wuz 'stonish'd. She say, 
 ' Lawsy, Brer Rabbit, I hear tell dat hens lays 
 mo' dan two eggs.' 
 
 " Dey went on, en bimeby dey come ter a 
 Guinny-nes'. Miss Pa'tridge 'low, i Dis is sho 
 'nuff bird-nes'.' 
 
MBS. PARTRIDGE HAS A FIT. 57 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' Ain't you got no sense, 
 Wan ? Dis is Pot Rack nes\ Lemme go 
 'head. I '11 fin' bird-nes'.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit lead de way right spang ter 
 Miss Pa'tridge nes'. Dis kinder flustrate de 
 ole lady, but she say ter herse'f dat her nes' is 
 so hid by de grass dat sholy Brer Rabbit 
 won't be able ter fin' it. But Brer Rabbit 
 got sharp eyes. He see whar de nes' is, but 
 he sorter snuffle 'roun' en make like he huntin' 
 it. 
 
 " He 'low, 6 Look like I smell bird-egg.' 
 
 " Miss Pa'tridge laugh en fan 'erse'f wid a 
 heart-leaf, en say, ' How de name er goodness 
 kin anybody smell bird-egg ? ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, ' I '11 show you ; ' en wid 
 dat he unkivered de nes', en dar 't wuz wid in 
 'bout a hatful er eggs piled up in it. 
 
 "Miss Pa'tridge make a great 'miration. 
 She say, c Lawsy, yes ! you kin smell um, 
 Brer Rabbit, en who 'd a thunk it? ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit start ter put um in his basket, 
 but Miss Pa'tridge sorter dance 'roun', she did, 
 en say, ' Wait, Brer Rabbit, you better lemme 
 see ef dey er good, kaze I done fergit mo' 
 'bout bird-eggs dan you ever know'd.' 
 
 " Wid dat Miss Pa'tridge break one uv um 
 
58 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 en tas'e it, en, man, suh ! she ain't mo' 'n 
 git it in 'er mouf 'fo' she fell over backerds, 
 en had de wuss kinder fit. You done see 
 chickens wid der head chop off. Well, Miss 
 Pa'tridge done wuss'n dat. She flewed up, 
 en fell down en flutter, en scramble 'roun' in de 
 leaves twel Brer Rabbit 'gun ter git skeered. 
 When Miss Pa'tridge ud sorter flutter to'rds 
 him, he 'd jump back en shake his foots like a 
 cat does when she git water on um, en he feel 
 so funny he 'd whirl 'roun' en shake hisse'f 
 when a piece er grass tickle 'im on de leg. 
 
 " When Miss Pa'tridge kin ketch 'er breff, 
 she squall out, i Run, Brer Rabbit, run ! 
 Dey er snake eggs. Run, Brer Rabbit, run ! 
 Dey er rank pizen ! ' 
 
 " When Brer Rabbit hear dis, I let you 
 know he put out f um dar like de dogs wuz atter 
 'im. Miss Pa'tridge went off in de bushes en 
 made anudder nes', en tuck her eggs dar, en 
 sot down on um en res' 'erse'f ; en sometimes 
 when she 'd be noddin' she 'd wake up en laugh 
 at de way she fool ole Brer Rabbit. 
 
 " Maybe you '11 be a-iellin' dis tale some er 
 dese days," Uncle Remus went on, beaming 
 down on the little boy, " en some un '11 whirl 
 in en 'spute it. When dat de case, you des ax 
 
MRS. PARTRIDGE HAS A FIT. 59 
 
 urn ter go whar Miss Pa'tridge got 'er lies' en 
 see ef she don't do des' like she done when 
 she fool Brer Rabbit. She seed how it work 
 den, en she done tell all 'er chilluns dat dat de 
 bes' way ter do. En den, 'pon top er dat, you 
 ax urn ef dey ever hear er Brer Rabbit huntin' 
 bird-eggs sence dat time. Des ax urn dat, en 
 I boun' dey won't 'spute yo' word no mo' atter 
 dat." 
 
 " Well, Uncle Remus," said the little boy, 
 " why does n't Brother Rabbit hunt bird 
 eggs?" 
 
 " Kaze he skeer'd he '11 git pizened," re- 
 sponded the old man promptly. 
 
vni. 
 
 BROTHER FOX " SMELLS SMOKE." 
 
 One day the little boy was going through 
 the negro quarters yelling at the top of his 
 voice, repeating the refrain of a nonsense 
 song he had heard the plough-hands sing. 
 
 " High, my lady ! Brinjer, ho" 
 
 When he came near Uncle Remus' s house, 
 the old man called out : — 
 
 "Heyodar? Who dat?" 
 
 " Me ! It 's me-me ! Brinjer, ho ! " 
 
 " Well, I 'clar ter gracious I 'm glad er dat. 
 I low'd maybe it uz ole Brer Rabbit gwine by 
 sellin' mustard poultices. You holler des like 
 'im." 
 
 This, of course, was a challenge to the little 
 boy to ask for a story, and he accepted it at 
 once. 
 
 " Shoo ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus, after he 
 had teased the youngster awhile. " I done tol* 
 you dat tale too long ago ter fergit about." 
 
 But the little boy protested so seriously that 
 
BROTHER FOX "SMELLS SMOKE." 61 
 
 the old man settled himself back in his chair 
 and began. 
 
 " Well, one time dey wuz a man, en dish 
 yer man had a farm. He had pigs, en he had 
 chickens, en he had ducks. He wuz gwine on 
 farmin', en raisin' pigs en ducks en chickens, 
 twel bimeby, one day, he miss a pig. He ain't 
 say nothin', en nex' day he miss a chicken. 
 Still he ain't say nothin', en de nex' day atter 
 he miss a duck. 
 
 " Den he 'low, ' Hi ! what kinder doin's is 
 dis?' 
 
 " He study 'bout it, en den he fix 'im up a 
 trap, en put a pig in it, en set it out by de 
 hoss lot. He ain't cotch nothin', but he see 
 tracks 'roun' de trap. 
 
 " He 'low, 6 Hey ! Dish yer look like Brer 
 Fox been foolin' 'roun' here. I know 'im, 
 kase de holler er his foot makes a hole in de 
 groun.' 
 
 " Den he tuck de pig out en put a chicken 
 in de trap. Nex' mornin' he went out, he 
 did, en, sho' nuff, dar wuz Brer Fox settin' 
 in dar 'long wid some chicken fedders, en he 
 look mighty umble-come-tumble. 
 
 "De man look at de fedders, en 'low, 'I 
 glad you brung yo' bed wid you, kaze you 'd 
 a slep' hard ef you had n't.' 
 
62 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer Fox, he talk mighty polite. He 'low, 
 
 6 1 wish you please, suh, turn me out. I wuz 
 passin' by las' night on my way home f um de 
 dance, en I heard a chicken hollering en flut- 
 tering en I come in fer ter see what de matter. 
 When I got in, de chicken wuz done gone, en 
 den de door shot tight, en here I hat ter stay.' 
 
 " Man say, ' Ef dat chicken wuz ter holler 
 now, I boun' he 'd skeer you.' 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, ' How come ? ' 
 
 " Man say, ' 'Kaze he so close ter you.' 
 
 " Man got 'im a rope en tied Brer Fox 
 hard en fas'. He tied all his foots tergedder, 
 en den he tuck Brer Fox home en hung 'im 
 up on a nail in de wall, en tole his ole 'oman 
 dat she mus' watch 'im twel he come home. 
 Den de man went ter work in de fiel'. 
 
 " De man's wife, she watch en watch whiles 
 she shelled peas. Den she 'd go en stir de 
 stew in de pot, en come back en watch, en 
 shell mo' peas. 
 
 " Bimeby, Brer Fox say, l Look like you 
 got a mighty heap er peas dar.' 
 
 " De 'oman 'low, c Laws a massy, yes ! A 
 heap here, en a heap mo' ter come ! Han's in 
 de fiel' got ter be fed. Lawsy, yes ! A whole 
 passel er peas, en mo' ter come ! ' 
 
BROTHER FOX " SMELLS SMOKE." 63 
 
 u Brer Fox say, ' Ef you '11 take me down 
 en ontie me, I '11 shell dem peas f er you, whiles 
 you er fixin' de rest er de dinner. Den you 
 kin tie me up ag'in en hang me on de nail.' 
 
 " De 'oman, she shuck 'er head, but she 
 keep on studyin' 'bout it. Brer Fox, he keep 
 on a-talkin', en he talk so saf en he talk so 
 smart dat de 'oman put it down in 'er min' 
 dat he ain't bad ez dey say he is. Den she 
 tuck Brer Fox down en ontied 'im, en he lit 
 in ter shellin' peas des ez hard ez he kin. He 
 kep' one eye on de 'oman, en de 'oman she 
 kep' one eye eta him. De 'oman stirred de 
 stew in de pot, en Brer Fox, he fumble wid 
 de peas. De 'oman, she sif de meal, en Brer 
 Fox, he fumble wid de peas. 
 
 " Hit went on dis away, twel bimeby Brer 
 Fox make a break fer de door, but de 'oman 
 'uz too quick fer 'im. She slam de do', she' 
 did, en chase Brer Fox 'roun' de room wid 
 a battlin-stick, en she push 'im so close dat 
 he bleedz ter run up de chimbley. Man, 
 suh ! dey wuz trouble den ef dey never wuz 
 none befo' ! When Brer Fox light up de 
 chimbley he turned de pot er stew over, en 
 put out de fier, en scald de 'oman. She gun 
 a squall, she did, but Brer Fox done gone ! 
 
64 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOT. 
 
 " 'T wan't long fo' de man en de fiel' han's 
 come home fer ter git der dinner, en when 
 dey fin' dey ain't no dinner dar, den dey wuz 
 a rippit. De man, he jower en jower, en de 
 'oman, she tuck'n cry, twel bimehy she flew 
 mad, en den she sot in ter jowerin', en she 
 outjowered de man. She ax 'im how come 
 he ain't kill Brer Fox while he had 'im, stid- 
 der bringin' 'im dar whar he kin cut up his 
 didos, en spile de dinner, en scald her all on 
 de foots, en ruin her shoes, en put out de 
 fier ? De man can't say nothin' ; he des 
 hush up en go long 'bout his business, hon- 
 gry dough he mought be." 
 
 " Well, Uncle Remus," said the little boy, 
 as the old man closed his eyes and leaned 
 back his head against his chair, " did the 
 man catch Brother Fox ? " 
 
 " De man ain't ketch 'im, but he got kotch. 
 When de man lef his ole 'oman a- jowerin' en 
 a-jawin' at 'im, he went out in de pastur, en sot 
 on de fence. He sot dar, he did, en he feel 
 mighty bad. He done plum outdone. He 
 le'nt his head on his han', en do like some- 
 body got de jaw-ache. . 
 
 " On top er de hill, not so mighty fur fum 
 dar, wuz de place whar Brer Rabbit live at. 
 
BROTHER FOX "SMELLS SMOKE:* 65 
 
 He see de man come out en set on de fence, 
 en he watch 'im. De man still set dar, en 
 Brer Kabbit crope little closer, en watch 'im. 
 Bimeby Brer Rabbit come out de bushes en 
 ax de man what de matter. De man up en 
 tell 'im ; en den ole Brer Rabbit laugh, en say 
 he ain't know Brer Fox wuz so sassy en spry. 
 He 'low, ' I speck I '11 hatter take 'im down a 
 peg or two. He been fightin' shy er me dis 
 long time. I feard he bin studyin' up some 
 bran new tricks.' 
 
 " Den Brer Rabbit ax de man how much 
 he '11 gi' 'im ef he '11 make Brer Fox feel sorry 
 en sore on account er his prank. De man say 
 he'll let Brer Rabbit grabble in his goober 
 patch, en nibble de cabbage des ez much ez 
 he want ter. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, ' En you won't sic de 
 dog on me ? ' 
 
 " Man say, ' I won't sic de dog on you.' 
 a Brer Rabbit 'low, i It 's a bargain.' 
 " Den ole Brer Rabbit begin fer ter com- 
 mence fer ter rope Brer Fox in. He tell 
 de man he mus' have some chicken gizzuds. 
 Man went en got um. Den Brer Rabbit 
 wen' back on de hill whar he live at, en got 
 his wallet en his walkin' cane. In de wallet 
 
66 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 he put de chicken gizzuds, en on his walkin' 
 cane he hung de wallet. Den he went out 
 f er ter take a walk. 
 
 " He ain't gone so mighty fur 'f o' he see 
 Brer Fox gwine 'long sniffin' de a'r en trot- 
 tin' wid his head up like a blin' hoss. Brer 
 Rabbit hail Brer Fox, an ax 'hn whar he 
 gwine. Brer Fox 'spon' dat he ain't gwine 
 nowhars in 'tic'lar, en he ax wharbouts Brer 
 Rabbit gwine wid his walkin' cane en wallet. 
 Brer Rabbit 'spon' dat he huntin' fer some- 
 body fer ter he'p 'im move in some hay. All 
 dis time Brer Fox wuz walkin' 'roun' en 'roun' 
 sniffin' de a'r. 
 
 "Bimeby, he up'n 'low, 'Brer Rabbit, I 
 b'lieve in my soul I smell chicken gizzuds.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' I 'speck you does, Brer 
 Fox, kaze I got um right here in my wallet.' 
 
 " Den Brer Fox jaw begun ter trimble, en 
 he fair dribble at de mouf, kaze ef dey is any- 
 thing on de topper side er de yeth what he 
 love mo' dan anudder, 't is chicken gizzuds. 
 
 " He 'low, ' How many is you got, Brer 
 Rabbit?' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, c Some'rs 'twixt sev'm 
 en 'lev'm.' 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, ' What you gwine do wid 
 um, Brer Rabbit ? ' 
 
BROTHER FOX "SMELLS SMOKE." 67 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' I gwine gi' um ter de 
 man what he'ps me wid my hay.' 
 
 " Brer Fox jump up in de a'r, he did, en 
 'low, * Show me de hay, Brer Rabbit ! Show 
 me de hay ! I'mde man what kin move it.' 
 
 " So Brer Rabbit start back de way he 
 come, en Brer Fox went 'long wid 'im. Brer 
 Fox trot 'long on de side whar de wallet wuz, 
 en one time he went ter look in it, but Brer 
 Rabbit too smart fer dat. 
 
 " He 'low, c You kin look at um when you 
 done yearned um, en not a blessed minnit 
 sooner.' 
 
 " Well, 't wan't long 'f o' dey come ter whar 
 de pile er hay wuz. Brer Fox ax Brer Rab- 
 bit what he gwine do wid all dat dry grass, en 
 Brer Rabbit say he gwine ter feed his cow 
 wid some, en some he gwineter stuff in his 
 bed tick. Dey sorter palaver' d, dey did, but 
 bimeby Brer Fox he got a good big turn er 
 de ruffage on his back, en start up de hill. 
 Brer Rabbit tuck out his flint en steel en 
 struck it on de hay. 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, ' What dat ? ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' Cricket hollerin'.' 
 
 " Den de grass 'gun ter crackle en blaze, 
 en Brer Fox low, < What dat ? ' 
 
68 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer Eabbit say, ' Grasshopper singinY 
 
 " Brer Fox, he mozey 'long, he did, en 
 bimeby he 'low, ' I smell smoke.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, i Somebody burnin' de 
 new grounY 
 
 " Atter while, Brer Fox 'low, c I feel mighty 
 hot.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, [ Wedder monst'us warm.' 
 
 " 'T wan't long 'fo' de hay burn down en 
 Brer Fox, he fetched one squall en jump out 
 fum under it. He twis', he turn, he roll, he 
 jump, but 't ain't do no good, en den he make 
 a break fer de creek. De ha'r done burnt 
 off'n his back, en de hide blistered. Dat 
 what he git fer tryin' ter steal fum de man, 
 en fer turnin' over de pot er stew, stidder 
 waitin' twel he got a good chance ter go out 
 de door. Ef he 'd 'a' done dat, he 'd 'a' saved 
 his manners en his hide too." 
 
 " I think," said the little boy, as Uncle Re- 
 mus paused to fill his pipe, " that Brother 
 Rabbit was very cruel." 
 
 " Shoo, honey," exclaimed the old man. 
 " You might talk dat away 'bout folks, but 
 creeturs, — well, folks is folks en creeturs is 
 creeturs, en you can't make um needer mo' 
 ner less." 
 
IX. 
 
 BROTHER FOX STILL IN TROUBLE. 
 
 Uncle Remus sat and smoked his pipe re- 
 flectively for some time after the little boy had 
 criticised the heartlessness of the " creeturs." 
 When he spoke, he showed that he had been 
 thinking the matter over. He took the pipe 
 from his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke in 
 the air. 
 
 " Uh-uh ! " he exclaimed, " 't ain't no use 
 er talkin'. Creeturs is creeturs. You er what 
 you is, en you can't be no is-er ; I 'm what I 
 am en I can't be no am-er. It all done been 
 fix, en I ain't see nobody yit what kin onfix 
 it. Creeturs is natchally got ha'sh idees, en 
 you may take notice : wharsomever you see 
 ha'r en bristles, right dar you er mo' dan ap' 
 ter fin' claws en tushes. Hit 's des like I tell 
 you, honey ! 
 
 " You flung me off'n de track, but I ain't 
 done wid dat fuss twix Brer Rabbit en Brer 
 Fox. You sorter flinch'd kaze Brer Rabbit 
 
70 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 tuck en burnt a blister on Brer Fox back, en 
 it sot me ter studyin' ; but we ain't come ter 
 de wuss. Ef you er too tetchy f er ter set dar 
 whiles I runs on, you kin des go up ter de big 
 house en watch Sis Tempy fret over dat churn. 
 I hear 'er quoilin' now." 
 
 The only reply the little boy made was to 
 settle himself more firmly on the split-bottom 
 chair in which he was sitting. Seeing which, 
 the old man continued : — 
 
 " Now, den, what do Brer Rabbit do atter 
 he scorch Brer Fox? Do he go off some'rs 
 en set down en mope, kaze Brer Fox rushed out 
 fum under de burnin' straw? Ef you t'ink 
 he gwine do dat away, you mighty much 
 mistaken. He des ez restless ez he yever is 
 been. He move 'bout en he work his min', 
 he jump 'roun' en study. 
 
 " He got 'im a string er red pepper, en he 
 stewed it down wid some hog fat en mutton 
 suet. Den he pick out de pepper, en when de 
 fat en de suet git col' he tuck'n spread de 
 salve on a long piece er rag. He tuck dis rag, 
 he did, en put it in his wallet, en den he got 
 down his walkin' cane, en went down de road 
 to'rds de place whar Brer Fox live at. He 
 ain't gone so mighty fur 'f o' he see Brer Fox 
 
BBOTHEB FOX STILL IN TROUBLE. 71 
 
 settin' down nussin' hisse'f . Time he see 'im 
 Brer Rabbit 'gun ter holler : — 
 
 " c N'yam ! n'yam ! 'Intment fer swellin's ! 
 Salve fer burns en blisters ! N'yam, n'yam ! ' 
 
 " He kep' a-hollerin' dis away des loud ez he 
 kin. He hoi' his head up like he ain't see 
 Brer Fox, en he wuz gwine on by, but Brer 
 Fox call 'im. Brer Rabbit look at 'im, but he 
 ain't stop. Den Brer Fox call 'im ag'in. Den 
 Brer Rabbit stop en look mighty hard. 
 
 " He holler back : ' What you want 'long 
 er me ? Ef 't wan't kaze you got de impidence 
 er Ole Scratch hisse'f , you would n't dast ter 
 have de face ter hail me whiles I gwine 'long 
 'tendin' ter my own business. Talk quick ! 
 I ain't got no time fer ter fool wid yo' sort ! ' 
 
 " Den Brer Fox ax' 'im what he so mighty 
 mad 'bout, en Brer Rabbit 'low, 6 Look how 
 you done me 'bout dat hay. Ain't you say you 
 gwine ter fetch it on top er de hill fer me ? ' 
 
 " Brer Fox look 'stonish. He say, c Name 
 er goodness, Brer Rabbit ! You see wid yo' 
 own eyes what de reason I can't fetch it up 
 dar. Look at my back, what got a blister on 
 it fum de top er my head plum to de een er 
 my tail ! I des like ter see de man what kin 
 tote grass when she git dat hot.' 
 
72 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit look at Brer Fox back, en he 
 make a great 'miration. He 'low, 'She sho 
 wuz hot, Brer Fox, en you got de marks un it. 
 I des tuck a notion you wuz playin' off one er 
 yo' pranks on me, en my feelin's wuz hurted.' 
 
 " Brer Fox say, * I hear you gwine on by 
 hollerin' 'bout some kind er 'intment er nuther 
 what '11 pacify burns, en dat what make I holler 
 at you.' 
 
 "Wid dat Brer Rabbit went down in his 
 wallet en f otch out de red-pepper salve, en say 
 ter Brer Fox dat he mus' git his ole 'oinan fer 
 ter spread de plarster on de place des soon ez 
 he kin. Brer Fox tuck it en wobble off home 
 des fas' ez he kin. Brer Rabbit, he f oiler 'long 
 out er sight, en hide in de bushes whar he kin 
 see en hear what gwine on. 
 
 "Well, suh, 't wan't long 'fo' Brer Rabbit 
 hear Brer Fox fetch a squall, en he shot out'n 
 de house, en in 'bout sev'm jumps he landed 
 in de creek, dough de creek wuz mo' 'n a half 
 mile off. Foxes is skeer'd er water, same ez 
 cats, but dat ar fox, he des roll en waller in 
 de water. Brer Rabbit still foller atter, en 
 when he git whar he kin see Brer Fox, he des 
 sot down en hoi' his han's on his side fer ter 
 keep fum bustin' de buttons off'n his wescut 
 wid laughin'. 
 
BROTHER FOX STILL IN TROUBLE. 73 
 
 "Bimeby he holler out, ' Gracious good- 
 ness, Brer Fox ! what de matter ? Is dat de 
 way you goes a-fishin' ? ' 
 
 " Brer Fox say : ' I 'm ruint, Brer Rabbit I 
 You done ruint me ! Dat er stuff you gi' me 
 is right rank pizen ! ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit open his wallet, en look in it. 
 Den he 'low : ' Sholy I ain't gun you de wrong 
 physic ! Lawsy ! yes I is ! Stidder de n'yam- 
 n'yam 'intment, I done gone en gun you de 
 n'yip-n'yip plarster. I b'lieve 'n my soul I 'm 
 a-losin' my sev'm senses ! ' 
 
 " Den he sorter fell back in de bushes en 
 like ter kill hisse'f laughin\ Ef ole Brer Fox 
 could er seed Brer Rabbit rollin' 'bout in de 
 leaves en makin' de trash fly, he 'd 'a' made 
 sho dat he done gone en got some er de n'yip- 
 n'yip plarster on hisse'f." 
 
 "What do n'yam-n'yam and n'yip-n'yip 
 mean, Uncle Remus?" inquired the youngster. 
 
 "Hit's des de name er de physic, I speck. 
 You know yo'se'f what quare names doctors is 
 got fer der truck. Dars ippygag, en jollup, 
 en bone-set, en burdock, en one thing en 
 ernudder. De names tas'e bitter, let 'lone de 
 truck." 
 
 " Well, Uncle Remus, what became of 
 Brother Fox?" 
 
74 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 "Ef you er anyways tetchy, honey, you 
 better put yo' finger in yo' years, kaze de 
 tale gits wuss en wuss. 'T ain't nothin' but 
 trouble 'pon top er trouble for Brer Fox. 
 You done got yo' ears plugged ? Well, den, 
 atter so long a time, Brer Fox got well er de 
 burn en de blister, en he went on 'bout his 
 business same ez any udder creetur. He wuz 
 gwine 'long by de river bank one day, en he 
 hear a mighty hammerin' not fur off, en he 
 say ter hisse'f dat he b'lieve he '11 go see what 
 all de fuss wuz 'bout. He went 'long, he did, 
 en, bless gracious! who should he see but 
 Brer Rabbit wid his coat off en his sleeves 
 rolled up, hammerin' en nailin' ; en nailin' en 
 hammerin'. 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, ' What you doin' dar, Brer 
 Rabbit?' 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say, 'Des makin' a boat, 
 Brer Fox.' 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, * What you want wid a 
 boat, Brer Rabbit?' 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say, 'Ter go ter my fish- 
 traps in.' 
 
 "Brer Fox look 'roun', en see planks en 
 scantlin's a-lyin' 'roun', en he make up hi? 
 min' dat he ain't gwine ter go ter all dat 
 
BROTHER FOX STILL IN TROUBLE. 75 
 
 trouble des fer de sake er one little boat. So 
 he set on de bank en fight san' flies en skeeters, 
 en watch Brer Rabbit make his boat. En he 
 ain't had ter wait long nudder, kaze Brer 
 Rabbit, dough he wuz light in de body, wuz 
 mighty handy, en he got his boat ready in a 
 little er no time. Den he got in it en paddle 
 up de river, en 't wan't long 'fo' here he come 
 back wid a long string er fish. 
 
 " Dis make Brer Fox dribble at de inouf , 
 kaze ef dey 's any kinder vittles what he like 
 mo' dan any udder kind, it 's fish. So he 
 make up his min' dat he bleedz ter have a 
 boat. Den he ax Brer Rabbit ef a mud boat 
 won't do des good ez any yuther kind, en 
 Brer Rabbit make answer dat while mud 
 boats might suit some folks, dey don't suit 
 him. 
 
 " Brer Fox ain't got de knack er makin' 
 plank boats, en so he say ter hisse'f dat he 
 gwine ter show Brer Rabbit dat some folks 
 know a thing er two ez well ez yuther folks. 
 Wid dat, he whirl in, en make 'im a boat 
 out 'n clay, en when it done got dry in de sun, 
 he shove it out in de water en jump in wid his 
 paddle. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit wuz dar wid his plank boat, 
 
76 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 fer ter see it well done, en when Brer Fox 
 start, he start too. Well, suh, hit 's des like I 
 tell you ! Brer Fox ain't hit many licks wid 
 his paddle 'f o' de mud 'gun ter melt ; de boat 
 went down, en dar wuz ole Brer Fox a scufflin' 
 in de water. Atter so long a time he got 
 back ter de bank, but I let you know he ain't 
 make no mo' boats, needer mud boats nor 
 plank boats." 
 
X. 
 
 WHY BROTHER FOx's LEGS ARE BLACK. 
 
 " Honey," said Uncle Remus, shaking the 
 ashes irom his pipe by tapping it gently on 
 the hearthstone, "how long sence you seed a 
 fox?" 
 
 " Why, don't you know papa brought two 
 home not very long ago ? " 
 
 " Dat wuz las' fall," suggested Uncle Re- 
 mus. " One wuz a red en tudder one wuz a 
 gray. Ain't you notice how der legs look ? " 
 
 The child thought a moment. " Why, yes," 
 he exclaimed. " Their legs were black." 
 
 " Now, den," said the old man, leaning 
 back in his chair and looking wise, " how come 
 dat ? Dar dey wuz — one fox red en tudder 
 fox gray, en yit der legs black. I wish you 'd 
 please, suh, be so good en so kind, ef you got 
 der time ter spar', ter tell me how come dey 
 bofe got black legs ? " Uncle Remus' s tone 
 was that of a humble seeker after knowledge, 
 
78 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 and his earnestness was comic indeed, though 
 it seemed to the child to be properly serious. 
 
 " I never thought of that/' said the little 
 boy. " I can ask papa." 
 
 Uncle Remus gave a derisive snort, and shut 
 his mouth with a snap, and began to hum a 
 tune through his nose. It was a sure sign of 
 displeasure. 
 
 " Well, Uncle Remus," said the child in a 
 penitent tone, " I thought you wanted to 
 know sure enough. And, anyhow, if you 
 don't, I do." 
 
 " Go ax yo' pa," exclaimed Uncle Remus. 
 " Go ax 'im. Ole nigger man like me don't 
 know nothin'. Go ax yo' pa." 
 
 "You tell me," said the child coaxingly. 
 " If papa knows, he 's too busy to tell me right 
 
 now." 
 
 ? >> 
 
 "He '11 never tell you in de roun' worl 
 remarked Uncle Remus emphatically. " He 
 dunner no mo' 'bout it dan de man in de moon 
 — ef dey's any man dar ; en ef dey ain't no 
 man dar, he dunno no mo' 'bout it dan de man 
 what ain't dar." 
 
 Then the old negro made a pretense of 
 changing the conversation, but this the little 
 boy would n't hear to. 
 
 "Well," Uncle Remus said, after awhile> 
 
WHY BROTHER FOX'S LEGS ARE BLACK. 79 
 
 " ef I don't tell you, you '11 pester me twel I 
 does tell you, en so what de odds ? 'T ain't no 
 great tale nohow, en so I des might ez well out 
 wid it, en git some peace er mind. 
 
 " One time Brer Kabbit en Brer Fox went 
 out in de woods huntin', en atter so long a 
 time, dey 'gun ter git hongry. Leas' ways 
 Brer Fox did, kaze Brer Rabbit had brung a 
 ashcake in his wallet, en eve'y time he got a 
 chance he 'd eat a mou'ful — eve'y time Brer 
 Fox 'd turn his back, Brer Rabbit 'd nibble at 
 it. Well, endurin' er de day, Brer Fox 'gun 
 ter get mighty hongry. Dey had some game 
 what dey done kill, but dey wuz a fur ways f urn 
 home, en dey ain't had no fier fer ter cook it. 
 
 " Dey ain't know what ter do. Brer Fox 
 so hongry it make his head ache. Bimeby de 
 sun gun ter git low, en it shine red thoo de 
 trees. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, c Yonder, whar you kin 
 git some fier.' 
 
 " Brer Fox say, ' Wharbouts ? ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, ' Down whar de sun is. 
 She '11 go in her hole terrectly, en den you kin 
 git a big chunk er fier. Des leave yo' game 
 here wid me, en go git de fier. You er de 
 biggest en de swiftest, en kin go quicker. 
 
 " Wid dat Brer Fox put out ter whar de 
 
80 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 sun is. He trot, he lope, en he gallup, en 
 bimeby he git dar. But by dat time de sun 
 done gone down in her hole en de groun', fer 
 ter take a night's rest, en Brer Fox he can't 
 git no fier. He holler en holler, but de sun 
 ain't pay no 'tention. Den Brer Fox git mad 
 en say he gwine ter stay dar twel he gits some 
 fier. So he lay down topper de hole, en 'fo' 
 he knowed it he drapt asleep. Dar he wuz, 
 en dar whar he got kotch. 
 
 " Now you know mighty well de sun bleedz 
 ter rise. Yo' pa kin tell you dat. En when 
 she start ter rise, dar wus Brer Fox fas' asleep 
 right 'pon topper de hole whar she got ter rise 
 fum. When dat de case, sump'n n'er bleedz 
 ter happen. De sun rise up, en when she fin' 
 Brer Fox in de way, she het 'im up en scorch 
 his legs twel dey got right black. Dey got 
 black, en dey er black ter dis ve'y day." 
 
 "What became of Brother Rabbit?" the 
 little boy asked. 
 
 Uncle Remus laughed, or pretended to 
 laugh, until he bent double. 
 
 " Shoo, honey," he exclaimed, when he 
 could catch his breath, " time Brer Fox got 
 out'n sight, Brer Rabbit tuck all de game en 
 put out fer home. En dar whar you better go 
 yo'se'f." 
 
XI. 
 
 WHY BROTHER BULL GROWLS AND GRUMBLES. 
 
 One day as Uncle Remus, assisted by the 
 little boy, was sorting out shucks and damp- 
 ening them, for the purpose of making horse- 
 collars, a big red bull went along the public 
 road. He held his head down, and every few 
 steps he gave forth a low, rumbling bellow. 
 Uncle Remus looked at the bull, and then 
 at the little boy, and then shook his head 
 solemnly. 
 
 "You hear dat, don't you? You hear 
 dat creetur, gwine 'long out dar, growlin' en 
 grumblin' en complainin' ter hisse'f? Well, 
 he got a mighty good reason f er gwine on dat 
 away ; but who '11 tell you ? You may spit 
 on yo' thumb en turn over de leaves er all de 
 books up dar in Marse John's liberry, yit you 
 won't fin' out in um. You may ax Marse 
 John, you may ax Miss Sally, you may ax 
 a preacher, yit ; but none un um '11 ever tell 
 you. Den who kin tell you ? Me ! Ole 
 
82 UNCLE BEMTJS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 Man Remus, de nigger what smell cake en yit 
 can't git none ! " 
 
 The little boy laughed, and drew forth from 
 his pocket a slice of cake. The old man's 
 features lost something of their severity, as he 
 took the cake and placed it on the plank that 
 served as a mantel. 
 
 " I '11 lay er up dar," he remarked, " twel 
 I 'gin ter feel a cravin' in my gizzud. Now, 
 den, lemme see: what pint wuz we 'sputin' 
 'bout? We want 'sputin' 'bout deze shucks, 
 en we wan't 'sputin' 'bout no plain corn-bread. 
 I 'clar ter gracious ! De sight er cake natch- 
 ally drives eve'ything else out'n my head." 
 
 " Why, Uncle Remus ! You were talking 
 about the bull that went along the road just 
 now," said the little boy. 
 
 " Tooby sho' ! " exclaimed the old man. 
 " Look like a bull is too big fer ter be driv' 
 out'n my min' by a little piece er cake like 
 dat, but dat des de way it come 'bout. Well, 
 dat ar bull wuz gwine on by, grumblin' en 
 a-growlin'. You wuz settin' right whar you 
 could hear 'im wid yo' own years. Dat 'zackly 
 what he wuz doin'. Time I hear 'im, it put 
 me in min' er de time when ole Brer Bull 
 change hisse'f inter a man en went 'roun' 
 
 r 
 
WHY BROTHER BULL GROWLS. 83 
 
 courtin.' Whiles he wuz gwine on dis away, 
 he come 'cross a 'oman which he like 'er looks 
 mighty well, en seem like she like him. 
 
 " Well, suh, Brer Bull, he 'd graze* roun' in 
 de pastur all night, en in de daytime he 'd 
 turn ter be a man en call on de 'oman, en 
 cas' sheep-eyes at 'er, en tell 'er right pine- 
 blank how purty she is. Hit kep' on dis 
 away twel bimeby de 'oman got so she can't 
 do nothin' 't all widout runnin' over in 'er min' 
 'bout dish yer nice man what comin' courtin.' 
 She can't skacely cook dinner. She 'd lif de 
 ladle f er ter stir de pot, in hoi' it in de a'r a 
 minnit, en den — belingy-bang-dang I — it 'd 
 drap on de flo'. She can't keep 'way fum de 
 lookin'-glass, a-breshin' 'er ha'r en plasterin' 
 down 'er beau-ketchers. 
 
 " Now, den, dey wuz a little boy livin' dar 
 wid de 'oman. He mought 'er been some 
 bigger dan what you is, but he wan't no older. 
 He wuz sharp ez a bamboo brier, en his foot 
 wuz light en quick ez ole Brer Rabbit hisse'f . 
 He watch mighty close. He notice dat when 
 de man wuz courtin', dey wan't no Brer Bull 
 in de pastur, en when dey wan't no man er 
 courtin', dar wuz Brer Bull grazin' 'roun'. He 
 got behime a 'simmon tree, de little boy did, 
 
84 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 en watch how Brer Bull change hisse'f. He 
 watch, en he see Brer Bull set down on his 
 hunkers des like a dog. Den he 'd shake his 
 head en say, ' Ballybaloo-bill ! ' Wid dat his 
 horns 'ud swink, en his tail 'ud swivel, en mos' 
 'fo' you kin bat yo' eye dar he 'd stan' change 
 inter a man. Den de little boy 'ud slip back 
 ter de house, en pick up chips fer ter put on 
 de oven-lid ter bake bread. 
 
 " Bimeby de little boy got so oneasy dat he 
 don't eat much. He wuz skeerd de 'oman 
 gwine ter marry Brer Bull. En sho' 'nuff, 
 dat des 'zactly what de 'oman laid off ter do. 
 When de boy see dat, he des up'n tell de 
 'oman all 'bout it, but stidder believin' 'im, she 
 got mad, en come mighty nigh snatchin' 'im 
 baT -headed. But de boy, he watch, en keep 
 on watchin', en bimeby he hear what de man 
 say when he change back inter Brer Bull. 
 
 " So, one day, whiles de man eatin' dinnei 
 at de 'oman house, de boy han' 'roun' de vit- 
 tles, en when he come ter de man, he say, 
 ' Billyh aloo-bal ! ' De man looked skeerd en 
 put his han's up ter his head, but 't ain't do 
 no good; he horns done 'gun ter grow, en 
 hoofs come out on his han's en foots, en de 
 cloze drap off, en mos' 'fo' de man kin git 
 
WHY BROTHER BULL GROWLS. 85 
 
 out'n de door, he done change inter Brer 
 Bull, en he curl his tail topper his back en 
 rush out ter de pastur'. 
 
 " Well, de 'oman make 'umble 'polergy ter 
 de boy, but he rub hisse'f in de naberhoods er 
 de coat-tails, whar she spank 'im." The old 
 man paused a moment, and then went on : "I 
 been livin' 'roun' here a mighty long time, 
 but I ain't never see no polergy what wuz 
 poultice er plarster nuff fer ter swaje a swellin' 
 er kyo a bruise. Now you des keep dat in yo' 
 min' en git sorry 'fo' you hurt anybody. I 
 been takin' notice deze many long years dat 
 ' Did n't~go-ter-do-it ' is de ve'y chap what do 
 it all." 
 
 "But, Uncle Remus," said the little boy, 
 " what became of Brother Bull and the boy 
 that found him out ? " 
 
 " Well, I tell you," responded the old man, 
 " dat boy wuz name Simmy-Sam, en he wuz 
 mo' sharper dan what folks tuck 'im ter be. 
 His common sense done tell 'im dat atter he 
 make dat explosure 'bout Brer Bull he 'd hat- 
 ter keep his wedder eye open. So he slip off 
 ter whar his mammy live at, en she gun 'im a lit- 
 tle bundle er flapjacks, en tol' 'im ter go back 
 en 'ten' ter his business, en keep out'n Brer 
 Bull's way. 
 
86 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 "Ole Brer Bull wuz grazin' in de pastur' 
 des like nothin' ain't happen, but he keep on 
 de watch. When he 'd see Simmy-Sam any- 
 whars out'n de yard, Brer Bull 'ud sorter feed 
 to'rds 'im, but Simmy-Sam wan't talon' no 
 chances, en he kep' close ter kivver. But 
 creeturs is mo' patient-like dan what folks is, 
 en bimeby it got so dat Simmy-Sam 'ud go 
 f urder en f urder f um de house, en one day de 
 'oman sont 'im out in de woods atter some 
 pine kindlin', en he got ter playin' en f oolin' 
 'roun'. You know how chillun is, en how dey 
 will do: well, dat des de way Simmy-Sam 
 done. He des frolicked 'roun' out dar in de 
 brush, twel bimeby he hear ole Brer Bull come 
 a-rippin' en a-snortin' thoo de woods ! Hit in 
 about looked like his time wuz up." 
 
 "What did he do?" the little boy asked, 
 as Uncle Remus paused to search in his pocket 
 for some tobacco crumbs. The old man had 
 a knack of holding the youngster in suspense 
 at a critical point in a story. 
 
 " What he do ? Well, suh, dar wuz Simmy- 
 Sam, yonder wuz a tree, en here come Brer 
 Bull. Now, in a case er dat kind, what 
 Simmy-Sam gwine do? 'Fo' you kin ax de 
 question, he des shinned up de tree like one er 
 
WHY BROTHEB BULL GROWLS. 87 
 
 deze yer rusty-back lizzuds. Brer Bull come up 
 en hit de tree wid 'is horns — kerblip ! But 
 't ain't do no good. He walk 'roun' en switch 
 his tail en shake his head, but Simmy-Sam des 
 laugh at 'im. Brer Bull back, he did, en hit 
 de tree wid his horns — kerblam! 'T ain't 
 do no good. 
 
 "He kep' on dis away twel he got plum 
 tired, en den he stop ter res'. Atter he got 
 his win' back, he sot down, he did, en change 
 hisse'f inter a man, en de man had a axe. Den 
 Simmy-Sam git skeerd, kaze he know dat 
 when de axe start ter talk, dat tree got ter 
 come down. De man look up, en sorter grin. 
 
 " He low, ' I got you, is I ? ' 
 
 " Simmy-Sam say, ' Yasser, I speck you is.' 
 
 " Man 'low, ' You better come down en save 
 me de trouble er cuttin' down de tree.' 
 
 " Simmy-Sam say, ' I skeerd.' 
 
 " Man 'low, ' Skeerd er no skeerd, you bet- 
 ter come down.' 
 
 " Simmy-Sam, ' Cut some fust, en lemme see 
 how it feel.' 
 
 " Wid dat, de man let in ter cuttin' hard ez 
 he kin — blap ! blip ! blip ! blap ! 'Bout dat 
 time, Simmy-Sam, whiles he wuz feelin' in his 
 pocket f er his hankcher so he kin wipe de water 
 
88 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 out'n his eyes, come 'cross de little bundle er 
 flapjacks what his mammy gi' 'im. He onroll 
 de bundle, en dey wuz three un um in dar. He 
 tuck one un um, he did, en drap it down on 
 de man, en one er de man's arms fall off. De 
 man ain't wait ter put de arm back on ; he 
 des tuck de ax in one han' en kep on choppin' 
 hard ez he kin. 
 
 " Simmy-Sam see dis, en he mak 'ase en 
 drap anudder flapjack. It no sooner drap dan 
 de man's tudder arm fall off. Dar he wuz — 
 ain't got no arms, en can't do no cuttin'. Look 
 like nobody can be skeerd un 'im when he in 
 dat kinder fix. But Simmy-Sam fear'd de 
 man kin run at 'im en fall topper 'im. So 
 den, ter make sho, he drapt de las' flapjack, 
 en de man head fell off. Wid dat, Simmy- 
 Sam clum down de tree, en tuck is foot in his 
 han' en put out fer home." 
 
 "His foot in his hand, Uncle Remus?" 
 The little boy was somewhat perplexed, and 
 the familiar saying struck strangely on his 
 ear. 
 
 " Shoo, honey ! You done hear me say 
 dat many en many 's de time. When any- 
 body run fas', dey say he done tuck his foot in 
 his han'." 
 
WHY BROTHER BULL GROWLS. 89 
 
 "Did the man die?" the little boy in- 
 quired. 
 
 The old man laughed softly to himself, and 
 looked at the eager face of the child. 
 
 " Why tooby sho' not ! tooby sho' not ! 
 *T wan't no man. Ole Brer Bull had des 
 change hisse'f inter a man, en how kin it be a 
 sho' 'nuff man ? Atter Simmy-Sam done got 
 out er sight, Brer Bull got his man parts ter- 
 gidder des like a jinted snake does, en den he 
 change hisse'f back ter his own se'f, en he 
 done stay dat away, kaze he feard dat some 
 little chap er nudder will come 'long en fling a 
 battercake at 'im. 
 
 " En mo' dan dat, he bin gwine 'long fum 
 dat day ter dis, holdin' his head down en 
 growlin' en grumblin' like sump'n n'er done 
 hurted his feelin's. En ef you '11 notice right 
 close, he don't like fer no youngsters fer ter 
 come foolin' 'roun' whar he stay at." 
 
 " What became of Simmy-Sam ? " asked the 
 little boy. 
 
 " He des grow'd up, I speck, like yuther 
 chaps. He grow'd up en got ter huntin' wil' 
 cattle, kaze Brer Bull sot 'im ag'in' all de 
 cattle kin'. What he done en how he done 
 it, I '11 tell you some er deze odd-come-shorts 
 
90 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 when I ain't got time fer ter be ez busy ez 
 I '11 hatter be fum dis on. I hear Miss Sally 
 holler' n' atter you now. Ef she ax you whar 
 you been en what you been doin', des tell 'er 
 you been down here runnin' on wid de ole 
 nigger." 
 
xn. 
 
 THE MAN AND THE WILD CATTLE. 
 
 One day Uncle Remus saw the little boy 
 going round the place with a bow and arrow, 
 shooting at the chickens and everything that 
 came in his way. The bow Uncle Remus had 
 made himself, under protest, and he had also 
 gathered a handful of reeds from the swamp 
 and showed the enterprising youngster how to 
 fashion them into arrows. The outfit was 
 crude and clumsy enough, but it was used with 
 such unexpected effect that the old man was 
 compelled to interfere. 
 
 " I lay ef Miss Sally see you gwine on dis 
 away, she '11 put dat er bow behime de dum- 
 bly, en she '11 take dem ar arrers en w'ar um 
 out on you. I boun' I ain't gwine ter fix you 
 up no mo' contraptions, ef dat de way you does 
 — massy creein' de cats, en de chickens, en de 
 Lord knows what ! " 
 
 " Uncle Remus," said the little boy quite 
 seriously, " don't you see I am a wild In* 
 
92 UNCLE EEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 dian ? " He had a half-dozen feathers stuck 
 in the band of his hat. The old man looked 
 at the child and smiled, in spite of his efforts 
 to assume an air of severity. 
 
 " What kinder Injuns is dem," he asked, 
 " what goes a pursuin' atter chickens ? Ef 
 you er huntin' war, des go up yonder whar dat 
 ar Dominicker hen got de young chickens ; go 
 up dar en 'sturb 'er, en ef she don't make you 
 squall, de fust letter er my name ain't ole man 
 Remus. Dey wuz a man one time what had a 
 bow en arrers dat done 'im some good, but dat 
 time gone by." 
 
 " Tell me about it, Uncle Remus," said the 
 little boy. 
 
 " Oh, you ain't got time for dat ! " responded 
 the old man. " You er lots too busy ! Go on 
 en pursue atter de chickens en den atter de 
 cats. Go on ! ef you don't make 'aste dey '11 
 git away, en den de Injun man '11 hatter go 
 widout his dinner. Go on, Injun ! " 
 
 But the little boy put down his bow and ar- 
 rows, and remained, and after awhile Uncle 
 Remus told him the story. 
 
 " Well, suh, one time dey wuz a man, en he 
 live close by a great big woods. Dey ain't no 
 woods 'roun' here big ez what dat woods wuz. 
 
THE MAN AND THE WILD CATTLE. 93 
 
 Git on a swif ' hoss en gallop 'im sev'm days en 
 sev'm nights, en you 'd go ez fur ez de woods 
 wus wide. Git on de same hoss and gallop 
 'im under whip en spur 'lev'm days en 'lev'm 
 nights, en you 'd go ez fur ez de woods wuz 
 long. De woods wuz full er horned cree- 
 turs, en in about all un um wuz cattle. Dey 
 mought er been some deer 'mongst um, but de 
 big run un um wuz horned cattle. Dey 
 roamed 'roun' in de woods, crappin' de grass, 
 en cuttin' up der capers. Dey ain't had no 
 trouble 'bout nothin' 'ceppin' what de man 
 brung um. 
 
 u Now, dish yer man, he hunt de cattle f er 
 der hide en taller. He had a bow en arrer, 
 en he had two big dogs, en de cattle what 
 'scape fum his bow en arrer he 'd ketch wid 
 his dogs. Dey want no common run er dogs 
 — dey wuz big ez a good size calf, — en dey 
 wuz mo' servigrous dan a pant'er. Dey wor- 
 ried de horned creeturs constant. One on um 
 wuz name " — 
 
 " Minny - Minny - Morack ! " exclaimed the 
 little boy, " and the other was named Folla- 
 malinska ! " 
 
 " Lord-a-massy, honey ! " exclaimed Uncle 
 Remus, pretending to be astonished. " Who 
 toleyoudat?" 
 
94 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Don't you know you told me about the 
 little boy in the tree that called his dogs to 
 kill the leopard woman ? " 
 
 The old negro threw his head back and 
 laughed. After awhile he went on. 
 
 " Well, suh, dat little boy what I been tell 
 you 'bout, he grow'd up, en come ter be a 
 hunter : en dem two dogs, dey grow'd 'long 
 wid 'im, en dey got wuss dan dey wuz when 
 dey kil't de 'oman — lots wuss. So he hunt 
 de cattle, en de dogs kill um scan'lous. 
 
 " It went on dat away twel bimeby de wil' 
 cattle helt a meetin' f er ter git up some kinder 
 plan ter make way wid de man. De onliest 
 way dey kin do is ter fix it so dey kin ketch 
 de man by hisse'f . Dey study en study, but 
 dey dunner how dey gwine ter fetch dat about. 
 De dogs wuz in de way. Ef dey kin git de 
 man by hisse'f, dey kin run in on 'im en hook 
 'im inter jiblets, but ef de dogs 'long wid 'im, 
 den dey git kil't deyse'f . So dey study en study. 
 
 " Bimeby a nice young cow, white ez snow, 
 say she gwine ter try a trick. She 'low she 
 gwine ter change inter a young 'oman en make 
 'im marry 'er. Den she say she '11 swade 'im 
 ter stay home long ez she kin, en when she 
 can't swade 'im no longer, den she '11 take en 
 
THE MAN AND THE WILD CATTLE. 95 
 
 tie de dogs so dey can't go 'long wid 'im when 
 he go huntin', en den de horned creeturs kin 
 cloze in on 'im en make way wid 'im. De 
 Brindle Cow shuck 'er head en 'low, ' Oh-ho ! ' 
 en de Dun Cow switch 'er tail en 'low, ' Ah- 
 ha ! ' en dat de way dey settle it. 
 
 " So den, de nex' time de man start fer ter 
 go huntin', he come 'cross a young 'oman in 
 de woods. She wuz a likely lookin' gal, mon ! 
 — des ez purty ez red shoes wid blue strings 
 in um. De man he look at 'er, he did, en de 
 gal, she look back at 'im, en den dey bofe look 
 at one anudder." 
 
 " That was the white cow, was n't it, Uncle 
 Remus ? " asked the little boy. 
 
 " Tooby sho' 't wuz, honey ! " exclaimed the 
 old man, warming up to the story ; " 't wan't 
 nobody else in de roun' worl'. She des went en 
 change 'erse'f bodaciously f um a cow en come 
 ter be a likely young 'oman. How she done it, 
 I 'U never tell you, but de creeturs in dem days 
 wuz des ez mischievious ez dey could be ; dey 
 wan't no eend ter der tricks. Des ter set here 
 en chat about it, it don't seem like dat a cow 
 kin change 'erse'f twel she come ter be a 
 'oman, but dar she wuz right 'f o' de man's two 
 eyes, en how you gwine git roun' dat ? Dat 
 what I 'd like ter know ! 
 
96 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Now, den, dar wuz de likely young 'oman, 
 en dar wuz de man. De 'oman, she hilt 'et 
 head down like she 'shame; en de man, he 
 stood dar, he did, en make sheep-eyes at 'er. 
 Well, you know how 't is when folks do dat 
 away. Atter 'while, de man, he sorter sidle up 
 ter de young 'oman en ax 'er ef she '11 have 'im, 
 en de young 'oman, she tuck'n chaw on 'er bon- 
 net string, en 'low dat she ain't know nothin' 
 contrary ter de question. Dat de way wim- 
 min folks say, i Yasser, en thanky too ! ' Den 
 dey went off en got married, en de man took 
 de young 'oman home, en dey sot up house- 
 keepin'. 
 
 " De man sorter drapt his huntin' atter dat. 
 Look like he sorter los' de appetite fer killin' 
 de wil' cattle fer der hide en taller. His bow 
 en arrer wuz put up on de shelf, en he stayed 
 'roun' de house. De dogs ain't know what 
 ter make er dis ; dey wonder en wonder what 
 de matter is, en some days dey 'd stan' on de 
 door-sill en look at de man en whine. All dis 
 time de wil' cattle wuz roamin' in de woods, 
 grazin', en cuttin' up der capers. 
 
 " Bimeby de man 'gun ter hone fer ter go 
 huntin', en one night he tuck'n tol' de young 
 'oman dat he bleedz ter go huntin' de nex' 
 
THE MAN AND THE WILD CATTLE. 97 
 
 flay. So, 'fo' day de nex' mornin', de' oman 
 went out en tied de dogs hard en fas', en den 
 crope back ter bed. De man, he got up, he 
 did, en fried him a rasher er meat, en drapt 
 a pone er cornbread in his wallet, en den he 
 put out fer ter hunt de wiP cattle. He ain't 
 pay no 'tention ter de dogs, kaze he been in 
 de habits er gwine a-huntin' widout 'em, en 
 when he need um right bad, he 'd des holler 
 en call um. No matter how fur off he 
 mought be, he 'd des put his han' ter his 
 mouf en holler : — 
 
 u f Minny-Minny Morack ! Follamalinska ! 
 Here, boys, here ! ' 
 
 " Some er de wiP cattle seed 'im a-comin', 
 en dey went en tole de yuthers, en den de 
 whole drove tuck ter der heels en made off e? 
 hard ez dey could. De man follow'd der 
 tracks, en dis wuz 'zackly what dey want. 
 Dey wanter toll de man des ez fur in de 
 woods ez dey kin. Bimeby he come on um 
 in one er deze yer big open places, like de 
 clay galls you see in a pine thicket. Dar de 
 wil' cattle tuck der stan', en dey wuz so many 
 un um it look like dey fair swarmed all over 
 de face er de yeth. 
 
 " Den de man draw'd his bow en let fly his 
 
98 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 arrers, en called his dogs ez loud ez he could. 
 He lissen fer de dogs, but de mo' he lissen de 
 mo' he ain't hear urn, en he keep shootin' at 
 de cattle en callin' de dogs, twel he ain't got 
 but three arrers lef. Den de wil' cattle put 
 der heads down en histed der tails in de a'r, 
 en come er rushin' at 'im same ez a harry- 
 cane. De big ole bulls Uow, l Oo-hoo! Now 
 we got you ! ' en de cows dey holler, 'Ma-hah I 
 Now we git yd* hide en taller ! ' 
 
 " But des 'bout dat time de man tuck one 
 er de arrers what he got lef en stuck it in de 
 groun', en 'fo' you kin say Jack Robinson 
 wid' yo' mouf open, de arrer grow'd to be a 
 great big tree, wid de man straddlin' de top 
 lim's. Dis make de wil' cattle feel 'stonish, 
 en den dey got mad en run at de tree en hook 
 it twel der horns got sore. Den dey pawed 
 up de groun' en beller, des like de cows does 
 when dey smell fresh beef blood. But 't ain't 
 do no good, — dar de tree wuz, en dar she 
 stood. 
 
 " Den some er de wil' cattle put out en got 
 some axes, en 'gun ter cut de tree down, en 
 it look like mighty skeery times fer de man. 
 
 " Settin' in de top er de tree, he call his 
 dogs, 'Minny-Minny Morack ! Follamalirv 
 ska ! Here, boys, here ! ' 
 
THE MAN AND THE WILD CATTLE. 99 
 
 " Down at de bottom er de tree de wil' 
 cattle dey chop en chop, ' Blam ! blip-blip- 
 blam ! Blip-blip-blam ! blam ! Blam-blam- 
 blam ! Blip-blip-blam ! ' 
 
 " Co'se no tree can't stan' dat kinder doin's, 
 en dis un 'gun ter git shaky. De man call 
 de dogs, en dey ain't come ! De axes call de 
 tree, en bimeby down she come ! Time she 
 struck de groun' de man stuck anudder arrer 
 in de groun', en up it grow'd bigger dan tud- 
 der one. 
 
 " De man he call his dogs, i Minny-Minny 
 Morack ! Follamalinska ! Here, boys, 
 here ! ' 
 
 " De axes dey call on de tree, ( Down ! 
 down ! Dip-dip-down ! Down-dip ! Dip- 
 down ! Dippy-dip ! Dippy-down ! ' 
 
 " De dogs ain't come, but de tree come, en 
 de man des had time f er ter stick his onliest 
 arrer in de groun' 'f o' de wil' cattle swarmed 
 in on 'im. De arrer grow'd up bigger en 
 bigger dan de yuthers. In de top de man 
 sot en call de dogs louder en louder, en at de 
 butt de wil' cattle cut harder en harder. 
 
 "Now all dis time, de dogs hear de man 
 callin', en dey pull at de ropes en tug at um 
 hard ez dey kin, but de ropes big en strong. 
 
100 UNCLE BEMUS AND TEE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 De man, he call, en de dogs, dey tug. Bime* 
 by dey sot in ter gnyawin', en des 'fo' de las' 
 tree fell dey gnyaw'd de ropes in two. Man, 
 suh ! When dey did git loose, dey des come 
 a callyhootin' ! De man hear urn comin', en 
 he call louder. De wiT cattle hear um comin', 
 en dey cut harder. 
 
 " De man call, i Minny-Minny Morach ! 
 Follamalinska ! Come, hoys, come ! ' 
 
 " De axes talk, 6 Tree-down ! Tree-down ! 
 Trip-trip-tree-down ! ' 
 
 " Bimeby, des ez de tree come down Tcer- 
 blashity-blam ! de dogs rush'd up. De man 
 sik't um on, en dey wuz so mad dat dey 
 stroy'd mighty nigh all de wil' cattle. Atter 
 dey done kil't all dey could, de man seed a 
 snow white cow layin' mongst de res'. De 
 hide wuz so nice dat he save it f er hisse'f . 
 
 " He went back home, but his wife done 
 gone, en he ain't never see 'er twel dis day. 
 He ain't know nothin' 'tall 'bout de white 
 cow." 
 
XIII. 
 
 BROTHER RABBIT FRIGHTENS BROTHER TIGER. 
 
 " 'T ain't de biggest en de strongest dat 
 does de mostest in dis world/' said Uncle 
 Remus one day, when lie and the little boy 
 were talking over matters and things in gen- 
 eral. The little boy had been talking about 
 the elephant and the tiger which he had seen 
 in a traveling menagerie, and he had asked 
 the old man why the elephant was so strong 
 and the tiger so fierce. 
 
 "No, honey, don't let nobody fool you 
 'bout dat. De cuckle-burr got needer life 
 ner lim', yit when it git in de sheep wool it 
 kin travel fast ez de sheep, you know dat 
 yo'se'f . De elephen' may be strong ; I speck 
 he is ; en de tiger maybe servigrous ez dey say 
 he is ; but Brer Rabbit done outdone bofe 
 un urn." 
 
 " How was that, Uncle Remus ? " the little 
 boy asked. 
 
 " Well, he done it so easy, honey, dat 't ain't 
 
102 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 skacely no tale. 'T ain't nothin' dat '11 'ston 
 ish you, en 't ain't nothin' dat '11 make you 
 laugh. Hit 's des some er Brer Rabbit's 
 eve'y-day doin's, des like you'd set down tei 
 eat a plain dinner er pot-liquor en dumplin's. 
 wid no pie fer ter take de greasy tas'e out'n 
 yo* mouf." 
 
 The youngster wanted to hear about it any- 
 how, and he said so. Whereupon Uncle Re- 
 mus continued : — 
 
 " One time, whiles Brer Rabbit wuz gwine 
 'long thoo de woods, he struck up wid Brer 
 Tiger. 'Twan't nowHrs 'bout here, honey," 
 explained the old man, observing the child's 
 look of astonishment. " 'T wuz in some er 
 de 'jinin' counties. Brer Rabbit struck up 
 wid Brer Tiger, he did, en atter dey passed 
 de time er day, dey went amblin' long ter- 
 gedder. Brer Rabbit talk so big en walk so 
 uppity dat Brer Tiger look at 'im sideways 
 en grin. Bimeby dey come ter whar der wuz 
 a creek, en dey want no foot-log in sight. 
 Brer Tiger ain't want ter wet his feet no mo' 
 dan a cat do, en needer do Brer Rabbit, en so 
 dey went up de creek huntin' fer a foot-log. 
 Dey go, en go, but dey ain't fin' none. 
 
 "Bimeby Brer Rabbit 'low he know how 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER TIGER. 103 
 
 fcer cross. Brer Tiger ax 'im how. Den Brer 
 Rabbit grab a grape-vine hangin' fum de tree 
 lim', en tuck a runnin' start en swung hisse'f 
 on tudder side. When he tu'n de vine loose, 
 it flew back ter whar Brer Tiger wuz, en Brer 
 Tiger he cotch holt en made f er ter swing his- 
 se'f 'cross. Time he done lef de groun' good, 
 de vine broke, en he come down on his back 
 in de creek, kersplash ! 
 
 " Co'se dis make 'im feel bad, en when he 
 crawl'd out en shuck hisse'f, en see Brer 
 Rabbit settin up dar, dry en clean, a-laughin' 
 fit ter kill, hit make 'im feel wuss. He 
 fetched er growl er two, en popped his mouf 
 tergedder, but Brer Rabbit kep' one eye on 
 im. 
 
 "Brer Tiger 'low, 'How come you ain't 
 skeer'd er me, Brer Rabbit ? All de yuther 
 creeturs run when dey hear me cominY 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, 6 How come de fleas on 
 you ain't skeer'd un you ? Dey er lots littler 
 dan what I is.' 
 
 " Brer Tiger 'low, ' Hit 's mighty good fer 
 you dat I done had my dinner, kaze ef I 'd 
 a-been hongry I 'd a-snapped you up back dar 
 at de creek.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' Ef you 'd done dat, 
 
104 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 you 'd er had mo' sense in yo' hide dan what 
 you got now.' 
 
 " Brer Tiger 'low, c I gwine ter let you off 
 dis time, but nex' time I see you, watch out ! ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' Bein 's you so monst'us 
 perlite, I '11 let you off too, but keep yo' eye 
 open nex' time you see me, kaze I '11 git you 
 sho.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit talk so biggity dat Brer 
 Tiger put on his studyin' cap, en he make up 
 his min' dat dey ain't room 'nuff in dat county 
 fer bofe him en Brer Rabbit. Brer Tiger 
 turn 'roun', he did, en watch Brer Rabbit go 
 tippin' off, en he look so little en so sassy dat 
 it make Brer Tiger mad. Hit make 'im so 
 mad dat he kotch holt uv a tree en clawed 
 mos' all de bark off'n it. Bless gracious ! de 
 f urder he git fum Brer Rabbit, de mo' mad- 
 der he got. He des declar' dat de nex' time 
 he strike up wid Brer Rabbit he gwine ter 
 gobble 'im up widout sayin' grace. 
 
 " So, den, dar 'twuz, Brer Tiger 'ginst Brer 
 Rabbit, en Brer Rabbit 'ginst Brer Tiger : 
 one big, en tudder one little ; one servigrous 
 fum de word go, en tudder one got needer 
 tush ner claw. Hit look mighty bad fer Brer 
 Rabbit ! Well, I wish ter goodness you could 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER TIGER. 105 
 
 er seed 'im 'bout dat time. He went 'long 
 thoo de woods ez gay ez a colt in a barley- 
 patch. He wunk at de trees, he shuck his fis- 
 ties at de stumps, he make like he wuz quoilin' 
 wid 'is shadder kaze it foller 'long atter 'im 
 so close ; en he went on scan'lous, mon ! 
 
 Brer Babbit ain't gone so mighty fur 'fo' 
 he hear a big noise in de bushes, en lo en be- 
 holes, dar wuz ole Brer Elephen trompin' 
 'roun' en th'ashin' out de tops er de saplin's. 
 He look big ez a young house, but, bless yo' 
 soul ! dat ain't set Brer Rabbit back none. 
 He des march up en ax ole Brer Elephen how 
 he come on, en one word led to anudder, twel 
 Brer Rabbit up'n tell ole Brer Elephen all 
 'bout de confab what he been had wid Brer 
 Tiger. Den he 'low dat ef ole Brer Elephen 
 will loan 'im a helpin' han' dey kin drive 
 Brer Tiger bodaciously out'n de county. Ole 
 Brer Elephen flop his years en shake his 
 snout like he sorter jubious. 
 
 " He 'low, ' I ain't gwine ter git hurted, is 
 I, Brer Rabbit?' 
 
 "Dis make Brer Rabbit roll his eyes en 
 study. 
 
 " He ax, ' Who de name er goodness gwine 
 hurt you, Brer Elephen ? ' 
 
106 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer Elephen 'low, ' Brer Tiger got sharp 
 claws en long tushes. I skeer'd he bite me 
 en scratch me.' 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say, ''Cordin' ter dat I 
 oughter be skeer'd uv a flea, kaze des ez I kin 
 sqush a flea, des dat away you kin sqush Brer 
 Tiger. Yit dey ain't gwine be no squshin' 
 done. Ef you'll do what I tell you, we'll 
 des take'n run Brer Tiger out'n de county. 
 Goodness knows, ef my upper lip wuz long 
 en limber like yone, I 'boun' I 'd a done got 
 rid er Brer Tiger long 'f o' now ! ' 
 
 " Brer Elephen, he 'gree ter do what Brer 
 Rabbit say, but he flop his years en work his 
 snout like he mighty restless in de min', en 
 Brer Rabbit holp 'im up de best way he kin 
 wid biggity talk. 
 
 " Soon nex' mornin' Brer Rabbit wuz up en 
 a-movin'. He done had eve'y thing fix, en 
 he sot 'roun' in de bushes whar he kin see 
 Brer Tiger long ways off. Bimeby he see 
 Brer Tiger come sidlin' down de path, en no 
 sooner is Brer Rabbit seed 'im dan he make 
 a break en run ter whar Brer Elephen stan- 
 nin'. Den Brer Rabbit tuck en wrop a long 
 vine 'roun' one er ole Brer Elephen's behime 
 legs, en den 'roun' a tree. He fix it so dat 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER TIGER. 107 
 
 anybody passin' 'long would make sho' de leg 
 tied hard en fas'. Den ole Brer Elephen 
 kneel down, en Brer Rabbit tuck a runnin' 
 start en light up on his back. Dey done had 
 all de 'rangements made, en when Brer Tiger 
 come 'long, he seed a sight dat make 'im open 
 his eyes. Dar wuz Brer Rabbit on top er 
 ole Brer Elephen back, en dar wuz ole Brer 
 Elephen wid his behime leg tied ter de tree, 
 a-swingin' backerds en forrerds, en a-rockin' 
 f um side ter side. 
 
 " Brer Tiger look at um a little while, en 
 de notion strike 'im dat Brer Rabbit wuz 
 cotch up dar en can't git down. Dis make 
 Brer Tiger laugh twel he show all his tushes. 
 He walk 'roun', he did, en feel so good he rub 
 hisse'f 'ginst de saplin's des like you seen cats 
 rub up 'ginst cheer-legs. Den he sot down 
 flat er de groun' en grin at Brer Rabbit, en 
 lick his chops. Ole Brer Elephen swing back- 
 erds en forrerds, en rock fum side to side. 
 
 " Brer Tiger 'low, ' I tole you I 'd git you, 
 Brer Rabbit, en now I done come atter you.' 
 
 " Brer Elephen swing backerds en forrerds, 
 en rock fum side ter side. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, e You done come, is you ? 
 Well, des wait a minnit twel I git thoo skin- 
 
108 UNCLE EEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 nin' dis creetur what I des cotch. Stay dai 
 twel I git good en ready fer you.' 
 
 " Den Brer Rabbit dip down his head by 
 ole Brer Elephen's year en whisper, ' Squall 
 when I put my nose on yo' neck. Don't be 
 skeer'd. Des squall.' 
 
 "Den ole Brer Elephen squeal thoo dat 
 snout er his'n; you mought er heerd 'im a 
 mile er mo'. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit holler out, i Des wait, Brer 
 Tiger. Yo' turn '11 come terreckly. It '11 
 go mighty hard wid you ef I hatter run atter 
 you.' 
 
 " Ole Brer Elephen swing backerds en f or- 
 rerds, en rock fum side ter side. Eve'y time 
 Brer Rabbit 'd nibble behime his years, he 'd 
 squall out en tromple de groun'. 
 
 "When he fus' seed Brer Rabbit up dar 
 on ole Brer Elephen's back, Brer Tiger sorter 
 sot hisse'f on de groun' fer ter make a jump 
 at 'im, but time he see how ole Brer Elephen 
 hollerin' en prancin', Brer Tiger riz en 'guy 
 ter back off. A hick'y nut fell off'n a tree en 
 hit de groun', en Brer Tiger jump like some- 
 body shot at 'im. When Brer Rabbit see dis, 
 it tickle 'im so dat he come mighty nigh 
 laughin' out loud. But he dip his head 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER TIGER. 109 
 
 down, en make like he gnyawin' ole Brer Ele- 
 phen on de neck, an ole Brer Elephen, he 
 squall loud ez he kin. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit prance up en down on Brer 
 Elephen back like he huntin' fer a mo' tender 
 place, en holler out : — 
 
 " 6 Don't go 'way, Brer Tiger. Des wait ; 
 I '11 be ready fer you terreckly.' 
 
 " Brer Tiger he back off, en Brer Elephen 
 swing backerds en forrerds, en rock fum side 
 ter side, en squeal thoo his snout. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit holler out, i No use ter git 
 weak-kneed, Brer Tiger. Gi' me time. Dis 
 Elephen blood tas'e salty. It make me dry. 
 You won't have long ter wait.' 
 
 " Brer Tiger, he back off en back off. Brer 
 Rabbit, he make out he bitin' ole Brer Ele- 
 phen on de year. Ole Brer Elephen swing 
 backerds en forrerds, en rock fum side ter 
 side, en snort en tromple de grass. 
 
 " 'Bout dat time Brer Rabbit make like he 
 gwine ter come down. He make like he 
 huntin' fer a saft place ter jump, en when 
 Brer Tiger see dat, he made a break en des 
 fell over hisse'f tryin' ter get out'n reach. 
 Brer Rabbit holler at 'im, but he ain't stop ; 
 ke des keep a-runnin', en 't wuz many a long 
 
110 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 day 'fo' de creeturs seed 'im back dar in dat 
 settlement. 
 
 " Elephen skeer'd er tiger/' Uncle Kemus 
 went on, by way of explanation. "En all 
 de time dat Brer Rabbit wuz talkin' ter Brer 
 Tiger, Brer Elephen wuz so skeer'd dat a 
 little mo 'n he 'd 'a' went tarin' thoo de woods 
 like a harrycane. Ez 'twuz, des ez soon ez 
 Brer Tiger got out'n sight, old Brer Elephen 
 retched up wid his snout en wrung de top 
 off'n er saplin' en 'gun ter fan hisse'f wid 
 it." 
 
 " Uncle Remus," said the little boy, when 
 the old man had brought the story to a close, 
 " did you ever see an elephant ? " 
 
 " Well, suh," said Uncle Remus, after a 
 long pause, " you tetch me in a tender place, 
 you sho'ly does. I seed um, en I ain't seed 
 um. Now, how kin you make dat out ? " 
 
 "How could that be?" asked the child, 
 laughing. 
 
 " I tell you now, dey ain't no fun in it," 
 continued the old negro, trying to frown. " I 
 done hear talk dat dey wuz a show gwine ter 
 come 'long de road, on de way ter town, but 
 it drapt out'n my min', twel one day I wuz 
 vidin' dat ar roan mule, takin' a letter over 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER TIGER. Ill 
 
 ter Marse Bill Little's. I went on, I did, en 
 tuck de note en start back wid de answer. 
 Marse Bill Little had done gi' me a dram fer 
 ole 'quaintance sake, en I wuz warm in my 
 feelin's. Dat ar roan mule des paced 'long 
 free en easy, en dey want no happier nigger 
 dan what I wuz. 
 
 " Well, suh, I heard a little fuss in front er 
 me, en I raise my head, en right dar at me, 
 right spang 'pon topper me, wuz a great big 
 elephen. I des got a glimpse un 'im, kaze 
 de roan mule seed 'im time I did, en she des 
 give a squat en a flutter, en de nex' thing I 
 know'd my head wuz driv in de groun' in 
 about up ter my neck. I dunner how long I 
 laid dar, but time I got de mud en grit out'n 
 my eyes de elephen wuz done gone. You may 
 say I seed de elephen, er you may say I ain't 
 seed' im; I ain't gwine ter 'spute 'bout it. 
 But dat ar roan mule seed im." 
 
XIV. 
 
 BROTHER BILLY GOAT EATS HIS DINNER. 
 
 One Saturday afternoon, Uncle Eemus was 
 sitting in the door of his cabin enjoying the 
 sunshine, while the little boy was mending, or 
 trying to mend, a small wagon with which he 
 had been playing. It was a half holiday on 
 the plantation, and there were several groups 
 of negroes loitering about the quarters. Or- 
 dinarily the little boy would have been inter- 
 ested in their songs or in the drolleries that 
 were passing from lip to lip, and from group 
 to group; but now he was too busy with 
 his broken wagon. The old man watched 
 the child through half closed eyes, and with 
 a smile that was grim only in appearance. 
 Finally, seeing that the little chap was grow- 
 ing impatient, Uncle Kemus cried out with 
 some asperity, — 
 
 " What you doin' longer dat waggin ? Gi' 
 me here ! Fus' news you know, you won't have 
 no waggin." 
 
BROTHER BILLY GOATS DINNER. 113 
 
 The little boy carried it to the old man very 
 readily. 
 
 " Sump'n the matter wid de runnin' gear/' 
 Uncle Remus remarked. " I dunnerhow come 
 it got any runnin' gear. If you had a i'on 
 waggin, it would n't las' you twel termorrer 
 night." 
 
 Just at that moment, Big Sam happened to 
 get into an angry dispute with Becky's Bill. 
 Big Sam was almost a giant, but Becky's Bill 
 had a free mind and a loud tongue, and he 
 made a great deal more noise than Sam. This 
 seemed to irritate Uncle Remus. 
 
 " Hush up, you triflin' vilyun ! " he said. 
 " You talk bigger dan de Billy Goat did." 
 
 The other negroes laughed at this, and 
 Becky's Bill soon dropped the quarrel, which 
 was not hard to do, seeing that Big Sam was 
 saying very little. The allusion to the Billy 
 Goat attracted the attention of the little boy. 
 He felt sure there was a story somewhere be- 
 hind it, and when Uncle Remus had finished 
 his wagon, he began to investigate it. 
 
 " What did the Billy Goat talk about ? " 
 he asked. 
 
 " Go en break yo' waggin ; you gwine ter 
 break it anyhow, en you des ez well go now." 
 
114 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " I won't break it any more, Uncle Remus," 
 said the little boy. " I 'm going to grease it 
 and put it away. What did the Billy Goat 
 talk about ? " " 
 
 " He talked 'bout deze yer little chaps what 
 pesters folks constant, en he say dey better 
 quit der 'havishness en Tarn how ter don't. 
 Dat what he say." 
 
 " Now, Uncle Remus, you know that is n't 
 what the Billy Goat said." 
 
 " Well, he ought ter say it if he ain't," re- 
 marked the old man. 
 
 The shrewd youngster placed himself in 
 the attitude of a listener and patiently waited. 
 Uncle Remus watched him a moment. Then 
 he shook his head and said resignedly : — 
 
 " You sho' does bang my time. You er 
 wuss'n Brer Rabbit." 
 
 The little boy blushed and smiled at this, 
 for he regarded it as a high compliment. 
 
 " Yasser," Uncle Remus went on, U wuss'n 
 Brer Rabbit — lots wuss. Hen can't cackle 
 widout you wanter see what kinder egg she 
 lay ; ole Brer Billy Goat can't take a chaw ter- 
 backer in jue season widout you want ter know 
 what he talkin' 'bout. En ef dey is any tale 
 'bout Brer Billy Goat, 't ain't no good tale fer 
 
BROTHER BILLY GOATS DINNER. 115 
 
 chilluns, kaze dey might take a notion dat big 
 talk is de right kinder talk, en when dey take 
 dat notion, somebody got ter frail 'em out wid 
 a bresh broom." 
 
 The little boy said nothing, but sat listen- 
 ing. 
 
 " I mighty fear'd you '11 hatter skuzen me," 
 Uncle Remus remarked, after a pause. " Look 
 like my 'membunce wobblin' 'roun' like a hoss 
 wid de blin' staggers. Yit, nigh ez I kin git 
 at all de ins en outs er dish yer tale what we 
 been talkin' 'bout, dey wuz one time when 
 Brer Wolf wuz gwine lopin' 'roun' de settle- 
 ment feelin' mighty hongry. He want some 
 vittles fer hisse'f, en he want some fer his 
 fambly, yit it seem like he can't fin' none no- 
 whars. He talk wid Brar B'ar, en he hear 
 tell dat shote meat mighty good, but he can't 
 fin' no shote; he hear tell dat goat meat 
 mighty good, but he can't fin' no goat. 
 
 " But bimeby, one day whiles he gwine 'long 
 de road, he seed a big rock layin' in a fiel', en 
 on top er dish yer rock wuz Brer Billy Goat. 
 'T wan't none er deze yer little bit er rocks ; 
 it 'uz mighty nigh ez big ez dish yer house, 
 en ole Brer Billy Goat wuz a-standin' up dar 
 kinder ruminatin' 'bout ol' times. Brer Wolf 
 
116 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 loped up, he did, en made ready f er ter see 
 what kinder tas'e goat meat got. Yit he took 
 notice dat Brer Billy Goat wuz ehawin' away 
 like he eatin' sump'n. Brer Wolf sorter wait 
 awhile, but Brer Billy Goat wuz constant 
 a-chawin' en a-chawin'. Brer Wolf look en 
 he look, but Brer Billy Goat keep on a-chawin* 
 en a-chawin'. 
 
 " Brer Wolf look close. He ain't see no 
 green grass, he ain't see no shucks, he ain't 
 see no straw, he ain't see no leaf. Brer Billy 
 Goat keep on a-chawin' en a-chawin'. Brer 
 Wolf study, but he dunner what de name er 
 goodness Brer Billy Goat kin be eatin' up dar. 
 So bimeby he hail 'im. 
 
 " He 'low, sezee, ' Howdy, Brer Billy Goat, 
 howdy. I hope you er middlin' peart deze 
 hard times ? ' 
 
 " Brer Billy Goat shake his long beard en 
 keep on a-chawin'. 
 
 " Brer Wolf 'low, sezee, ' What you eatin', 
 Brer Billy Goat ? Look like it tas'e mighty 
 good.' 
 
 " Brer Billy Goat 'low, i I 'm a-eatin' dish 
 yer rock ; dat what I 'm a-eatin'.' 
 
 " Brer Wolf make answer, ' I 'm mighty 
 hongry myself, — but I don't speck I kin go 
 dat.' 
 
BROTHER BILLY GOATS DINNER. 117 
 
 " Brer Billy Goat 'low, c Come up whar I 
 is, en I '11 break you off a hunk wid my 
 horns.' 
 
 " Brer Wolf say, sezee, dat he mighty much 
 erbleege, but he speck he hatter be gittin' 
 'long, en he 'low ter hisse'f, * Ef Brer Billy 
 Goat kin eat rock like dat, I speck I better go 
 'long en let 'im 'lone.' 
 
 " Brer Billy Goat holler at 'im en say, sezee, 
 e Ef you can't clime up Brer Wolf, I kin come 
 down dar en help you up. De rock whar I is 
 is mo' fresher dan dat down dar. It 's some 
 harder, but it 's lots mo' fresher.' 
 
 " But Brer Wolf ain't stop ter make an- 
 swer. He des kep' a-gwine. He tuck it in 
 his head dat if Brer Billy Goat kin eat rock 
 dat away, 't won't do ter fool 'long wid 'im, 
 kaze ef a creetur kin eat rock, he kin eat what- 
 somdever dey put 'fo' im." 
 
 " What was Brother Goat chewing ? " asked 
 the little boy. 
 
 " Nothin' 't all, honey. He wuz des chawin' 
 his cud en talkin' big, en I done seed lots er 
 folks do dat away — niggers well ez white 
 folks." 
 
XV. 
 
 THE KING THAT TALKED BIGGITY. 
 
 Uncle Eemus paused, leaned his head side- 
 wise on his hand, and regarded the little boy 
 intently. After awhile he closed his eyes 
 slowly and remarked : - — 
 
 " I speck maybe you done git de idee dat 
 biggity talk goes a mighty long ways. Well, 
 den, you des well ter git dat idee out'n yo* 
 head. De bluffin' man is mos' sholy gwine 
 ter git bluffed — dey ain't no two ways 'bout 
 dat. Brer Billy Goat tuck'n bluff Brer Wolf, 
 but spozen Brer Wolf had de sense what he 
 oughter bin bo'n wid ? Man, suh ! he'd a 
 made mince-meat out'n Brer Billy Goat 'fo* 
 you kin wink yo' fingers en wiggle yo' eyeleds. 
 You hear de fuss what dat ar Becky's Bill wuz 
 a-makin' des now ? Well, ef Big Sam had 'a' 
 made at 'im, he 'd 'a' galloped off bellerin' like 
 a calf. 
 
 " Dat put me in min' er de time when dey 
 wuz a king some'rs. Hit mought er bin 'roun* 
 
THE KING THAT TALKED BIGGITY. 119 
 
 here, er it mought er bin back up dar in Fer- 
 ginny; no matter 'bout dat, hit uz some'rs. 
 Dat ar king wuz one er deze yer ole timey 
 kings. He bin settin' up dar kingin' over um 
 so long dat his ha'r done drap out, en his toofies 
 got loose, en his han' shake wid de palsy. 
 When de folks see dat, dey say dat it 's in 
 about time for dat king ter stop kingin', en 
 let some yuther somebody do some kingin'. 
 But de ole king he helt on, like tick on a 
 cow. He des kep' on a-kingin'. 
 
 "Bimeby de folks git tired, en dey meet 
 tergedder en choosen a n'er king. De ole 
 king ax who is he ; but de folks 'fuse ter give 
 his name out. Dey fear'd de ole king gwine 
 ter whirl in en make way wid 'im. De ole 
 king ax is he ole man. De people 'spon' dat 
 he older dan some folks, en lots younger dan 
 some yuthers. Kaze he mighty mean man, en 
 dey know dat ef dey tell 'im dey done choosen 
 a ole man, he '11 sen' out en have all de ole 
 folks kil't ; en ef dey tell 'im dey done gone en 
 choosen a young man, dey know he '11 never res' 
 tell he done massycreed all de young people. 
 Yasser ! Dat 'zackly de kinder man what he 
 wuz, en dem folks what he been kingin' over, 
 dey know dat dey hatter step mighty thin ef 
 dey want to keep der hides whole. 
 
120 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Den you oughter hear dat ole king talk 
 biggity. He des fa'rly poun' de groun'. He 
 rip, he rave, he fume, he fret. Yit 't ain't do 
 no good. Dar wuz de folks, en dey des stood 
 der groun' en kep' der eye on 'im. Bimeby 
 de ole king sorter cool down. He seed 't wan't 
 no use fer ter be cuttin* up no didos, so he 
 pick up his hat en his hankcher whar he done 
 drap um, en got back on de whatzisname." 
 
 " On his throne ? " the little boy suggested. 
 
 " I speck so, honey," responded Uncle Re- 
 mus, with a laugh. " He got back on de 
 place whar dey set when dey do der kingin', 
 en he 'low, sezee : — 
 
 " ' You all got de idee dat kaze I 'm ole en 
 shaky dat I ain't got no sense, but I 'm des 
 a-gwine ter show you. Go en tell de man 
 what you done choosen dat 'f o' he kin be king 
 he got ter sen' me a beef. 'T ain't got ter be 
 no bull, en 't ain't got ter be no cow. When 
 he do dat, he kin be king ; kaze den I '11 know 
 he got sense 'nuff fer ter do de kingin' fer 
 you all des same ez I bin doin' it.' 
 
 "De folks look at one anudder en shake 
 der heads, en den dey go off en hoi' a confab. 
 Dey dunner what dey gwine to do. De man 
 what dey choosen fer ter be der new king wuz 
 
THE KING THAT TALKED BIGGITY. 121 
 
 a young man, en dey skeerd he can't do what 
 de ole king say. Bimeby some un urn went 
 en broke de news, en de young man sorter 
 raise his head en wink one eye. He 'low, 
 sezee : — 
 
 " ' Go back en tell de ole king, dat I got a 
 fine steer fattenin' in my pens, but he got ter 
 come git 'im ; but he ain't got to come in de 
 day ner needer in de night.' 
 
 " When de folks hear dis, it make um feel 
 sorter holp up, en dey went back en tole de 
 ole king what de young man say. He sot 
 dar, he did, en sorter study, en scratch his 
 head. Den he ax um ef dey be so good ez ter 
 gi' 'im a chaw terbacker. He tuck a big 
 chaw, en den he pick up his hat en his cane, 
 en grab his kyarpet-bag, en tell 'um, c So 
 long.' 
 
 "Now, den," said Uncle Remus, after a 
 pause, " what good is it do dat man f er ter 
 talk his biggity talk ? I wish somebody be so 
 good ez ter tell me dat." 
 
XVI. 
 
 BROTHER RABBIT'S MONEY MINT. 
 
 One day the little boy was telling Uncle 
 Remus about how much money one of his 
 mother's brothers was going to make. Oh, 
 it was ever so much — fifty, a hundred, may 
 be a thousand bales of cotton in one season. 
 Uncle Remus groaned a little during this re- 
 cital. 
 
 "Wharbouts he gwine ter make it?" the 
 old man inquired with some asperity. 
 
 " Oh, in Mississippi," said the little boy. 
 " Uncle James told papa that the cotton out 
 there grows so high that a man sitting on his 
 horse could hide in it." 
 
 " Did Marse Jeems see dat cotton hisse'f ? " 
 asked Uncle Remus. 
 
 " Yes, he did. He 's been out there, and 
 he saw it with his own eyes. He says he can 
 make ever so many hundred dollars in Missis- 
 sippi where he makes one here." 
 
 " Marse John ain't gwine, is he ? " 
 
BROTHER RABBITS MONEY MINT. 123 
 
 " No ; I heard papa tell mamma that Uncle 
 James was drawing his long bow, and then 
 mamma said she reckoned that her kinfolks 
 were as truthful as anybody else's." 
 
 Immediately Uncle Remus' s features lost 
 their severity, and he lay back in his chair to 
 laugh. 
 
 " Dat Miss Sally, up en down. Hit her kin- 
 nery en you got ter hit her. But yo' pa know 
 Marse Jeems, en I been knowin' 'im sence he 
 wuz in his teens ; en when he git ter talkin* 
 he '11 stretch his blanket spite er de worl'. He 
 allers would do dat, en he allers will. Now, 
 dat des de long en de short un it. I don't 
 keer ef he is kin ter Miss Sally, he '11 talk wil\ 
 
 " Bless yo' soul, honey. I done hear talk 
 er Massasip long 'fo' you wuz bornded. I 
 done seed um go dar, en I done seed um come 
 back, en eve'y time I hear folks talk 'bout 
 makin' mo' money off dar dan dey kin any- 
 whars nigher home, it put me in min' er de 
 time when Brer Fox went huntin' de place 
 whar dey make money." 
 
 "Is it a story, Uncle Remus?" asked the 
 little boy. 
 
 " Well, 't ain't ez you may say one er deze 
 yer reg'lar up en down tales, what runs cross- 
 
124 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 ways. Dish yer tale goes right straight 
 Brer Fox meet up wid Brer Rabbit in de big 
 road, en dey pass de time er day, en ax one er 
 nudder how der fambly connection is. Brer 
 Fox say he sorter middlin' peart, en Brer Rab- 
 bit say he sorter betwix ' My gracious ! 9 en 
 i Thank gracious ! ' Whiles dey er runnin' 
 on en confabbin', Brer Fox hear sump'n rat- 
 tlin' in Brer Rabbit's pocket. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Ef I ain't mighty much mis- 
 taken, Brer Rabbit, I hear money rattlin'.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit sorter grin slow en hoi' his 
 head keerless. 
 
 " He say, ' 'T ain't nothin' much — des 
 some small change what I bleedz ter take wid 
 me in de case er needcessity.' 
 
 " Wid dat he drawed out a big han'ful er 
 speeshy-dollars, en quarters, en sev'mpunces, 
 en thrips, en all right spang-bang new. Hit 
 shined in de sun twel it fair blin' yo' eyes. 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, ' Laws a massy, Brer 
 Rabbit ! I ain't seed so much money sence 
 I sol' my watermilions las' year. Ain't you 
 skeerd some un '11 fling you down en take it 
 'way f um you ? ' 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say, 'Dem what man 'nuff 
 ter take it kin have it 5 ' en he des strut 'long 
 
BROTHER RABBITS MONEY MINT. 125 
 
 de road dar mo' samer dan one er deze yer 
 milliumterry mens what got yaller stripes on 
 der britches. 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, ' Whar de name er good- 
 ness you git so much new speeshy, Brer 
 Babbit?' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' I git it whar dey make 
 it at ; dat whar I git it.' 
 
 " Brer Fox stop by de side er de road, en 
 look 'stonish. He low, ' Wharbouts does dey 
 make dish yer speeshy at ? ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' Fust in one place en 
 den in anudder. You got ter do like me, 
 Brer Fox ; you got ter keep yo' eye wide 
 open.' 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, ' Fer massy sake, Brer 
 Rabbit, tell me how I gwine ter fine de place.' 
 
 " He beg en he beg, Brer Fox did, en Brer 
 Rabbit look at 'im hard, like he got some 
 doubts on his min'. Den Brer Rabbit sot 
 down by de side er de road en mark in de san' 
 wid his walkin' cane. 
 
 " Bimeby he say, ' Well, spozen I tell you, 
 you '11 go blabbin' it 'roun' de whole neigh- 
 borhoods, en den dey '11 git it all, en we won't 
 git none 't all.' 
 
 " But Brer Fox des vow en declar' ter gra- 
 
126 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BQY. 
 
 cious dat he won't tell a livin' soul, en den ole 
 Brer Babbit sorter bent hisse'f back en cle'r 
 up his th'oat. 
 
 " He say, t 'T ain't much atter you fine it 
 out, Brer Fox ; all you got ter do is ter watch 
 de road twel you see a waggin come 'long. Ef 
 you '11 look right close, you '11 see dat de wag- 
 gin, ef hit 7 s de right kind er waggin, is got 
 two front wheels en two behime wheels; en 
 you '11 see f uddermo' dat de front wheels is 
 lots littler dan de behime wheels. Now, when 
 you see dat, what is you bleedz ter b'lieve ? ' 
 
 " Brer Fox study little while, en den shuck 
 his head. He 'low, ' You too much fer me ? 
 Brer Rabbit.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit look like he feel sorry kaze 
 Brer Fox sech a numbskull. He say, i When 
 you see dat, you bleedz ter b'lieve dat atter 
 so long a time de big wheel gwine ter ketch de 
 little one. Yo' common sense ought ter tell 
 you dat.' 
 
 " Brer Fox 'low, ( Hit sholy look so.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, K Ef you know dat de big 
 wheel gwine ter ketch de little wheel, en dat 
 bran new money gwine ter drap fum betwixt 
 um when dey grind up 'ginst one anudder, 
 what you gwine do den ? ' 
 
 
BROTHER RABBITS MONEY MINT. 127 
 
 " Still Brer Fox study, en shake his head. 
 Brer Rabbit look like he gittin' sick. 
 
 " He say, ' You kin set down en let de wag- 
 gin go on by, ef you don't want no bran new 
 money. Den agin, ef you want de money, 
 you kin foller 'long en keep watch, en see 
 when de behime wheels overtake de front uns 
 en be on han' when de money starts ter drap- 
 pin . 
 
 " Brer Fox look like he got de idee. He 
 sorter laugh. 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say, <Nex' time you see a 
 waggin gwine by, Brer Fox, des holler for me 
 ef you don't want ter take no chances. Des 
 bawl out ! I ain't got 'nuff speeshy, en I 
 ain't gwine ter have 'miff.' 
 
 " Brer Fox, he broke off a broom straw en 
 'gun ter chaw on it, en des 'bout dat time, 
 dey hear a waggin comin' 'cross de hill. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, { Des say de word, Brer 
 Fox, en ef you ain't gwine 'long atter de wag- 
 gin, I '11 go myse'f ! ' 
 
 "Brer Fox say, i Maybe de wheels done 
 grinded tergedder back yonder a piece.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit 'low, ' I ain't got time ter 
 'spute, Brer Fox. Ef you ain't gwine, des say 
 de word ! ' 
 
128 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer Fox sorter laugh like he shame. He 
 say, ' I b'lieve I '11 go a little piece er de way 
 en see how de wheels run.' 
 
 " Wid dat," said Uncle Remus, looking up 
 at the ceiling with a peculiar smile, "Brer 
 Rabbit wish Brer Fox good luck, en went on 
 'bout his business. Yit he ain't go so fur dat 
 he can't watch Brer Fox's motions. At de rise 
 er de nex' hill he look back, en dar he see Brer 
 Fox trottin' 'long atter de waggin. When he 
 see dat, Brer Rabbit des lay down in de grass 
 en kick up his heels en holler." 
 
 Uncle Remus laughed, and the little boy 
 laughed. The old negro's merriment was as 
 keen as that of the youngster, for his humor 
 swept over a wide field of human experience. 
 The little boy laughed at the transparent trick ; 
 Uncle Remus no doubt beheld in his imagina- 
 tion a long procession of human Brer Foxes 
 " polin' 'long," up hill and down hill, waiting 
 for the hind wheels to overtake the front ones. 
 After a while the little boy asked what became 
 of Brother Fox. 
 
 " Well, honey," said Uncle Remus, " he 
 des foller 'long, trottin' en gallopin', waitin' 
 f er de wheels ter ketch up wid one anudder. 
 Ef he ain't in Massasip by dis time, I 'm 
 
BROTHER RABBITS MONEY MINT. 129 
 
 mighty much mistaken. I boun' yo' Unc' 
 Jeems '11 see 'im when he go out dar ! Brer 
 Fox had ter take his foot in his han', en git 
 dar de bes' way he kin ; yo' Unc' Jeems gwine 
 by conveyance." 
 
xvn. 
 
 WHY THE MOON'S FACE IS SMUTTY. 
 
 " Hit 's money, honey, de worl' over/' re* 
 marked Uncle Remus, after a somewhat pro- 
 longed silence. " Go whar you will, en go 
 when you may, en stay ez long ez mought be, 
 en you '11 fin' folks huntin' atter money — 
 mornin' en evenin', day en night. 
 
 " Look at um ! Why, dar 's de Moon," — 
 something in the attitude or the countenance 
 of the child caused Uncle Remus to stop sud- 
 denly and laugh. 
 
 " The Moon, Uncle Remus ? " exclaimed 
 the youngster. " What about the Moon ? " 
 
 " Well, you know how folks talk 'bout de 
 Moon. You '11 hear um say she 's on her fus' 
 quarter, en den on 'er las' quarter ; en dat des 
 'zackly de way dey talk 'bout money. I hear 
 tell dat one time dey wuz a man gwine 'long 
 en de woods, en he hear a mighty jinglin' en 
 rattlin'. He look 'roun', en see it wuz de Moon 
 er changin'. Seem like she lacked a quarter, 
 
WHY THE MOON'S FACE IS SMUTTY. 131 
 
 en de man pulled out his money-purse en flung 
 de quarter in, en den she change all right. 
 
 " But dat ain't no tale ; hit des a rig," 
 Uncle Remus continued, not waiting to see the 
 effect of this venerable joke. " De tale dat I 
 been hearin' 'bout de moon ain't got no money 
 in it, en dat mighty funny, too, kaze it look 
 like money is mix up wid mos' eve'ything. 
 
 " In dem days, way back yander, de Moon 
 use ter come down en get behime a big poplar 
 log, when she wanter make a change. She 
 ain't want nobody to see 'er. She 'd rise later 
 en later eve'y night, des like she do now, en 
 den to'rds de las' she 'd drap down on de fur 
 een er de Ian', over dat away, en slip behime 
 de poplar log en change all she want ter. 
 
 " But one time dey wuz a man gwine 'long 
 thoo de woods totin' a bag er charcoal, what 
 he been burnin'. He been watchin' de coal 
 kil' sence midnight de night befo', en he 
 uz so tired out en broke down dat stidder 
 singin' er whistlin', like folks does when dey 
 go thoo de woods, he uz des gwine 'bout his 
 business widout making any fuss. He wuz 
 axin hisse'f ef dey 'd be any hot ashcake wait- 
 in' fer 'im, en whedder de ole 'oman 'd save 
 *im any pot-liquor f um dinner. 
 
132 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " He wuz gwine 'long dis away, when de 
 fus' news lie know, he come right 'pon de 
 Moon whiles she wuz changin'. Man, suh ! 
 Dey wuz de bigges' flutternient den en dar dat 
 dey 'sever been befo' er since. Folks 'way off 
 thought dey could hear thunder, dough dey 
 wan't nothin' in de roun' worl' but de Moon 
 tryin' fer ter git out de way er de man. 
 
 " De man, he drapt de bag er charcoal en 
 run like ole Scratch wuz atter 'im. He des 
 tored thoo de woods like a harrycane wuz blow- 
 in' 'im 'long. He 'uz gwine one way en de 
 Moon anudder, but de Moon she tripped en fell 
 right topper de bag er charcoal, en you kin 
 see de signs un it down ter dis day. Look at 
 'er when you will, en you '11 see dat she look 
 like she been hit 'cross .de face wid a sut-bag. 
 Don't take my word fer it. Des look fer yo'- 
 se'f ! Dar 't is ! Ever sence dat day de Moon 
 done got so she do 'er changin' up in de ele- 
 ments." 
 
 After awhile the little boy asked what be- 
 came of the man that had the bag of char- 
 coal. 
 
 " What dat got ter do wid de tale ? " said 
 Uncle Remus, sharply. " Long ez de Moon 
 is up dar all safe en soun', 'ceppin' de smut, 
 
WHY THE MOON'S FACE IS SMUTTY. 133 
 
 it don't make no diffunce 'bout no man. You 
 run 'long en tell yo' Unc' Jeems dat ef he 
 gwine gi' you anything he better let you have 
 it 'f o' he go out dar ter Massasip — kaze, I 
 tell you right now, Massasip is des anudder 
 name fer trouble. I done seed it work out 
 dat away." 
 
xvm. 
 
 BROTHER RABBIT CONQUERS BROTHER LION. 
 
 " Uncle Remus/' remarked the little boy, 
 one day, " papa says that the animals have n't 
 got sure enough sense." 
 
 " Did Marse John tell you dat?" asked the 
 old man, letting his shoe-hammer drop from 
 his hands, as though astonishment had ren-, 
 dered him helpless. " Did Marse John set up 
 flat-footed in a cheer and tell you dat de 
 creeturs ain't got sho 'nuff sense? Ain't he 
 wink his eye when he tell you dat? Ain't 
 you see his chin drap ? " 
 
 The little boy had seen none of these mani- 
 festations, and he said so. 
 
 "Well," exclaimed Uncle Remus, with a 
 groan, "I dunner how come Marse John fer ter 
 take on dat away. He used to be a mighty 
 joker when he wuz fust married; but look 
 like he too ole fer dat kinder doin's now. 
 When you go back up dar, yon tell Marse 
 John, dat time he been wid de creeturs long 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER LION. 135 
 
 ez I is, he won't set up dar wid a straight face 
 en say dat dey ain't got sho 'miff sense. Des 
 ax 'im how dat ole blue sow up dar in de woods 
 pastur' know when ter shake de plum tree. 
 Ax 'im who tol' 'er how ter bump 'er head 
 'ginst de floor er de crib en shatter de corn 
 out. En den, when he git thoo tellin' you 
 'bout dat, ax 'im how dat brindle cow larn't 
 how ter open all de plantation gates wid 'er 
 horn. 
 
 "I be blest," continued Uncle Remus, 
 laughing a little, " ef dat cow ain't a sight. 
 Ef Marse John '11 des let 'er come in de house, 
 she '11 go up sta'rs en onlock his trunk wid 'er 
 horn, en chaw up dat ar claw-hammer coat 
 what he got married in. She mos' sholy will. 
 Co'se de creeturs can't talk none, so folks kin 
 tell what dey say ; but ef you gwine ter blame 
 anybody fer dat, blame de folks, don't blame 
 de creeturs. 
 
 " Take um up one side en down de yuther, 
 en all 'roun ? ez fur ez dey go, en dey got much 
 sense ez folks. Dey ain't got law sense, en 
 dey ain't got buyin' en sellin' sense, but what 
 dey want wid it ? What dey gwine do wid 
 it ef dey had it ? Tell me dat ! De ole cow, 
 she want ter git in de sallid patch, en she 
 
136 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 know how ter open de gate. De ole sow want 
 ripe plums, en she shake de tree ; she want 
 corn, en she bump 'er head 'ginst de planks 
 en shatter it out. What mo' do dey want? 
 Dey done got der eddycation. 
 
 " De littler de creeturs is, de mo' sense dey 
 got, kaze dey bleedz ter have it. You hear 
 folks say dat Brer Kabbit is full er tricks. It 's 
 des de name dey give it. What folks calls 
 tricks is creetur sense. Ef ole Brer Lion had 
 much sense ez Brer Rabbit, what de name 
 er goodness would de balance er de creeturs 
 do ? Dey would n't be none un um lef ' by 
 dis time." 
 
 " The Lion could n't catch Brother Rabbit, 
 could he, Uncle Remus ? " said the little boy. 
 
 "Now you talkin', honey," exclaimed the 
 old man, enthusiastically. " 'Long side er 
 Brer Rabbit ole Brer Lion ain't knee high ter 
 a duck. He mighty strong ; he mighty ser- 
 vigrous ; but when it come ter head-work he 
 ain't nowhar. 
 
 " Dey wuz one time when Brer Lion wuz 
 sorter playin' overseer wid de yuther creeturs. 
 It seem like he got de idee dat all un um got 
 ter pay 'im toll, kaze he de strongest en de 
 mos' servigrous. He claim one out'n eve'y 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER LION. 137 
 
 fambly : one sheep f um de sheeps, one goat 
 fum de goats, en one fum all de kinds. 
 Bimeby, atter so long a time, he sont word ter 
 Brer Rabbit dat his turn done come, en Brer 
 Rabbit he sont back word, 'All a-settin'.' 
 Co'se dis make ole Miss Rabbit en all de chil- 
 luns feel mighty bad. De chilluns, dey sot 
 'roun' a-whimperin' en a-snufflin', en ole Miss 
 Rabbit, she went 'bout cryin' en wipin' 'er 
 eyes on 'er apern. But Brer Rabbit, he sot 
 up en smoke his seegyar, en tell um for ter 
 quit der 'havishness en larn how ter don't. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Ole 'oman, ef I ain't back by 
 supper-time, des set my vittles down dar on de 
 ha'th, so it '11 keep sorter warm.' 
 
 " Ole Miss Rabbit say, dat stidder wantin' 
 vittles, he '11 be vittles hisse'f, en den she 
 snuffle wuss en wuss. But Brer Rabbit he 
 des hoot at 'er, en den he tuck down his 
 walkin' cane en put out fer ter see Brer Lion. 
 De little Rabs, dey holler out, i Good-by, 
 daddy ! ' en Brer Rabbit, he holler back, i So 
 long ! ' Ole Miss Rabbit, she look atter 'im, 
 she did, en den she flung 'er apern over 'er 
 head, en des boo-hoo. 
 
 " But Brer Rabbit, he march down de road 
 ez gay ez ef he gwine ter a frolic. He march 
 
138 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 on, he did, en des 'fo' he git ter de place whar 
 ole Brer Lion stay at, he hid his walkin' cane 
 in de fence cornder, en rumpled up his ha'r en 
 draw'd hisse'f up twel he look like he ain't 
 bigger 'n a poun' er soap atter a hard day's 
 washin'. Den he went whar dey wuz a big, 
 deep spring, a little piece off f urn de road, en 
 look at hisse'f in de water. He sort er roach 
 back his years, en make hisse'f look umble- 
 come-tumble, en den he draw'd his mouf 'roun' 
 en wunk one eye, en shuck his fist at his shad- 
 der in de water. 
 
 "He got back in de big road, he did, en 
 crope 'long like he ailin', limpin' fus on one 
 foot en den on tudder, en bimeby he come ter 
 de place whar ole Brer Lion stay at. Brer 
 Rabbit sorter drag hisse'f 'long, en make a 
 bow. Brer Lion look at 'im sideways, en ax 
 'im whar he gwine. Brer Rabbit say he come 
 de mo' willin' kaze it 's his turn ter come, en 
 he been f eelin' mighty po'ly dis long time. He 
 talk mighty weak en trimbly. 
 
 " Brer Lion look at 'im right close, en 'low, 
 'You won't make a moufful. Time I eat 
 you, I '11 des be gettin' hongry good.' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, c Yasser, I know I ain't 
 fat, en I speck I got lots er fleas on me, but 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER LION. 139 
 
 I 'm mighty willin'. I got a bad cough, en 
 I 'm tired er fallin' off. I 'm des about ez fat 
 ez de mule de man had, which he hatter tie a 
 knot in his tail fer ter keep 'im fum slippin' 
 thoo de collar.' 
 
 "Brer Lion look at 'im, en study. Brer 
 Rabbit 'uz so skeer'd he talk weaker en weaker. 
 
 " He say, i Whiles I comin' 'long des now, 
 I seed a creetur dat uz mos' big en fat ez what 
 you is, en I 'low ter myse'f dat I wish ter good- 
 ness I uz fat ez he is ; so Brer Lion kin make 
 out his dinner/ 
 
 " Brer Lion 'low, ' Who is he ? ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, ' I ain't ax 'im 'is name. 
 He 'fuse ter 'spon' ter my howdy, en he look so 
 servigrous dat I put out fum dar.' 
 
 " Brer Lion say, ' Come, show me whar he 
 is/ 
 
 " Brer Rabbit say, * I 'd do it in a minnit, 
 Brer Lion, but I skeer'd he '11 hurt you.' 
 
 "Brer Lion sorter bristle up at dis. He 
 'low, 'Hurt who? Come on, en go wid me 
 whar he is, en I '11 show you who '11 git hurted, 
 en dat in short order ! ' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit shuck his head. He say, 
 6 You better take me, Brer Lion. I ain't 
 much, but I 'm sump'n, en dat ar creetur what 
 
140 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 I seed will sholy hurt you. He got claws en 
 he got tushes, kaze I done seed um. Don't 
 go whar he is, Brer Lion, ef you got any 
 friendly feelin' fer yo' fambly. Dat creetur 
 will sholy cripple you ! ' 
 
 "Dis make Brer Lion mighty mad. He 
 'low, ' Git right in de road dar en show me 
 whar he is ! ' 
 
 "Brer Rabbit say, 'Well, ef I bleedz ter 
 go, Brer Lion, I '11 go. I done toT you, en 
 dat 's all I kin do/ 
 
 "Dey went on, dey did, en Brer Rabbit 
 tuck Brer Lion ter de spring. When dey got 
 dar, Brer Rabbit look 'roun' en say, * He uz 
 right 'roun' here somers, en he ain't so 
 mighty fur off now, kaze I feel it in my 
 bones.' 
 
 " Den he crope up, Brer Rabbit did, en look 
 in de spring. Time he do dis, he fetched a 
 squall en jump back : i Ouch, Brer Lion ! he 
 in dar ! Less run ! He '11 git us, sho ! ' 
 
 " Brer Lion walk up ter de spring en look 
 in. Sho 'nuff, dar wuz a big creetur lookin' 
 back at 'im. Brer Lion holler at 'im. De 
 creetur in de spring ain't say nothin'. Brer 
 Lion shuck his head; de creetur shuck his. 
 Brer Lion showed his tushes ; de creetur grin 
 
WM-f'X ''/^frZ, f,^>\ % * 
 
BROTHER RABBIT AND BROTHER LION. 141 
 
 at 'im. Dey kep' on dis away, twel bimeby 
 Brer Lion git so mad dat he jump in de spring 
 head foremos'. When he in dar he can't git 
 out no mo', en so dar he is, strangled wid de 
 water en drownded fer de want er bof e sense 
 en breff. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit, he caper 'roun' dar some lit- 
 tle time, en den he put out fer home, en when 
 he git dar, he tuck his chilluns on his knee en 
 tole um a mighty tale 'bout how he make way 
 wid ole Brer Lion; en all de creeturs hear 
 'bout it, en dey go 'roun' en say dat Brer 
 Eabbit sholy is got deze 'ere things up here." 
 
 Uncle Remus tapped his forehead signifi- 
 cantly, and the little boy laughed. 
 
XIX. 
 
 ), HOUSE ! " 
 
 "I don't think Brother Lion had much 
 sense," remarked the little boy after awhile. 
 
 " Yit he had some/' responded Uncle Re- 
 mus. " He bleedz ter had some, but he ain't 
 got much ez Brer Rabbit. Dem what got 
 strenk ain't got so mighty much sense. You 
 take niggers — dey er lots stronger dan what 
 white folks is. I ain't so strong myse'f," re- 
 marked the old man, with a sly touch of van- 
 ity that was lost on the little boy, " but de 
 common run er niggers is lots stronger dan 
 white folks. Yit I done tuck notice in my time 
 dat what white folks calls sense don't turn out 
 ter be sense eve'y day en Sunday too. I ain't 
 never see de patter-roller what kin keep up 
 wid me. He may go hoss-back, he may go 
 foot-back, it don't make no diffunce ter me. 
 Dt3y never is kotch me yit, en when dey does, 
 I '11 let you know. 
 
 * Dat de way wid Brer Rabbit," Uncle Re« 
 
"HEYO, HOUSE!" 143 
 
 mus went on, after a pause. " De few times 
 what he been outdone he mighty willin' fer 
 ter let um talk 'bout it, ef it '11 do um any 
 good. Dem what outdo 'im got de right ter 
 brag, en he ain't make no deniance un it. 
 
 "Atter he done make way wid ole Brer 
 Lion, all de yuther creeturs say he sholy is a 
 mighty man, en dey treat 'im good. Dis make 
 'im feel so proud dat he bleedz ter show it, 
 en so he strut 'roun' like a boy when he git 
 his fust pa'r er boots. 
 
 " 'Bout dat time, Brer Wolf tuck a notion 
 dat ef Brer Rabbit kin outdo ole Brer Lion, 
 he can't outdo him. So he pick his chance 
 one day whiles ole Miss Rabbit en de little 
 Rabs is out pickin' sallid fer dinner. He went 
 in de house, he did, en wait fer Brer Rabbit 
 ter come home. Brer Rabbit had his hours, 
 en dis wuz one un um, en 't wan't long 'f o' here 
 he come. He got a mighty quick eye, mon, 
 en he tuck notice dat ev'ything mighty still. 
 When he got little nigher, he tuck notice dat 
 de front door wuz on de crack, en dis make 
 'im feel funny, kaze he know dat when his ole 
 'oman en de chillun out, dey allers pulls de 
 door shet en ketch de latch. So he went up 
 a little nigher, en he step thin ez a batter- 
 
144 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 cake. He peep here, en he peep dar, yit he 
 ain't see nothin'. He lissen in de chimbley 
 cornder, en he lissen und' de winder, yit he 
 ain't hear nothin'. 
 
 " Den he sorter wipe his mustach en study. 
 He 'low ter hisse'f, 6 De pot rack know what 
 gwine on up de chimbley, de rafters know 
 who 's in de loft, de bed - cord know who 
 und' de bed. I ain't no pot-rack, I ain't no 
 rafter, en I ain't no bed-cord, but, please gra- 
 cious ! I 'm gwine ter fin' who 's in dat house, 
 en I ain't gwine in dar nudder. Dey mo' 
 ways ter fin' out who fell in de mill-pond wid- 
 out fallin' in yo'se'f .' 
 
 " Some folks," Uncle Remus went on, 
 "would 'a' rushed in dar, en ef dey had, dey 
 would n't 'a' rushed out no mo', kaze dey 
 wouldn't 'a' been nothin' 't all lef un um but 
 a little scrap er hide en a han'f ul er ha'r. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit got better sense dan dat. 
 All he ax anybody is ter des gi' 'im han'-room- 
 ance, en dem what kin ketch 'im is mo' dan 
 welly-come ter take 'im. Dat 'zackly de kinder 
 man what Brer Rabbit is. He went off a lit- 
 tle ways fum de house en clum a 'simmon 
 stump en got "ip dar en 'gun ter holler. 
 
 " He 'low, e Heyo, house ! ' 
 
 
"HEYO, HOUSE!" 145 
 
 u De house ain't make no answer, en Brer 
 Wolf, in dar behhne de door, open his eyes 
 ■wide. He ain't know what ter make er dat 
 kinder doin's. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit holler, ' Heyo, house ! Why 
 n't you heyo ? ' 
 
 " House ain't make no answer, en Brer Wolf 
 in dar behime de door sorter move roun' like 
 he gittin' restless in de min'. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit out dar on de 'simmon stump 
 holler mo' louder dan befo', ( Heyo, house ! 
 Heyo ! ' 
 
 " House stan' still, en Brer Wolf in dar be- 
 hime de door 'gun ter feel col' chills streakin' 
 up and down his back. In all his born days 
 he ain't never hear no gwines on like dat. He 
 peep thoo de crack er de door, but he can't see 
 nothin'. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit holler louder, ' Heyo, house ! 
 Ain't you gwine ter heyo ? Is you done los' 
 what little manners you had ? ' 
 
 " Brer Wolf move 'bout wuss'n befo'. He 
 feel des like some un done hit 'im on de fun- 
 ny-bone. 
 
 " Brer Rabbit holler hard ez he kin, but 
 still he ain't git no answer, en den he 'low, 
 6 Sholy sump^n nudder is de matter wid dat 
 
146 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 house, kaze all de times befo' dis, it been hoi- 
 ler'n back at me, Heyo, yo'se'f ! ' 
 
 " Den Brer Rabbit wait little bit, en bimeby 
 he holler one mo' time, ' Heyo, house ! ' 
 
 " Ole Brer Wolf try ter talk like he speck 
 a house 'ud talk, en he holler back, ' Heyo, 
 yo'se'f!' 
 
 " Brer Rabbit wunk at hisse'f . He low, 
 < Heyo, house ! why n't you talk hoarse like 
 you got a bad col' ? ' 
 
 " Den Brer Wolf holler back, hoarse ez he 
 kin, c Heyo, yo'se'f ! ' 
 
 " Dis make Brer Rabbit laugh twel a little 
 mo' en he 'd a drapt off'n dat ar 'simmon stump 
 en hurt hisse'f. 
 
 "He 'low, <Eh-eh, Brer Wolf! dat ain't 
 nigh gwine ter do. You 'U hatter stan' out in 
 de rain a mighty long time 'f o' you kin talk 
 hoarse ez dat house ! ' 
 
 " I let you know," continued Uncle Remus, 
 laying his hand gently on the little boy's shoul- 
 der, " I let you know, Brer Wolf come a-slink- 
 in' out, en made a break f er home. Atter dat, 
 Brer Rabbit live a long time wid'out any er 
 de yuther creeturs a-pesterin un 'im ! " 
 
XX. 
 
 ACCORDING TO HOW THE DROP PALLS, 
 
 " Is I gwine tell you a tale right now ? '" 
 said Uncle Remus, in response to a question 
 by the little boy. " Well, I ain't right cer- 
 tain en sho' 'bout dat. It 's 'cordin ter how 
 de drap falls." 
 
 " Pshaw ! " exclaimed the youngster, " I 've 
 heard you say that before. I don't know what 
 you mean when you say it 's according to how 
 the drop falls." 
 
 " Ah-yi ! " retorted Uncle Remus trium- 
 phantly, " Den I 'm a punkin ahead er yo' 
 'simmon, is I ? " 
 
 " It 's according to how the drop falls," re- 
 joined the little boy, laughing. 
 
 " De way dat sayin' come 'bout," said Un- 
 cle Remus, " may be funny, but 't ain't no 
 tale. It des happen so. One time dey wuz a 
 'oman call on a neighbor 'oman des ' f o' din- 
 ner-time. I dunner whedder de neighbor 
 'oman like dis mighty well, but she 'uz mon 
 st'us perlite all de same. 
 
' 148 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " She 'low, c Come right in, en take off 
 yo' things en make yo'se'f at home. You '11 
 hatter skuzen my han's, kaze I 'm makin' up 
 dough. Fling ye' bonnet on de bed dar, en 
 take a seat en be seated.' 
 
 "Well, de tudder' 'oman, she sot dar en 
 talk, en watch de neighbor 'oman mix dough 
 f er de bread, en dey run'd on des like wimmin 
 folks does. It seem like de neighbor 'oman 
 got a bad col', en her eyes run water twel some 
 un it crope down ter de een er her nose en 
 hang dar. De tudder 'oman, she watch it, 
 whiles dey er talkin'. De neighbor 'oman she 
 work up de dough, en work it up, en talk. 
 Sometimes she 'd hoi' her head f um over de 
 tray en talk, en den ag'in she 'd hoi' it right 
 spang over de dough, en shake 'er head en talk. 
 
 " Bimeby she 'low, ' Won't you stay ter 
 dinner ? I '11 have dis bread done in two 
 shakes uv a sheep's tail.' 
 
 "De tudder 'oman say, C I can't tell you, 
 ma'am ; it 's 'cordin' ter how de drap falls.' 
 
 " De tudder 'oman say, ' Dey ain't a cloud 
 in de sky, so 't ain't gwine ter rain. You des 
 ez well stay.' 
 
 C/ De tudder 'oman 'low, ' I done tole you 
 de ti-ufe ; hit 's 'cordin' ter how de drap falls.' 
 
ACCORDING TO HOW THE DROP FALLS. 149 
 
 " So, atter dat, when folks wan't right cer- 
 tain en sho' 'bout what dey gwine do, dey 'd 
 up en say 't wuz 'cordin' ter how de drap fall." 
 
 " Well, how did it fall, Uncle Remus — 
 in the bread-tray, or on the table, or on the 
 floor ? " the little boy inquired. 
 
 " Lawsy, honey ! " responded the old man, 
 " ef I 'uz er tell you, I 'd hatter dream it, en 
 dreamin' ain't gwine do you er me any mo' 
 good dan it done de nigger man what had de 
 possum." 
 
 " I never heard of that," said the little boy. 
 
 " Oh, yes you is ! " Uncle Remus asserted 
 with some emphasis. " You been hearin' 
 'bout it off'n on sence you uz knee-high ter a 
 duck, en you ain't much mo'n dat right now. 
 No, suh ! You des got de idee in yo' min' 
 dat when I set down fer ter tell you sump'n 
 hit's bleedz ter be a tale, en when yuther 
 folks tells it 't ain't nothin' but talk. I ain't 
 got no secret 'bout dish yer nigger man what 
 had de possum, but I tell you right now, 't ain't 
 no tale. Too many folks done been fool wid 
 it. 
 
 " Well, den, one time dey wuz a nigger 
 man, en dish yer nigger man had a big fat 
 possum en a half er peck er sweet 'taters. 
 
150 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 He tuck de possum en de taters home, en he 
 lay urn down, — de possum on one side de 
 fireplace en de taters on tudder side. Den he 
 get some wood and chips en make 'im a fier, 
 en den he fotch out de skillet. He put de 
 possum in dar, he did, en he put de taters in 
 de ashes close by fer ter keep 'im comp'ny. 
 Den he raked out some hot embers en sot de 
 skillet on um, en he put on de skillet led, en 
 piled some embers 'pon topper dat. 
 
 " He sot dar, he did, en wait fer de possum 
 fer ter git done, en whiles he wuz a-waitin' he 
 struck up a song. Maybe you done hear it 
 'fo' now, but dat ain't make no diffunce ter 
 me, kaze when I git started dis away, I 'm like 
 de bull yearlin' gwine down de lane ; dem 
 what gits in de way gwine ter git run'd over 
 — dey mos' sholy is ! " 
 
 Uncle Remus leaned back in his chair, 
 closed his eyes, and began to pat his foot. 
 Then, after a little pause, he sang this frag- 
 ment of a song : — 
 
 " Virginny cut, chaw terbacker, 
 Nigger dance ter merlatter ; 
 Hoe de corn, dig er tater, 
 Plant terbacker, 't is no matter. 
 
 " Mix de meal, fry de batter, 
 Nigger dance ter merlatter ; 
 
 
ACCORDING TO HOW THE DROP FALLS. 151 
 
 Warm de cake in er platter, 
 Fry um in de cooney fat. 
 
 " Grab er tater out de ash, 
 Nigger dance ter merlatter ; 
 Possum meat dar in der platter, 
 Shoo ! he make de nigger fatter." 
 
 Uncle Remus's voice was full of melody, 
 and he sang the song to a rollicking tune. 
 The little boy was so much pleased that he 
 asked the old man to sing it again. 
 
 " Bless yo' soul, honey. Ef I git in a fa'r 
 way er singin', de niggers '11 all quit der 
 work en crowd 'roun' here en jine in wid me, 
 en we '11 have a reg'lar ole-timey camp-meetin' 
 gwine on here 'fo' you know it. I ain't got 
 no time fer dat. 
 
 "Now, den, dish yer nigger man, what I 
 been tellin' you 'bout, he got his taters in de 
 ashes en his possum in de skillet, en he sot 
 dar en sing de song, en watch um all cook. 
 Atter so long a time dey got done, en he pull 
 de taters out'n de embers, en push de skillet 
 'way fum de fier. He 'low ter hisse'f, he 
 did, dat col' possum is better' n hot possum, 
 dough bofe un um is good nuff fer anybody. 
 So he say he '11 des let it set dar en cool, en 
 
152 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 soak in de gravy. Den he say he b'lieve 
 he '11 do some noddin', kaze den he '11 dream 
 he eatin' de possum, en den he '11 wake up en 
 eat 'im sho nuff, en have de 'joyment er eatin 
 'im two times. 
 
 " Well, suh, dat des de way he done. He 
 sot back in his cheer, de nigger man did, en 
 he nodded en nodded, en he work his mouf 
 des like he eatin' possum, en he grunt in his 
 sleep like he feelin' good. But whiles he set- 
 tin' dar sleepin', a nudder nigger man smell de 
 possum, en he crope up ter de door en peep in. 
 He seed how de Ian' lay, en he slipped off his 
 shoes en stole in. He lif' up de led er de 
 skillet, en dar wuz de possum. He look on de 
 side er de h'ath, en dar wuz de taters. Now, 
 den, when dat de case, what gwine ter hap- 
 pen? Possum, en tater, en hongry nigger! 
 Well, suh, de fust news you know, de possum 
 wuz all bones, de taters wuz all peelin's, en de 
 nigger wuz mo' dan a nigger. He fix de 
 bones in one little pile, en he fix de peelin's in 
 anudder little pile, en den he tuck some er de 
 possum gravy en rub it on de tudder nigger's 
 mouf en han's, en den he went on 'bout his 
 business. 
 
 " 'T wan't so mighty long atter dat 'f o' de 
 
ACCORDING TO HOW THE DROP FALLS. 153 
 
 noddin' nigger wake up. He open his eyes, 
 he did, en stretch hisse'f, en look at de skillet 
 en laugh. 
 
 "He 'low, 'You er dar, is you? Well, 
 I '11 tell you howdy now, en terreckly I '11 tell 
 you good-by ! ' 
 
 "He tuck de led off'n de skillet, en dey 
 ain't no possum dar. He look 'roun' fer de 
 taters, en dey ain't no taters dar. Dey ain't 
 nothin' dar but a pile er bones en a pile er 
 tater-peelin's. De nigger sot down in his 
 cheer en went ter studyin'. He look at his 
 han's, en he see possum grease on um. He 
 lick out his tongue, en he tas'e possum gravy 
 on his mouf. He shuck his head en study. 
 He look at his han's : * Possum been dar ! ' He 
 lick his mouf : ' Possum been dar, too ! ' He 
 rub his stomach : ' But I be bless ef any pos- 
 sum been here ! ■ " 
 
XXI. 
 
 A FOOL FOR LUCK. 
 
 Uncle Remus did not pause to see whether 
 the little boy liked the possum story or not. 
 Perhaps he felt that it deserved no attention, 
 being only a plantation joke — a remnant of 
 a tale which had not sufficient interest to pre- 
 serve it. 
 
 " Dat nigger man," he remarked, " wuz big 
 'nuff fool f er ter have mo' luck dan dat. You 
 heern what de ole sayin' sez, < fool f er luck en 
 po' man fer chillun.' Well, one time dey wuz 
 a man what do so funny dat folks call 'im a 
 fool. He uz a hard workin' man, too, en" he 
 raise good craps, but he do like he cripple 
 und' de hat. He had a crib full er co'n, en 
 bimeby he 'gun ter miss it. He watch de 
 crib at night en in de daytime, but he ain't 
 see nobody takin' none, en de corn keep on 
 gettin' lower en lower. De man live on de 
 river, en on de yuther side de river dey wuz a 
 big woods. Bimeby somebody tell de man dat 
 
A FOOL FOB LUCK. 155 
 
 de squir'ls wuz totin' off his corn. De man 
 laugh en say dat ef squir'ls kin tote off his 
 corn, sev'm bushels at a time, dey er mo' dan 
 welcome. But he watch all de same. 
 
 " He got up 'f o' day, en went en sot by de 
 crib, en 't wan't long 'f o' he seed a sight dat 
 make 'im rub his eyes. He hear a racket on 
 de fence en a clatter in de bushes, en de 
 squir'ls 'gun ter swarm 'roun' de crib, en all 
 un um come f um to'rds de river. De man sot 
 en watch um. Dey clum up in de crib, dey 
 did, en eve'y blessed one un um tuck a year er 
 corn in dey mouf en start back 'cross de river. 
 De man foller 'long atter um. 
 
 " When dey git ter de river, dey put de corn 
 down, en hunt 'roun' twel dey git a piece er 
 bark. Dey put de bark in de water* en lay de 
 corn in it, den dey shove out fum sho, en h'ist 
 der tails fer sails en go on 'cross. Eve'y one 
 had a piece er bark, en dey ferry dat corn 
 'cross like dey done been use ter dat kinder 
 business. 
 
 " De man, he sot dar like he dazed. He go 
 back de nex' mornin' en watch, en he see da 
 same kind er doin's. Eve'y squir'l tuck a year 
 er corn, en eve'y squir'l got 'im a piece er 
 bark, en h'ist his tail 'pon his back en sail 
 
156 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 'cross de river. De man ain't say a word. He 
 ain't so much ez shoo at urn. He des set dar 
 en watch urn en laugh. Mo' dan dat, he went 
 en tol' yuther folks 'bout it en laugh some 
 mo'. Dey ax 'im why n't he make de squir'ls 
 drap de corn, en he des wunk at um en grin» 
 Den dey say he bleedz ter be a fool, en he 
 wunk en laugh som mo'. 
 
 " Bimeby, when de corn 'gun ter git low in 
 de crib, de man tuck his gun en his ax, en 
 went 'cross de river fer ter look atter it. He 
 wuz gwine 'long, huntin' fer de corn, when up 
 jump a rabbit. He raise his gun en shot, en 
 des ez he shot de rabbit run inter a covey er 
 pa'tridges. At de shot a turkey gobbler 
 flopped up en flew'd in a big poplar, en de 
 man lammed loose wid de yuther barrel, en de 
 gobbler drapt over en lodged up dar. Den he 
 look over de groun' en fin' one dead rabbit, en 
 lev'm dead pa'tridges. One pa'tridge had 'er 
 wing broke, en she scrambled off in de 
 bushes. De man foller'd on atter, en ter- 
 reckly he come ter whar dey wuz a turkey nes' 
 wid a hatful er turkey eggs. 
 
 "Den he clum up de tree fer ter git de 
 turkey. When he got up dar, he see dat de 
 turkey done drap in a hole like, en he pull 'er 
 
A FOOL FOB LUCE. 157 
 
 out, en down in dar wuz all his corn. He 
 clum down, he did, en got de axe an 'gun ter 
 cut de tree down. He ain't mo'n chopped 
 thoo de bark 'fo' he seed sump'n nudder run- 
 nin' out, en he look at it close, en it uz de pyo 
 honey. 
 
 "He 'low, 'Hi! I'm gittin' de rent fer 
 my corn ! ' 
 
 " Den he chopped him out a stob en plugged 
 up de hole, en got his game en his turkey 
 eggs, en put out fer home. Whiles he gwine 
 back anudder rabbit jump up. De man ain't 
 got no load in his gun, so he des flung de 
 gun at 'im. De rabbit went on, but when de 
 man start ter pick up de gun, he feel de groun' 
 givin' way 'neat' his foots, en 'f o' he kin ketch 
 hisse'f he done drapt down in a hole." 
 
 " Was it a big, deep hole ? " the little boy 
 inquired, with some show of eagerness. 
 
 " Well, suh, 't wuz over his head," re- 
 sponded Uncle Remus, vaguely. " It seem 
 like some un had made de hole en kivered it 
 wid' a plank, en den put dirt on de plank. It 
 been done so long dat de man come 'long des 
 in time fer ter fall thoo. When he 'gun ter 
 fall, he make up his min' dat 't wuz all-night- 
 Isom dar wid him. But he struck bottom 
 
158 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 quicker'n he speckted he would, en when he git 
 over his skeer he 'gun ter feel 'roun' fer ter 
 see if it 's him er some yuther man what drapt 
 in dar. Whiles he uz feelin' 'roun' fer ter see 
 see who he wuz, en whar he wuz, en what he 
 doin' dar, he put his han' on sump'n hard en 
 col'. 
 
 " Yasser ! right den en dar he put his han' 
 on sump'n hard en col' — en what you reckon 
 it was ? Nothin' in de roun' worF but a keg 
 er money ! He scrambled out er dar, atter he 
 lif ' de keg out, en den he roll it down to his 
 canoe, en tuck it home. He count it up, de 
 man did, en he fin' he got forty-lev'm hundr'd 
 dollars in hard speeshy. Wen he git rested, 
 he tuck his hoss en waggin en a empty bar'l, 
 en went 'roun' by de bridge, en back ter de 
 place whar he fin' de honey. He pull de plug 
 out'n de tree en let de honey run in de bar'l 
 twel it 's full, en den he tuck it home en fetch 
 back two mo' bar'ls, en got dem full. Hit went 
 on dis away twel he got I dunner how many 
 bar'ls er honey. En den, when he cut down 
 de tree en haul de corn home, he fin' he got 
 mo' dan he had at fust, kaze de squir'ls been 
 stealin' somebody else corn 'long wid his'n ! 
 
 " So den, dar he wuz, wid ez much money 
 
A FOOL FOR LUCK. 159 
 
 ez he want, en mo' honey dan a drove er mules 
 kin pull, en mo' corn dan what he had befo', 
 en all de game he want, en all bekaze he de 
 biggest fool in sev'm Nunited States." 
 
 Seeing that the little boy was disposed to 
 regard his story somewhat dubiously, Uncle 
 Remus made this concluding remark : — 
 
 " Tooby sho, dis ain't no creetur tale, but ef 
 't ain't so, how come folks talkin' 'bout it yit ? 
 I wish you be so good ez ter tell me dat." 
 
 But the little boy was not prepared to argue 
 the matter. 
 
XXII. 
 
 THE MAN AND HIS BOOTS. 
 
 u You done hear me say dat de creeturs is 
 got mos' ez much sense ez folks, ain't you, 
 honey ? " inquired Uncle Remus, one day, 
 when he and the little boy were alone together. 
 The youngster nodded assent. " Well, den," 
 said the old man solemnly, " I 'm bleedz ter 
 tell you dat sense don't stan' fer goodness. 
 De creeturs dunno nothin' 'tall 'bout dat dat 's 
 good en dat dat ain't good. Dey dunno 
 right fum wrong. Dey see what dey want, 
 en dey git it ef dey kin, by hook er by crook. 
 Dey don't ax who it b'longs ter, ner whar- 
 bouts it come fum. Dey dunno de diffunce 
 'twix what 's dern en what ain't dern. 
 
 "Miss Sally say no longer'n yistiddy, dat 
 I 'd keep on tellin' you deze creetur tales twel 
 bimeby you '11 git mix up in de min' en f ergit 
 all 'bout yo' Sunday-school lesson ; but I laid 
 down dis pint ter Miss Sally, dat ef a chap 
 'bout yo' age en size dunno de diffunce 'twix 
 
THE MAN AND HIS BOOTS. 161 
 
 creetur doin's en folks' doins', he better be 
 turned out ter graze. I ain't tellin' you deze 
 tales on account er what de creeturs does, I 'm 
 a tellin' um on account er de way de creeturs 
 does. How de name er goodness kin folks go 
 on en steal en tell fibs, like de creeturs done, 
 en not git hurted? Dey des can't do it. 
 Dead dog never dies, en cheatin' never th'ives 
 
 — not when folks git at it. 
 
 " One time," Uncle Remus continued, after 
 delivering this little sermon, " dey wuz a man 
 what hear talk er some er Brer Rabbit's doin's 
 
 — how he lay down in de road whiles a man 
 wuz gwine 'long wid some fishes in a waggin, 
 en how he run 'roun' en lay down ag'in ; en 
 keep on doin' dat twel bimeby de man went 
 back atter de fust rabbit he seed, en den Brer 
 Rabbit had a chance f er ter git de fishes — I 
 done mos' fergit dat ar tale off'n my min\ 
 But howsomever hit wuz, de man done hear 
 tell 'bout it, en he 'low ter hisse'f dat he des 
 ez smart ez what Brer Rabbit is. 
 
 " So, one day, he got 'im a bran new pa'r 
 er boots wid red tops on um, en whiles he set- 
 tin' side er de road looking at um, he hear 
 somebody comin' 'long in a waggin. He 
 know'd who de somebody wuz, kaze he seed 
 um on de rise er de hill. 
 
162 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " De man in de waggin had some calico fer 
 ter make his wife a dress, en some blue chany 
 ware fer ter put in de cubberd. De man what 
 had de boots, he tuck'n flung one un um in de 
 road, en hid hisse'f in de bushes fer ter see 
 what de tudder man gwine do. 
 
 " Well, suh, de man in de waggin, he come 
 'long, en he see de boot in de road. He hol- 
 ler at his hoss fer ter 'w'o dar ! ' en he look at 
 de boot right hard, like he studyin'. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Ef dey wuz two un you, I 'd take 
 you, but one boot ain't gwine do nobody no 
 good, 'ceppin hit 's a wooden-legged man.' 
 
 "So he driv on, en de man what lay de 
 boot dar, he put out en went on ahead en 
 flung de yuther boot in de road. De man in 
 de waggin, he come 'long, he did, en he see 
 de yuther boot. 
 
 " He 'low, c Heyo ! dish yer boot makes 
 tudder boot good. Wo, dar, hoss ! I '11 go 
 back en git 'er.' 
 
 " Wid dat, he drapt de lines on de dash- 
 board en went back atter de odd boot. Whiles 
 he gone, de man what had de boots tuck de 
 calico en de crockery en made off wid um. 
 
 " He hid um in de underbresh, en den he 
 come back en lissen fer ter see what de yuther 
 
THE MAN AND HIS BOOTS. 16? 
 
 man gwine do. Well, suh, de yuther man 
 come back wid de boot, en den he had two. 
 Time he clum in de waggin he seed dat some- 
 body done steal his calico en his crockery, but 
 he ain't say nothin\ He des look at de boots 
 en laugh. 
 
 " De man in de bushes ain't know what ter 
 make er dis. He stood dar, he did, en scratch 
 his head en study. He watch de yuther man, 
 en fur ez he kin see him he wuz lookin' at de 
 boots en laughin'. De man in de bushes say 
 he gwineter see what de matter wid dem ar 
 boots, when de yuther man in de waggin kin 
 swap off calico en crockery fer um en still feel 
 good 'nuff fer ter laugh. So de man in de 
 bushes he run 'roun' en head de yuther man 
 off, en met 'im in de road. He come drivin' 
 'long, still lookin' at de boots en laughin'. 
 Look like when he see de man in de road it 
 make 'im laugh wusser dan befo\ 
 
 " De man in de road 'low, * You mus' be 
 havin' a mighty heap er fun all by yo'se'f.' 
 
 "De man in de waggin laugh like he 
 gwine ter bus' wide open. All he kin say is, 
 ' Lawsy massy ! deze boots ! deze boots ! deze 
 boots ! ' 
 
 " De man in de road 'low, ' What de matter 
 
 
164 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 wid de boots, dat dey er so mighty funny? 
 Dey ain't look funny ter me.' 
 
 " De man in de waggin look like he choke 
 wid laughin. When he ketch his breff he hol- 
 ler, c Oh, deze boots ! deze boots ! ■ 
 
 "Man in de road 'low, 'You ain't gwine 
 crazy, is you ? • 
 
 " Man in de waggin say, < You 'd be crazy 
 too ef somebody had 'a' come 'long en drapt 
 deze boots whar you could git um. Lawsy 
 massy ! deze boots ! ' 
 
 " Man in de road 'low, i What kinder doin's 
 is deze? You better lemme git up dar en 
 take you home ter yo' fambly ! ' 
 
 " Man in de waggin say, ' My folks '11 laugh 
 too, when dey know what I knows ; en you 'd 
 laugh yo'se'f ef you'd 'a' been comin' 'long 
 de road en fin' deze boots what got red in 
 de top.' 
 
 " Man in de road say, ( I had a pair des like 
 um, en day ain't make me laugh.' 
 
 " Man in de waggin say, ' You 'd laugh 
 wusser dan me ef you 'd er pick deze boots up 
 in de road en f oun' one ten dollar bill in one 
 un um, en anudder ten dollar bill in tudder 
 one.' 
 
 "Man in de road 'low, ' Lemme see dem 
 
 M 
 
 m k 
 
THE MAN AND HIS BOOTS. 165 
 
 boots ! — Dey er mine ! Han' urn here ! I 
 tuck'n los' um yistiddy whiles I comin' fum 
 town. Gi' me de money ! ' 
 
 " Man in de waggin shet his eye. He say, 
 1 You right sho dey er yone ? ' 
 
 " Man in de road 'low, ' Yes dey is, en I 
 got de proof un it ! ' 
 
 " Man in de waggin say, 6 Well en good ! 
 Git up here en go along wid me, en show de 
 pToof.' 
 
 " Man in de road jump up on de wheel, but 
 'f o' he kin set down de man in de waggin flung 
 'im back in de waggin body en jump on 'im 
 en tie 'im, en tuck 'im off ter de calaboose. 
 Dar dey make 'im tell what he done wid de 
 calico en de chany ware, en dey kep' 'im, I 
 dunner how long ; en 'f o' dey turn him loose 
 dey tuck 'im out en hit 'im thirty-nine on de 
 naked hide. 
 
 " Co'se," continued Uncle Remus, seeing a 
 shade of perplexity on the little boy's face, 
 u de man in de waggin ain't fin' no money in 
 de boots. He des puttin' on, so he kin fin' de 
 man what drap um, kaze he know dat right 
 whar he fin' de man dat drap um, right dar 
 he '11 fin' de man what stoled his calico en 
 crockery. Dat what make I say dat folks 
 
166 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 ain't got no business mockin' de way de cree- 
 turs does. Dey er bound ter git cotch up wid, 
 en right den dey er in deep trouble. Creeturs 
 kin take what ain't dern, en tell fibs, en dey 
 don't no harm come fum it ; but when folks 
 tries it, dey er bleedz ter come ter some bad 
 eend. Now, you des watch um." 
 
XXIII. 
 
 BBOTHER MUD TURTLE' S TRICKERY. 
 
 " I don't like deze yer tales 'bout folks, no 
 how you kin fix urn," said Uncle Remus, after 
 an unusually long pause, during which he 
 rubbed his left hand with the right, in order 
 to run the rheumatism out. " No, suh, I 
 don't like um, kaze folks can't play no tricks, 
 ner git even wid der neighbors, widout hurtin' 
 somebody's feelin's, er breakin' some law er 
 nudder, er gwine 'ginst what de preacher say. 
 
 " Look at dat man what I des been tellin' 
 you 'bout. He let de udder man fool 'im en 
 ketch 'im, en mo' dan dat, he let um tote 'im 
 off de calaboose. He oughter been tuck dar ; 
 I ain't 'sputin' dat, yit ef dat had been some 
 er de creeturs, dey 'd er sholy got loose fum 
 dar. 
 
 "When it comes ter talkin' 'bout gittin' 
 loose," Uncle Remus continued, settling him- 
 self comfortably in his chair, " I git ter run- 
 nin' on in my min' 'bout ole Brer Fox en 
 
168 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY, 
 
 ole Brer Mud Turkle. Dey had some Mnder 
 fallin' out once 'pon a time. I dunner jwhat. 
 I speck hit 's got a tale hung on it, but de 
 tale done switch itself out'n my min\ Yit 
 dey 'd done had a fallin , out, en dey want 
 no love los' betwixt um. Well, suh, one day 
 Brer Fox wuz gwine down de creek fishin'. 
 Little ez you may think un it, Brer Fox was 
 monst'us fon' er fishes, so eve'y chance he 
 got he 'd go fishin\" 
 
 " On Sunday, too ? " inquired the little 
 boy. He had been lectured on that subject 
 not long before. 
 
 " Well, I tell you now," replied Uncle Ee- 
 mus, laughing, " Brer Fox is like 'oman's 
 tongue, he ain't got no Sunday." 
 
 "What kind of bait did he have?" the 
 youngster asked. 
 
 "What he want wid bait, honey? He 
 ain't got no bait, en no pole, en no hook. 
 He des went down de creek, en when he come 
 ter a good place, he 'd wade in en feel und' 
 de rocks en und' de bank. Sometimes he 'd 
 ketch a horny-head, en den ag'in he 'd ketch 
 a peerch. Well, suh, he went on en went on ? 
 en he had bad luck. Look like de fishes wuz 
 all gone fum home, but he kep' on, en kep* 
 
BROTHER MUD TURTLE'S TRICKERY. 169 
 
 on. He 'low ter hisse'f dat he bleedz ter 
 have some fish fer dinner. One time he put 
 his han' in a crawfish nes' en got nipt, en 
 anudder time he tetched a eel, en it made de 
 col' chills run 'cross 'im. Yit he kep' on. 
 
 " Bimeby Brer Fox come ter whar ole Brer 
 Mud Turkle live at. I dunner what make ole 
 Brer Mud Turkle live in such a damp place 
 like dat. Look like him en his folks 'ud have 
 a bad col' de whole blessid time. But dar he 
 wuz in de water und' de bank, layin' dar fas' 
 asleep, dreamin' 'bout de good times he 'd have 
 when de freshet come. He 'uz layin' dar wid 
 his eyes shot, when de fus' news he know he 
 feel sump'n nudder fumblin' 'roun' his head. 
 'T wan't nobody but ole Brer Fox f eelin' 'roun' 
 und' de bank fer fishes. 
 
 " Brer Mud Turkle move his head, he did, 
 but de fumblin' kep' on, en bimeby he open 
 his mouf en Brer Fox fumble en fumble, twel 
 bimeby he got 'is han' in dar, en time he do 
 dat, ole Brer Mud Turkle shet down on it. 
 En I let you know," continued Uncle Remus, 
 shaking his head slowly from side to side 
 as if to add emphasis to the statement, " I let 
 you know when ole Brer Mud Turkle shet 
 down on yo' han', you got ter cut off his 
 
170 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 head, en den wait twel it thunder 'f o' he turn 
 loose. 
 
 " Well, suh, he shet down on ole Brer Fox, 
 en ef you 'd 'a' been anywhars in dat settle- 
 ment you 'd 'a' heard squallin' den ef you ain't 
 never hear none befo\ 
 
 " Brer Fox des hilt his head back en holler 
 'Ouch! Ouch! What dis got me? Ouch! 
 Turn me aloose ! Ouch ! Somebody better 
 run here quick ! Laws a massy ! Ouch ! ' 
 
 " But Brer Mud Turkle, he helt on, en he 
 feel so much comfort dat he'd er in about 
 went ter asleep ag'in ef Brer Fox had n't er 
 snatched en jerked so hard en a-holler'd so 
 loud. 
 
 "Brer Fox holler, en Brer Mud Turkle 
 hoi' on — Brer Fox holler, en Brer Mud Tur- 
 kle hoi' on. Dar dey wuz — nip en tug, 
 holler en hoi' fas' ! Bimeby it hurt so bad 
 dat Brer Fox des fetched one loud squall en 
 made one big pull, en out come ole Brer Mud 
 Turkle, a-hangin' ter his han'. 
 
 " Well, suh, when dey got out on de bank 
 en Brer Mud Turkle sorter woke up, he tuck'n 
 turn Brer Fox loose widout waitin' fer de 
 thunder. He ax Brer Fox pardon, but Brer 
 Fox, he ain't got no pardon fer ter gi' 'im. 
 
BROTHER MUD TURTLE'S TRICKERY. Ill 
 
 " Brer Mud Turkle make like he skeer'd. 
 He 'low, ' I 'clar' ter gracious, Brer Fox ! Ef 
 I'd a know'd 't wuz you, I 'd 'a' never shet 
 down on you in de roun' worl' ; kaze I know 
 what a danger some man you is. I know'd 
 yo' daddy befo' you, en he wuz a dangersome 
 man.' 
 
 " But Brer Fox 'fuse ter lissen ter dafc 
 kinder talk. He say, i I been wantin' you a 
 long time, en now I got you. I got you 
 right where I want you, en when I git thoo 
 wid you, yo' own folks would n't know you, 
 ef dey wuz ter meet you in de middle er de 
 road.' 
 
 " Brer Mud Turkle cry on one side his face 
 en laugh on tudder. He 'low, c Please, suh, 
 Brer Fox, des let me off dis time, en I '11 be 
 good friend 'long wid you all de balance er 
 de time. Please, suh, Brer Fox, let me off 
 dis time ! ' 
 
 " Brer Fox say, ' Oh, yes ! I '11 let you off, 
 I 'm all de time a-lettin' off folks what bite 
 me ter de bone ! Oh, yes ! I '11 let you off, 
 but I '11 take en skin you fust.' 
 
 "Brer Mud Turkle 'low, ' Spozen I ain't 
 got no hide on me — den what you gwine to 
 do?' 
 
172 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer Fox grit his tushes. He say, ■ Ef 
 you ain't got no hide, I '11 fin' de place whar 
 de hide oughter be — dat 's what ! ' 
 
 "Wid dat, he make a grab at Brer Mud 
 Turkle's neck, but Brer Mud Turkle draw his 
 head en his foots und' his shell, en quile up 
 his tail, en dar he wuz. He so ole and tough 
 he got moss on his shell. Brer Fox fool wid 
 'im, en gnyaw en gouge at de shell, but he des 
 might ez well gnyaw en gouge at a flint rock. 
 He work en he work, but 't ain't do no good ; 
 he can't git Brer Mud Turkle out er his house 
 no way he kin fix it. 
 
 "Ole Brer Mud Turkle talk at 'im. He 
 'low, ' Hard ain't no name f er it, Brer Fox ! 
 You '11 be jimber-jaw'd long 'fo' you gnyaw 
 thoo my hide ! ' 
 
 " Brer Fox gnyaw en gouge, en gouge en 
 gnyaw. 
 
 " Brer Mud Turkle 'low, 6 Dey ain't but one 
 way f er ter git dat shell off, Brer Fox ! ' 
 
 " Brer Fox 'fuse ter make answer. He 
 gouge en gynaw, en gnyaw en gouge. 
 
 "Brer Mud Turkle 'low, ' Tushes ain't 
 gwine git it off ! Claws ain't gwine git it off ! 
 Yit mud en water will do de work. Now 
 I 'm gwine ter sleep.' 
 
BROTHER MUD TURTLE'S TRICKERY. 173 f 
 
 " Brer Fox gnyaw en gouge, en gouge en 
 gnyaw, en bimeby he git tired, mo' speshually 
 when he hear ole Brer Mud Turkle layin' in 
 dar snorin' des like somebody sawin' gourds. 
 Den he sot down en watch Brer Mud Turkle, 
 but he ain't move. He do des like he sleep. 
 
 " Den Brer Fox git de idee dat he '11 play a 
 trick on Brer Mud Turkle. He holler out, 
 ' Good-by, Brer Mud Turkle ! You er too 
 much fer me dis time. My han' hurt me so 
 bad, I got ter go home en git a poultice on it. 
 But I '11 pay you back ef hit 's de las' ac' ! ' 
 
 " Brer Fox make like he gwine off, but he 
 des run 'roun' en hid in de bushes. Yit does 
 you speck he gwine fool Brer Mud Turkle ? 
 Shoo, honey ! Dat creetur got moss on his 
 back, en he got so much sense in his head his 
 eyes look red. He des lay dar, ole Brer Mud 
 Turkle did, en sun hisse'f same ez ef he wuz 
 on a rock in de creek. He lay dar so still dat 
 Brer Fox got his impatients stirred up, en he 
 come out de bushes en went ter Brer Mud 
 Turkle en shuck 'im up en ax'd 'im how he 
 gwine git de shell off. 
 
 " Brer Mud Turkle 'low, < Tushes ain't 
 gwine git it off ! Claws ain't gwine git it 
 off ! Yit mud en water will do de work ! ' 
 
174 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Brer Fox say, ' Don't riddle me no rid- 
 dles. Up en tell me like a man how I gwine 
 ter git yo' shell off ! ' 
 
 " Brer Mud Turkle 'low, ' Put me in de mud 
 en rub my back hard ez you kin. Den de shell 
 bleedz ter come off. Dat de reason dey calls 
 me Brer Mud Turkic' 
 
 " Well, suh," said Uncle Remus, laughing 
 heartily, " Brer Fox ain't got no better sense 
 dan ter b'lieve all dat truck, so he tuck en 
 shove Brer Mud Turkle 'long twel he got 'im 
 in de mud, en den he 'gun ter rub on his back 
 like somebody curryin' a hoss. What happen 
 den ? Well, dey ain't nothin' 't all happen, 
 'ceppin' what bleedz ter happen. De mo' he 
 rub on de back, de deeper Brer Mud Turkle 
 go in de mud. Bimeby, whiles Brer Fox wuz 
 rubbin' right hard, Brer Mud Turkle sorter 
 gun hisse'f a flirt en went down out er reach. 
 Co'se dis make Brer Fox splunge in de water, 
 en a little mo' en he 'd a drown' ded right den 
 en dar. He went out on de bank, he did, en 
 whiles he settin' dar dryin' hisse'f he know'd 
 dat Brer Mud Turkle wuz laughin' at 'im, kaze 
 he kin see de signs un it." 
 
 The little boy laughed, but he shook his 
 head increduously. 
 
BROTHER MUD TURTLE'S TRICKERY. 175 
 
 " Well," said Uncle Remus, " ef you gwine 
 ter 'spute dat, you des ez well ter stan* up en 
 face me down 'bout de whole tale. Kaze when 
 Brer Fox see bubbles risin' on de water en 
 f ollerin' atter one anudder he bleedz ter know 
 dat Brer Mud Turkle down under dar laughin' 
 fit ter kill hisse'f." 
 
 This settled the matter. The child was con^ 
 vinced. 
 
XXIV. 
 
 HOW THE KING RECRUITED HIS ARMY. 
 
 One day Uncle Remus had occasion several 
 times to go to his " Miss Sally " with informa- 
 tion about some incident, accident, or happen- 
 ing on the plantation. Each time his mistress 
 would say, " Did n't I tell you so ? " She had, 
 in fact, said to him the night before, when the 
 little boy's father was preparing to take a 
 short journey away from home, that she was 
 certain everything would go to ruin on the 
 place. Uncle Remus, on the other hand, had 
 assured her that everything would go along 
 all right. It happened, however, that every- 
 thing seemed to go wrong. A mule ran over 
 a calf and hurt it. A cow trying to get out 
 of the way of the mule had her horn knocked 
 off, and the mule, a little later, snagged itself 
 on the end of a fence rail. Consequently, 
 when Uncle Remus went to tell his mistress of 
 these things, making three several visits, the 
 
HOW THE KING RECRUITED HIS ARMY. Ill 
 
 lady exclaimed, with increasing emphasis each 
 time, " Did n't I tell you so ? " 
 
 Finally Uncle Remus remarked, as he was 
 going away : " Nex' time I come, Miss Sally, 
 I 'm gwine ter tell you de cow done swaller'd 
 de gritstone." 
 
 Whereat his mistress laughed and told him 
 not to worry her any more. The little boy 
 happened to hear the remark about the cow 
 swallowing the grindstone, and so he followed 
 the old man to find out something about it. 
 
 "Dat what you taggin' atter me 'bout?" 
 said Uncle Remus. " Well, goodness knows ! 
 it done got so now dat folks can't open der 
 mouf but what dey got ter be tagged at, en 
 nagged at, kaze udder folks git de idee dat 
 dey 's a tale some'rs behime it. I thank my 
 stars dey ain't no tale in dat grinestone, kaze 
 dey ain't no livin' man kin set flat down en 
 tell tales while dish yer plantation gwine ter 
 rack en ruin. Marse John '11 row me up de 
 river when he come back here en fin' de whole 
 blessid place turned wrongsud-outerds. I 'm 
 dat pestered I dunner whedder I 'm eend 
 uperds er eend downerds ! " 
 
 " Well, Uncle Remus," persisted the little 
 boy, " how can a cow swallow a grindstone ? " 
 
178 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Dar now ! " exclaimed the old man, stop- 
 ping suddenly and staring at the child ; " des 
 lissen at dat ! No wonder I 'm gittin' bal'- 
 headed en wobbly in de legs. Mules en cows 
 gwine ter rack, Miss Sally hollerin' ' I tole 
 you so ! ' en chilluns gwine 'roun' axin' 'bout 
 cows swallin' grinestones. Ef dat ain't 'nuff 
 fer ter run anybody ravin' 'stracted, I wish 
 you 'd tell me what is ! " 
 
 " Well, you said something to mamma about 
 a cow swallowing a grindstone," remarked the 
 boy, confidently. 
 
 " Oh ! " said Uncle Remus, « dat 's diffunt ! 
 Now I know what you talkin' 'bout! Man, 
 suh ! you had me skeer'd. My min' wuz up 
 yander at de corn-crib wid dat fool mule what 
 snag hisse'f, en when I hear you talk 'bout 
 cow eatin' grinestone, I 'lowed dat I had mo' 
 trouble on my han's. Dat what I tole Miss 
 Sally ain't got no tale behime it. Hit 's des a 
 sayin'. 
 
 " It seem like dey wuz a man, which had a 
 wife, en eve'y time sump'n 'd happen, she up 
 en 'low, ' I tole you so I ' Hit kep on dis 
 away, twel one day dish yer man seed de cow 
 run thoo de yard en turn over de grinestone. 
 So de man, he run en tell his wife dat de cow 
 
HOW THE KING RECRUITED HIS ARMY, 179 
 
 done swaller'd de grinestone, en she up'n say, 
 'Itoleyouso!'" 
 
 But, after all, the saying reminded Uncle 
 Kemus of a story, and he told it by fits and 
 starts, while he was looking after the welfare 
 of the wounded mule, and the crippled calf, 
 and the cow with the broken horn. 
 
 " One time, dey wuz a boy, en dish yer boy 
 wuz mighty smart. He wuz like a slick thrip 
 — little but ole. I dunner what dey call 'im 
 in dem times, but in deze days we 'd call 'im a 
 runt, en laugh at 'im. Well, dish yer boy had 
 a head on 'im. He look like he dried up, but 
 nummine dat. Dem what got ahead er 'im 
 had ter git up long 'fo' day, en ef dey ain't 
 take keer dey 'd fin' 'im up befo' um. 
 
 " One season, when de blackberries wuz 
 ripe, he went 'roun' en tole de folks dat ef 
 dey 'd take der baskets en der buckets en go 
 out en git de blackberries, he'd gi' um half 
 dey pick. Hit been so seldom dat de folks 
 git a chance f er ter make any extry money dat 
 dey mighty glad ter have de chance ter pick 
 blackberries. So dey all went out en pick en 
 pick, twel dey pick two waggin loads un um. 
 Well, dis yer swunk up boy, wbich he look 
 like he ain't got no sense skacely, he 'vide fa'r, 
 
180 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 dey ain't no two ways 'bout dat. He tuck half 
 en gi' urn der half back." 
 
 " What was his name, Uncle Kemus ? " 
 asked the little boy, somewhat interested in 
 this remarkable transaction. 
 
 " Linktum Lidy Lody," the old man an- 
 swered promptly. " I had de idee I done tole 
 you dat. But nummine ! Dat what dey call 
 'im, en dat what he call hisse'f — Linktum 
 Tidlum Tidy. Hit run 'long so funny dat I 
 dunntr wharbouts de fergiven name stops at 
 en wharbouts de f ambly name begins at. Fer 
 short en sweet dey call 'im Tinktum Tidy. 
 
 " Well, dish yer Tinktum Tidlum, he 'vide 
 out far wid de folks. He tuck his half er de 
 blackberries en gi' um der half. Dey want no 
 'sputin' 'bout it. But den when de folks git 
 der half, dey ax deyse'f what dey gwine do 
 wid it. Dey want ter sell it ter Tinktum Tidy, 
 but he 'low he got des ez much blackberries ez 
 he know what ter do wid. Atter a while de 
 folks say dat ef dey can't sell der share er de 
 blackberries, dey des ez well put um in Tink- 
 tum Tidy's pile, en dat what dey done; en den 
 he tuck de two waggin loads to town en sold 
 um fer de cash money. 
 
 "Bimeby some er de mo' longer headed 
 
HOW THE KING RECRUITED HIS ARMY. 181 
 
 folks sot down en got ter studyin' 'bout it, en 
 dey ax deyse'f how come dey got ter go out 
 en pick blackberries f er dat little bit er swunk 
 up chap. Dey study en study, but de mo' 
 dey study de mo' foolish dey feel. 
 
 "Well, suh, de tale got out, en it travel 
 'roun' en 'roun' twel de King got wind un it, 
 en he tuck en sont fer Tinktum Tidy. Dis 
 make de folks what pick de blackberries 
 mighty glad, kaze dey got de idee dat de 
 King gwine ter put de little swunk up chap 
 in de calaboose fer foolin' um. But Tinktum 
 Tidy ain't skeer'd. He wrop up a change er 
 cloze in his hankcher, en put out ter whar de 
 King stay at. Some er de folks went 'long 
 fer ter see what gwine ter come er de little 
 swunk up chap what fool um. 
 
 u Bimeby dey got ter whar de King live, en 
 Tinktum Tidy des march right 'long in, en 
 tole um dat de King done sont fer 'im. Dey 
 tuck 'im in a big room whar dey wuz a whole 
 passel er yuther folks, en tole 'im ter wait dar 
 twel de King come. Eve'ybody look at 'im 
 hard, he wuz so swunk up en puny, en he 
 look right back at um, des like he wuz one er 
 de quality. Atter while, here come de King. 
 Time he got settled on de flatform, his eye 
 
182 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 drapt on Tinktum Tidy, en he ax what dat ar 
 runt doin' dar. 
 
 " Dey up'n tell de King dat dat 's de chap 
 what make de folks pick so much blackberries. 
 When de King hear dis, he lay back en laugh 
 fit ter kill hisse'f . He call Tinktum Tidy up 
 en ax 'im all 'bout how he been doin', en den 
 he 'low, de King did, dat Tinktum Tidy mus' 
 be mighty smart. But Tinktum Tidy, he say 
 dat 't ain't him dat 's smart, hit 's de folks 
 what pick de blackberries, kaze folks what 
 kin pick dat much in so little time is bleedz 
 ter be smart. 
 
 " Den de King run his han' in his pocket 
 en pull out lev'm grains er corn. He 'low, 
 6 Take dish yer corn en do what you please 
 wid it, but de crap I want f um it is 'lev'm 
 strong men f er ter put in my army.' 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy tuck de corn en tie it up 
 in one cornder er his hankcher. He 'low, 
 ' Not countin' harrycanes en high water, I '11 
 be back in a fortnight. Ef 'lev'm strong men 
 wuz ez easy ter pick ez blackberries, I 'd sen' 
 some yuther folks, but I '11 hatter go atter de 
 men myse'f.' 
 
 " Wid dat he make his bow, he did, en tuck 
 his foot in his han' en put out. He travel all 
 
HOW THE KING RECRUITED HIS ARMY. 183 
 
 dat day, en 'bout night he come ter a tavern, 
 en dar he stop. De man ax 'im whar he come 
 fum, what his name, en whar he gwine. He 
 say he come fum Chuckerluckertown, en he 
 name Tinktum Tidy, en he gwine on a long 
 journey. When bedtime come, he call de man 
 in de room en show 'im de corn. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Here de 'lev'm grains er corn 
 de King gi' me. I '11 lay it on de table. I 'm 
 feard de Big Gander gwine ter eat it.' 
 
 " De man say he '11 shet de door so de Big 
 Gander can't git it. Den dey all went ter bed. 
 Tinktum Tidy wait twel eve'ybody got still, en 
 den he got up en drapt de corn thoo de crack 
 er de floor. Den he went ter sleep. 
 
 " Nex' mornin' he wake up soon en 'larm 
 de neighborhood. He holler out : c I tole you 
 so ! I tole you so ! De Big Gander done eat 
 de 'lev'm grains er corn what de King gi' me ! 
 De Big Gander done eat de 'lev'm grains er 
 corn de King gi' me ! ' 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy holler so loud en so long 
 dat he skeer de man. Den de man's ole 'oman, 
 she stuck 'er head out de winder en sot up a 
 squall. 
 
 " She say, ' Take de Big Gander en go on 
 off fum here ! Take 'im en go ! ' 
 
184 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy tuck de Big Gander und' 
 his arm en went polin' down de big road. He 
 travel all dat day twel night, en he come ter 
 an udder town, en he went en put up at de tav- 
 ern. When bedtime come, he tied de gander 
 by de leg ter de bedstid, en den he call de mam 
 
 " Here de Big Gander dat eat 'lev'm grains 
 er corn dat de King gi' me. I '11 tie 'im here, 
 kaze I 'm feard de Boo-Boo Black Sheep '11 
 kill 'im.' 
 
 u Man say, ' Black Sheep can't git 'im here.' 
 
 " In de middle er de night Tinktum Tidy 
 got up en broke de Big Gander's neck en flung 
 'im out in de barn-yard. Nex' mornin' he got 
 up soon, en 'gun ter holler. 
 
 He 'low, ' I tole you so ! I tole you so ! 
 Boo-Boo Black Sheep done kill de Big Gan- 
 der dat eat the 'lev'm grains er corn de King 
 gi' me ! ' 
 
 " When de man hear talk er de King, he got 
 skeer'd. Hit make 'im shake in his shoes. He 
 say, t Take Boo-Boo Black Sheep en go 'long I 
 You done fetch me bad luck ! ' 
 
 "Den Tinktum Tidy fastened Boo-Boo 
 Black Sheep wid a rope, en led 'im off down 
 de big road. Bimeby he come ter whar dey 
 wuz anudder town, en he went en put up at 
 
HOW THE KING RECRUITED HIS ARMY. 185 
 
 de tavern. When bedtime come he call de 
 man. 
 
 " He 'low, c Here Boo-Boo Black Sheep dat 
 kill de Big Gander, dat eat de 'lev'm grains 
 er corn de King gi' me. I '11 tie 'im here ter 
 de bedstid kaze I 'm feard de Brindle Cow '11 
 hook 'im.' 
 
 " Man say, ' Brindle Cow can't git 'im in 
 here.' 
 
 " 'Twix' midnight en day, Tinktum Tidy 
 got up en kill de Black Sheep en put 'im in de 
 lot wid de Brindle Cow. Den he got up soon 
 in de mornin', en 'gun ter holler. 
 
 " He 'low, ' I tole you so ! I tole you so ! 
 De Brindle Cow done kill Boo-Boo Black 
 Sheep dat kill de Big Gander dat eat de 'lev'm 
 grains er corn de King gi' me ! ' 
 
 " Dis make de man feel skeer'd. He say, 
 6 Take de Brindle Cow en go ! ' 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy led de Brindle Cow off down 
 de road en make his way ter de nex' town. 
 He got dar by de time night come, en put up 
 at de tavern. When bedtime come, he tuck 
 en call de man. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Here de Brindle Cow dat kill 
 de Boo-Boo Black Sheep dat kill de Big Gan- 
 der dat eat de 'lev'm grains er corn de King 
 
186 UNCLE BEMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 gi' me. I '11 tie 'er here by de chimbley, whar 
 de Koan Hoss can't git 'er.' 
 
 " De man say, 6 1 know mighty well de Roan 
 Hoss can't git 'er here.' 
 
 "Des 'fo' day Tinktum Tidy tuck de Brin- 
 dle Cow in de stable en made way wid 'er. 
 Den when daylight come he 'gun ter holler. 
 
 " He 'low, ' I tole you so ! I tole you so i 
 De Roan Hoss done kill de Brindle Cow dat 
 kill de Boo-Boo Black Sheep dat kill de Big 
 Gander dat eat the 'lev'm grains er corn de 
 King gi' me.' 
 
 " De man git skeer'd when he hear de name 
 er de King, en he say, 6 Take de Roan Hoss 
 en go on whar you gwine ! ' 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy got on de Roan Hoss en 
 went trottin' down de big road. He went on 
 en went on, he did, twel he come ter a place 
 whar he had ter cross a creek. Close by de 
 road he seed a ole man settin'. He look at 
 de ole man en de ole man look at 'im. 
 
 " Bimeby de ole man say, i Howdy, son ! ' 
 Tinktum Tidy say, ' Howdy, Gran 'sir ! ' 
 
 " De ole man 'low, ' Son, come wipe my 
 eyes ! ' 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy say, ( I '11 wipe um, Gran'- 
 eir, ef so be it '11 do you any good.' Den he 
 
HOW THE KING RECRUITED HIS ARMY. 187 
 
 got down off'n de Roan Hoss en wipe de ole 
 man's eyes. 
 
 " De ole man say, i Thanky-do, son ! thanky- 
 do ! ' Tinktum Tidy say, ' You er mo' dan 
 welcome, Gran' sir ! ' Den he got on de Roan 
 Hoss en wuz 'bout ter ride off. 
 
 " De ole man 'low, 6 Son, come scratch my 
 head ! ' 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy say, ' I '11 scratch yo' head, 
 Gran' sir, ef so be it '11 do you any good.' 
 Den he got down off'n de Roan Hoss en scratch 
 de ole man's head. 
 
 " De ole man say, ' Thanky-do, son ! thanky- 
 do ! ' Tinktum Tidy say, ' You er mo' dan 
 welcome, Gran'sir ! ' 
 
 " Den he start fer ter ride off ag'in, but de 
 ole man 'low, ' Son, come he'p me up ! ' 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy say, { I 'U he'p you up, 
 Gran'sir, ef so be it '11 do you any good ! ' 
 
 " So he went en he'ped 'im up, en it seem 
 like dat when de ole man got on his foots his 
 strenk come back. He straighten up, he did, 
 en look lots younger dan what he did. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Son, I been settin' here gwine 
 on ten year, en you er de onliest one dat ever 
 do what I ax um. Some laugh at me, en some 
 cuss at me, but all went on der way, en eve'y 
 
188 UNCLE REMUS AND THE LITTLE BOY. 
 
 one dat pass fell in wid 'lev'm robbers whaf 
 live down de road a piece en got robbed, 
 Now bein's ez you done what I axt you, I 'm 
 mo' dan willin' fer ter do what you ax me.' 
 
 " Wid dat, Tinktum Tidy up en tole de ole 
 man how come he ter be gwine 'long dar, en 
 'bout how de King want 'im ter fetch back 
 'lev'm strong men fer ter go in de army. 
 
 " De ole man 'low, ' Son, dey er waitin' fer 
 you right down de road. Keep right on twel 
 you come ter whar dey 's a big white house. 
 Ride 'roun' dat house sev'm times one way en 
 sev'm times de udder way, en say de words dat 
 come in yo' head. Don't git skeer'd, kase I 
 won't be so mighty fur off.' 
 
 " Tinktum Tidy rid off down de road, he did, 
 en went on twel he come ter de big white 
 house. Den he rid 'roun' it sev'm times one 
 way en sev'm times de udder way. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Dis is de Roan Hoss dat kill de 
 Brindle Cow dat kill de Boo-Boo Black Sheep 
 dat kill de Big Gander dat eat de 'lev'm grains 
 er corn de King gi' me. I want lev'm strong 
 men fer de King's army.' 
 
 " En bless yo' soul, honey ! " exclaimed Un- 
 cle Remus, by way of emphasis, " de door er 
 de big white house flew'd open, en 'lev'm strong 
 
HOW THE KING BECBUITED HIS ABMY. 189 
 
 men come marchin' out. By dat time de ole 
 man had come up, en dey ax 'im what dey 
 mus' do. 
 
 " He 'low, ' Mount yo' hosses, sons, en go 
 jine de King's army ! ' 
 
 "So dey went, en de King wuz mighty 
 proud. He look 'roun' at eve'ybody en say, 
 * I tole you so ! ' en he fix it up so dat Tinktum 
 Tidy hed des ez much ez he kin eat en w'ar, 
 en mighty little work f er ter do all de balance 
 er his days." 
 
HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 I. 
 
 THE PLOUGH-HANDS' SONG. 
 
 [The italics serve to mark what may be called the refrain 
 choruses. The variable nature of these gives unexpected 
 coloring, not to say humor, to the songs in which they oc- 
 cur. Any typographical arrangement of these choruses must 
 be, in the very nature of things, awkward and ineffective.] 
 
 Nigger mighty happy w'en he layin' by co'n — 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin' ; 
 Nigger mighty happy w'en he year de dinner- 
 ho'n — 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin' ; 
 En he mo' happy still w'en de night draws on — 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin' ; 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin' des ez sho 's you bo'n ! 
 En it 's rise up, Primus ! fetch anudder yell : 
 Dat ole dun cow des a-shakin' up 'er bell, 
 En de frogs chunin' up 'f o' de jew done fell : 
 Good-night, Mr. Killdee 1 1 wish you mighty well ! 
 — Mr, Killdee ! I wish you mighty well ! 
 I wish you mighty well! 
 
194 HIS SONOS AND BALLADS. 
 
 n. 
 De 00*11 '11 be ready 'g*inst dumplin' day, 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin* ; 
 But nigger gotter watch, en stick, en stay, 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin' ; 
 Same ez de bee-martin watchin' un de jay, 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantm' ; 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin* en a-slippin* away ! 
 Den it 's rise up, Primus ! en gin it t' um strong : 
 De cow 's gwine home wid der ding-dang-dong ; 
 Sling in anudder tetch er de ole time song : 
 Good-night, Mr. Whipperwill ! dorit stay long 1 
 — Mr, Whipperwill ! dorit stay long 1 
 — Dorit stay long ! 
 
 EH. 
 
 De shadders, dey er creepin' todes de top er de hill, 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin' ; 
 But night don't 'stroy w'at de day done buil', 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin* ; 
 'Less de noddin' er de nigger give de ash-cake a 
 chill — 
 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin* ; 
 Dat sun 's a-slantin* en slippin' down still ! 
 Den sing it out, Primus ! des holler en bawl, 
 En w'ilst we er strippin' deze mules fer de stall, 
 Let de gals ketch de soun* er de plantashun call ; 
 Oh y it's good-night ladies! my love unteryou all! 
 — Ladies ! my love unter you all ! 
 — My love unter you all! 
 
A SONG OF THE MOLE. 195 
 
 II. 
 
 A SONG OP THE MOLE. 
 
 (Putnam County, Georgia. 1862.) 
 
 De jay-bird hunt de sparrer-nes', 
 
 De bee-martin sail all 'roun', 
 De squir'l, he holler f um de top er de tree, 
 
 Mr. Mole, he stay in de groun' ; 
 He hide en he stay twel de dark drap down ; 
 
 Mr. Mole, he stay in de groun'. 
 
 De w'ipperwill holler fum 'cross de fence ; 
 
 He got no peace er min' ; 
 Mr. Mole, he grabble en he dig twel he Ian* 
 
 Un'need 1 de sweet-tater vine ; 
 He Ian' down dar whar no sun ain't shine, 
 
 Un'need de sweet-tater vine. 
 
 De sparrer-hawk whet his bill on de rail ; 
 
 Oh, ladies, lissen unter me ! 
 Mr. Mole, he handle his two little spade, 
 
 Down dar whar no eye kin see. 
 He dig so fur en he dig so free, 
 
 Down dar whar no eye kin see. 
 
 De nigger, he wuk twel de dark drap down, 
 En den Mr. Mole is he ; 
 
 1 Underneath. 
 
196 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 He sing his song de whole night long, 
 Whar de patter-roller * never kin see 5 
 
 He sing en he play — oh, gals, go 'way ! 
 Whar de patter«roller never kin see. 
 
 III. 
 
 "OH, GIMME DE GAL ! " 
 I. 
 
 De boss, he squall ter de rompuV boys : 
 Don't bodder dat jug in de spring ! 
 
 De jug, he guggle out good-good-good ! 
 Nigger, he holler en sing: 
 
 Oh, gimme de gal, de big greasy gal, 
 Wat wrop up 'er ha'r wid a string/ 
 
 II. 
 Little bird flutter w'en de big speckle hawk 
 
 Sail up en light in de pine ; 
 Wen de overseer come en look thoo de fence, 
 
 Nigger don't cut no shine, 
 But he roll up he eye, en he break loose en sing : 
 
 En I wish dat big gal 'uz mine I 
 
 m. 
 Oh, de speckle hawk light in de top er de pine, 
 
 En dar he set en swing ; 
 De overseer lean his chin on de fence, 
 And lissen at de cotton-choppers sing ; 
 1 Patrol. 
 
r 
 
 1 
 
 4 
 
 M \ 
 
CHRISTMAS DANCE SONG. 197 
 
 Don't nobody bodder dot sway-back gal 
 Wat wrop up 'er hd'r wid a string ! 
 
 IV. 
 
 Oh, de strappin' black gal, de big greasy gal ! 
 
 She kyar herself mighty fine ! 
 How de boys gwineter f oiler along in de row, 
 
 A-waitin' fer ter ketch her sign t 
 De boss mighty close, yit I study en I wish — 
 
 En I wish dat big gal y uz mine ! 
 
 IV. 
 
 CHRISTMAS DANCE SONG. 
 
 [This song is sung with what Uncle Remus would call the 
 "knee racket;" that is to say, it is a "patting" song. If 
 the reader will bear in mind that the rhythmical effect is 
 based on time — or recurring and invariable pauses — there 
 will be no difficulty in catching the swing. 
 
 Rabbit foot quick, Rabbit foot light, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 
 Hop, skip, jump ! Oh, mon, lie 's a sight ! 
 Kaze he res' all de day en run all de night, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap, 
 Oh, Rabbit-tum-a-hash ! 
 
 Crow fly eas', de crow fly wes', 
 - — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 Jay-bird hunt de sparrer nes', 
 En he eat all de aigs fer ter see w'ich de bes', 
 
198 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap, 
 Oh, Rabbit-tum-a-hash ! 
 
 Little pot simmer, big pot bubble, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 Dumplin' flirt like he done got in trouble, 
 He flirt en he flip twel he look like he double, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap, 
 Oh, Rabbit-tum-a-hash ! 
 
 Pot, he bigger dan de fryin' pan, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 
 En 'pun dis groun' I take my stan', 
 
 I druther be a nigger dan a po' w'ite man, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 Oh, Rabbit-tum-a-hash ! 
 
 Nigger, he chunk up de fire en grin, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 
 Oh, do run yer, Miss Sooky Blueskin, 
 You ferget fer ter put dat seas'nin' in, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 Oh, Rabbit-tum-a-hash! 
 
 Wen Pa'tridge call — " Bob White, Bob White ! " 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 
 " Does yo' dogs bite ? " " Oh, yes, at night ! " 
 Oh, den, Mister Rabbit lif ' he foot mighty light, 
 
 — Tum-a-hash, tum-a-heap ! 
 Oh, Rabbit-tum-a-hash ! 
 
" DEM LAMS A-CR YIN' 1 " 199 
 
 V. 
 
 "DEM LAM'S A-CRYIN'!" 
 
 Ain't you year dem Lam's a-cryin' ? 
 
 Cryin,' cryin', cry no mo' ! 
 Lam's a-shoutin', Lam's a-cryin', 
 
 Cryin', cryin', on de udder sho' ! 
 
 One fer Paul en one fer Silas, 
 
 En one fer ter make my heart rejoice ! 
 
 Don't you year dem Lam's a-cryin' ? 
 O dat Saviour blessid voice ! 
 
 Don't you year dem Lam's a-cryin' ? 
 
 Satan crawl en Satan creep ; 
 Lam's a-shoutin', Lam's a-cryin', 
 
 O Good Shepherd, feed my sheep ! 
 
 He kin stop dem Lam's fum cryin', 
 
 He kin make dis heart rejoice ; 
 No mo' callin', no mo' cryin', 
 
 Wen my dear soul shill git hit's choice I 
 
 Jesus watch w'iles you been weepin' ; 
 
 "Weepin', weepin', weep, soul, weep ! 
 All his talkin' soun' like singin' — 
 
 O Good Shepherd, feed my sheep ! 
 
200 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 One fer Paul en one fer Silas, 
 
 En one fer ter make my heart rejoice ! 
 
 Don't you year dem Lam's a-cryin' ? 
 O dat Saviour blessid voice ! 
 
 VI. 
 
 "RUN, NIGGER, RUN!" 
 
 Do, please, marster, don't ketch me, 
 Ketch dat nigger behime dat tree ; 
 He stole money en I stole none, 
 Put him in de calaboose des for fun ! 
 Oh, run, nigger, run ! de patter-roller ketch you- 
 Hun, nigger, run ! Hit 's almos' day 1 
 
 Some folks say dat nigger won't steal, 
 But I kotch one in my corn-fiel' ; 
 He run ter de eas', he run ter de wes', 
 He run he head in a hornet's nes' ! 
 Oh, run, nigger, run 1 de patter-roller ketch you ■ 
 Hun, nigger, run ! Hit 's almos* day 1 
 
 My ole Miss, she prommus me 
 Dat w'en she die, she set me free ; 
 But she done dead dis many year ago, 
 En yer I 'm a-hoein' de same ole row ! 
 Oh, run, nigger, run ! de patter-roller ketch you • 
 Run, nigger, run ! Hit 's almos' day I 
 
CORN-SHUCKING SONG. 201 
 
 I 'm a-hoein' across, I 'm a-hoein' aroun', 
 I 'in a-cleanin' up some mo' new groun', 
 Whar I lif ' so hard, I lif ' so free, 
 Dat my sins rises up in f ronter me ! 
 Oh, run, nigger, run ! de patter-roller ketch you -— 
 Run nigger, run 1 Hit 's almos' day ! 
 
 But some er dese days my time will come, 
 I '11 year dat bugle, I '11 year dat drum, 
 I '11 see dem armies a-marchin' along, 
 I '11 lif my head en jine der song — 
 I '11 hide no mo' behime dat tree, 
 Wen de angels flock fer ter wait on me ! 
 Oh, run, nigger, run ! de 'patter-roller ketch you — 
 Run, nigger, run ! Hit f s almos > day I 
 
 VII. 
 
 CORN-SHUCKING SONG. 
 
 [A rail was placed in the middle of the compile, at the bot- 
 tom. The shuckers were divided into two competing gangs, 
 and there was a rivalry as to which side should reach the rail 
 first. Hence the song.] 
 
 Hit 's a mighty dry year w'en de crab-grass fail, 
 
 Oh, row, row, row ! who laid dat rail ? 
 Hit 's a mighty dark night w'en de nigger tu'n pale, 
 De big-foot nigger dat laid dat rail ! 
 
 Oh, row, row, row ! who laid dat rail t 
 Hinktum, ranktum, laid dat rail ! 
 
202 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 Show me de nigger dat laid dot rail, 
 Oh, row, row, row ! who laid dot rail t 
 
 Wen nigger git los', hit 's de same ole tale, 
 
 Oh, row, row, row ! who laid dat rail? 
 Ten mile ter de church, one mile ter de jail, 
 Oh, show me de nigger dat laid dat rail ! 
 Big-foot nigger dat laid dat rail ! 
 Oh, row, row, row ! who laid dat rail f 
 Rinhtum, ranhtum, laid dat rail ! 
 
 Wen niggers fuss, de w'ite folks frail, 
 
 Oh, row, row, row ! who laid dat rail ? 
 We er gittin' dar now, don't tell no tale, 
 
 Show me de nigger dat laid dat rail ! 
 I '11 stick he head in a big tin pail, 
 
 Oh, tu'n me aloose ! lemme tetch dat rail ! 
 Oh, row, row, row ! who laid dot rail ? 
 Big-foot nigger dat laid dat rail ! 
 Oh, show me de nigger dat laid dat rail 9 
 Rinhtum, ranhtum, laid dat rail I 
 
 VIII. 
 
 oh, july! dis long time! 
 (Putnam County, Georgia. 1858.) 
 
 Mr. Coon, Mr. Coon, he rack mighty fas', 
 Mr. Coon, Mr. Coon, he slip f roo de grass — 
 En yit Mr. Coon gits cotch at las' ! 
 
Ofl, JULY I DIS LONG TIME! 203 
 
 Oh, July ! Dis long time ! 
 Dis long time ! Oh, July ! 
 Oh, July ! Dis strong time ! 
 Dis strong time ! Oh, July ! l 
 
 Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Rabbit, he run en squot, 
 He lif ' he foot lak de groun' mighty hot — 
 En yit Mr. Rabbit lan's safe in de pot ! 
 
 Oh, July ! Dis strong time ! 
 
 Dis strong time ! Oh, July ! 
 
 Oh, July ! Mighty long time ! 
 
 Mighty long time ! Oh, July ! 
 
 Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox, he git over groun', 
 He run cross-ways en he run all 'roun' — • 
 En yit Mr. Fox will be run down ! 
 
 Oh, July ! Dis long time ! 
 
 Dis long time ! Oh, July ! 
 
 Oh, July ! Dis wrong time ! 
 
 Dis wrong time ! Oh, July ! 
 
 Mr. Mink, Mr. Mink, he slicker dan sin, 
 He make 'im a hole en den he slip in — 
 En yit Mr. Mink will lose he skin ! 
 
 Oh, July ! Mighty wrong time ! 
 
 Mighty wrong time ! Oh, July ! 
 
 Oh, July ! Mighty long time ! 
 
 Mighty long time ! Oh, July ! 
 
 1 This refrain chorus belongs to a dozen different songs. 
 Its meaning must be taken literally. July is a long time, a 
 hot time, and a strong time to those who work in the sun. 
 
204 BIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 IX. 
 
 WALK-A CHALK. 
 (In and around Sapelo, Georgia Coast.) 
 
 'E walk-a chalk, da honkry man, 
 'E eat urn rice, 'e sop um pan ; 
 'E sop um pan, 'e lick um dry, 
 'E smack 'e mout', 'e roll 'e y-eye : 
 Ki! Walk-a chalk! 
 
 Da honkry man, 'e walk-a chalk, 
 'E mout' so full 'e no kin talk, 
 'E shed 'e y-eye, 'e wuk um jaw, 
 'E no kin talk, 'e chaw um chaw : 
 Hi! Walk-a chalk! 
 
 'E wipe 'e mout', 'e shed 'e y-eye, 
 'E 'tretch um out, lak gwan fer die, 
 'E flup 'e head smack in da pan, 
 'E dream 'e yerry da buckra-man ! * 
 'E walk-a chalk! 
 
 X. 
 
 "COME ALONG, TRUE BELIEVER !" 
 
 Come along, true believer, come along : 
 De time is a rollin' 'roun', 
 
 1 White man ; boss ; overseer. 
 
"COME ALONG, TRUE BELIEVER ! " 205 
 
 Wen clem w'at stan's a-haltin' by de way 
 
 Won't w'ar no glory crown ! 
 Oh, de sun shine white, de sun shine bright — 
 
 Year de news w'at de spirit tells : 
 
 De angels say dere 's nothin' fer to do 
 
 But ter ring dem charmin' bells ! 
 
 Almos' home ! almos' home ! 
 
 We faints and falls by spells : 
 Angels say ain't nothin' fer to do 
 But ter ring dem charmin' bells ! 
 
 Come along, true believer, come along ! 
 
 De way is open wide : 
 No use for sinners to be stum'lin' 'roun' 
 
 A-huntin' for de hev'mly guide ! 
 Oh, saints, slip thro' ! Oh, sinners, come too I 
 
 En a-year w'at my Lord tells : 
 De angels say dere 's nothin' fer to do 
 But ter ring dem charmin' bells ! 
 
 Almos' home ! almos' home ! 
 
 We faints and falls by spells : 
 Angels say ain't nothin' fer ter do 
 But ter ring dem charmin' bells ! 
 
 Come along, true believer, come along, 
 
 En walk in de hev'mly way ! 
 I rastle wid Jacob all night — all night — 
 
 I rastle wid Jacob all day ! 
 My cross is heavy, and it 's O my Lord ! 
 
 En I year w'at de spirit tells : 
 
206 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 De angels say dere 's nothin' fer ter do 
 But ter ring dem charmin' bells ! 
 
 Almos' home ! almos' home ! 
 
 We faints and falls by spells ! 
 Angels say ain't nothin' fer to do 
 But ter ring dem charmin' bells I 
 
 XL 
 
 A NEGRO LOVE SONG. 
 
 Track in de paff whar rabbit bin play'n', 
 
 (Hey, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 Han' me down my walkin'-cane, 
 
 (Hi, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 Hey, my Lily ! de cow done lowed, 
 
 (Go down de road ! — go down de road !) 
 Hit 's wet on de grass whar de jew bin po'd, 
 
 (Hi, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 
 Mighty long way froo de narrer lane, 
 
 (Hey, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 En kildee holler like he callin' up rain, 
 
 (Hi, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 Hey, my Lily ! de chicken done crowed, 
 
 (Go down de road ! — go down de road !) 
 Sun gone down en moon done showed, 
 
 (My Lily, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 
 Han' me down my walkin'-cane, 
 (Hey, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 
"DE OL' SHEEP SHARP. 207 
 
 Big owl holler : No use stay'n', 
 (Hi, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 
 Big nigger tote de little gal load, 
 
 (Go down de road ! — go down de road !) 
 
 Kase too big a turn make nigger leg bowed, 
 (My Lily, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 
 Han' me down my walkin'-cane, 
 
 (Hey, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 De boys all sing, an' keep on say'n' ; 
 
 (Hi, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 Nigger will drink fum 'n'er nigger's go'd, 
 
 (Go down de road ! — go down de road !) 
 En some folks git w'at dey ain't never growed, 
 
 (My Lily, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 
 One man lose w'at 'n'er man gain, 
 (Hey, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 
 You git yo' shawl en han' my cane, 
 (Hey, my Lily ! go down de road !) 
 
 XII. 
 
 Oh, de ole Sheep sharp w'en he shell dat corn, 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 
 He shell dat corn by de rattle er his horn, 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 
 But he wan't so sharp when he sont it ter mill, 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 
2(fS HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 Kase he sont it ter mill by de Whipperwill, 
 (Oh, do come along \) 
 
 He sont it ter mill by de Whipperwill, 
 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 W'ich he drap de bag, en let it spill, 
 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 En w'atter you reckon he did declar', 
 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 Wen de folks pass by, en fine 'im dar ? 
 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 
 De day done gone, en de night ain't long, 
 
 (Do come along /) 
 Oh, ladies all, I mus 1 sing my song, 
 
 (Do come along /) 
 
 Mr. 'Possum, he clam de 'simmon tree, 
 
 (Come along, come along !) 
 En he wink he eye, en grin at me, 
 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 I up wid a rock, en let 'er fly, 
 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 Kerblip ! I tuck 'im in de eye, 
 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 
 De day done gone, en de night ainH long f 
 
 (Do come along /) 
 Oh, ladies all, Imus' sing my song 9 
 
 (Do come along /) 
 
"DE OV SHEEP SHAMP." 209 
 
 Ole Marster say he never is see, 
 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 No 'possum half ez fat ez he, 
 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 Dey flinged away de head en de feet, 
 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 En den had 'nuff fer all ter eat, 
 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 
 De day done gone, en de night ain't long, 
 
 {Do come along /) 
 Oh, ladies all, I mils' sing my song, 
 
 {Do come along /) 
 
 Dey tuck 'im down ter Polly Bell, 
 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 Bekaze dey know she cook 'im well, 
 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 She made a pie, en she made a stew, 
 
 (Come along ! come along !) 
 A roas' en a fry, en a bobbycue, 
 
 (Oh, do come along !) 
 
 De day done gone, en de night ainH long, 
 
 {Do come along /) 
 Oh, ladies all, Imus' sing my song, 
 
 {Do come along /) 
 
210 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS, 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Oh, sinner ! don't take yo' time, 
 Dar 's a road we all mus' clime — 
 Hit 's a road full er f aintin' spells : 
 De way mighty long, 
 But soul get strong 
 When she year dem charmin' bells. 
 Oh, sing, my soul ! 
 Oh, ring en roll ! 
 Ring-a dem charmin' bells ! 
 
 De road mighty full er dus', 
 But sinner kin quench his thus', 
 By drinkin' f um de Jacob wells : 
 En de soul git strong 
 Wen she year dat song — 
 Oh, ring dem charmin' bells ! 
 Oh, Jerdun roll ! 
 Oh, sing, my soul ! 
 Ring-a dem charmin' bells I 
 
 Oh, sufferin' sinner, rise — 
 Lif up dem 'umbel eyes — 
 Lissen w'at de Speret tells : 
 
 Oh, do git strong 
 
 En sing dat song — 
 
RING DEM CHARMIN' BELLS. 211 
 
 I year dem charmin' bells. 
 
 Oh, sing, my soul ! 
 
 Oh, ring en roll ! 
 Ring-a dem charmin' bells ! 
 
 Wen de night git dark en coP, 
 En you year dat Jerdun roll, 
 
 Dat de place whar John befells; 1 
 Oh, soul, git strong, 
 En sing dat song — 
 Oh, ring dem charmin' bells ! 
 Oh, sing, my soul ! 
 Oh, ring en roll ! 
 Ring-a dem charmin' bells I 
 
 My Lord, he done onroll, 
 Dat shinin' clof uv gol', 
 
 En de heav'ms dey sinks en swells, 
 Oh, soul, sing strong ! 
 Des shout dat song — 
 Oh, ring dem charmin' bells ! 
 Oh, sing, my soul ! 
 Oh, ring en roll ! 
 Ring-a dem charmin' bells ! 
 
 * In other words, this is what befell St. John. It may be 
 well to state in this connection that this attempt to render the 
 spirit of a very quaint song should not be confounded with 
 '* Roll, Jordan, Roll," the music of which has been preserved 
 with wonderful success by the late Mrs. Lucy McKim Garri- 
 son, nor with another song with the same refrain. The roll- 
 ing of the Jordan and the ringing of the charming bells are 
 heard in a dozen negro songs. 
 
212 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 hog-feeder's song. 
 
 Oh, rise up, my ladies ! Lissen unter me ! 
 Gwoop 1 Gwoop ! 1 Gee-whoop 1 Goo-whee I 
 I 'm a-gwine dis night f er ter knock along er you ! 
 Gwoop ! Gwoop ! Gee-whoop ! Goo-whoo ! 
 Pig-goo ! Pig-gee 1 Gee-oo-whee 1 
 
 Oh, de stars look bright, des like dey gwinter fall, 
 En way todes sundown you hear de Kildee call ,• 
 Stee-wee 1 Killdee ! Pig-goo ! Pig-gee 1 
 Pig ! Pig 1 Pig-goo 1 Pig 1 Pig 1 Pig-gee I 
 
 De blue barrer squeal kaze he can't squeeze thoo, 
 En he hump up his back des like niggers do ! 
 Oh, humpty-umpty blue ! Pig-gee 1 Pig-goo ! 
 Pig! Pig! Pig-gee! Pig! Pig! Pig-goo! 
 
 Oh, rise up, my ladies ! Lissen unter me ! 
 Gwoop ! Gwoo-pee ! Gee-whoop ! Goo-whee ! 
 I 'm a-gwine dis night a-gallantin' out wid you ! 
 Gwoop ! Gwoo-pee ! Gee-whoop ! Goo-whoo ! 
 Pig-goo ! Pig-gee ! Gee-oo-whee ! 
 
 Ole sow got sense des ez sho ez you er born, 
 Kaze she take'n hunch de basket f er ter shatter out 
 corn! 
 
 1 G hard here and throughout. 
 
 i 
 
NURSERY SONG. 213 
 
 Ma'm, you make too free ! Pig-goo ! Pig-gee ! 
 Pig ! Pig ! Pig-goo ! Pig ! Pig ! Pig-gee ! 
 
 When de pig git fat, he better stay close, 
 Kaze fat pig nice fer ter hide out en roas' ! 
 En he tas'e mighty good in de barbecue ! 
 Oh, roas' pig, shoo ! 'N-yum ! dat barbecue ! 
 Pig ! Pig 1 Pig-gee ! Pig ! Pig 1 Pig-goo ! 
 
 Oh, rise up, my ladies ! Lissen unter me ! 
 Gwoop ! Gwoo-pee ! Gee-whoop ! Goo-whee ! 
 I 'm a-gwine dis night fer ter knock aroun' wid you ! 
 Gwoop! Goo-pee! Gee-whoop! Goo-whoo! 
 Pig-goo ! Pig-gee ! Gee-oo-whee ! 
 
 XV. 
 
 NURSERY SONG. 
 
 Mammy went away — she toF me ter stay, 
 
 An' take good keer er de baby, 
 She toF me ter stay an' sing dis away : 
 
 Oh, go ter sleepy, little baby ! 
 
 Chorus, 
 
 Oh, go ter sleep ! Sleepy, little babe, 
 Oh, go ter sleepy, little baby, 
 
 Kaze when you wake, you '11 git some cake, 
 An' ride a little white horsey ! 
 
214 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 Oh, de little Butterfly, he stole some pie — 
 
 Go ter sleepy, little baby ! 
 An' he flew'd so high, twel he put out his eye - 
 
 Oh, go ter sleepy, little baby ! 
 Chorus. 
 
 Oh, shet yo' eye, an don't you cry — 
 
 Go ter sleepy, little baby ! 
 Kaze mammy 's boun' f er ter come bimeby — 
 
 Oh, go ter sleepy, little baby ! 
 Chorus. 
 
 We '11 stop up de cracks and sow up de seams 
 De Booger Man never shill ketch you ! 
 
 Oh, go ter sleep and dream sweet dreams — 
 De Booger Man never shill ketch you ! 
 Chorus. 
 
 You shill hear dem silver bells ring — 
 
 Bye-oh, sweet little baby ! 
 You shill hear sweet angels sing — 
 
 Oh, go ter sleepy, little baby ! 
 Chorus, 
 
 De river run wide, de river run deep — 
 
 Oh, bye-oh, sweet little baby ! 
 De boat rock slow — shill rock you ter sleep — 
 
 Oh, bye-oh, sweet little baby ! 
 Chorus. 
 
MY HONEY, MY LOVE. 215 
 
 XVI. 
 MY HONEY, MY LOVE. 
 
 Hit 's a mighty fur ways up de Far* well Lane, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 You may ax Mister Crow, you may ax Mister 
 Crane, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 Dey '11 make you a bow, en dey '11 tell you de 
 same, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 Hit 's a mighty fur ways fer ter go in de night, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 My honey, my love, my heart's delight — 
 
 My honey, my love t 
 
 Mister Mink, he creeps twel he wake up de snipe, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 Mister Bull-Frog holler, Come alight my pipe ! 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 En de Pa'tridge ax, Ain't yo' peas ripe ? 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 Better not walk erlong dar much atter night, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 My honey, my love, my heart's delight — 
 
 My honey, my love 1 
 
 De Bully-Bat fly mighty close ter de groun', 
 My honey, my love ! 
 
216 HIS SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 Mister Fox, he coax 'er, Do come down ! 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 Mister Coon, he rack all 'roun' en 'roun', 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 In de darkes' night, oh, de nigger, he 's a sight ! 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 My honey, my love, my heart's delight — 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 
 Oh, flee, Miss Nancy, flee ter my knee, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 'Lev'm big, fat coons liv' in one tree, 
 
 My honey, my love. 
 Oh, ladies all, won't you marry me ? 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 Tu'n lef ', tu'n right, we '11 dance all night, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 My honey, my love, my heart's delight — 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 
 De big Owl holler en cry fer his mate, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 Oh, don't stay long ! Oh, don't stay late ! 
 
 My honey, my love. 
 Hit ain't so mighty fur ter de Good-by Gate, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 Whar we all got ter go w'en we sing out de night, 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 My honey, my love, my heart's delight — 
 
 My honey, my love ! 
 
HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 

HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 UNCLE REMUS AT THE TELEPHONE. 
 
 One night recently, as Uncle Remus' s Miss 
 Sally was sitting by the fire sewing and sing- 
 ing softly to herself, she heard the old man 
 come into the back yard and enter the dining- 
 room, where a bright fire was still burning in 
 the grate. Everything had been cleared away. 
 The cook had gone and the house girl had dis- 
 appeared, and the little boy was asleep. Uncle 
 Remus had many privileges in the house of 
 the daughter of his old mistress and master, 
 and one of these was to warm himself by the 
 dining-room fire whenever he felt lonely, es- 
 pecially at night. To the lady there was a 
 whimsical suggestion of pathos in everything 
 the old negro said and did ; and yet her atti- 
 tude toward Uncle Remus was one of bustling 
 
220 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 criticism and depreciation. By leaning back 
 in her chair a little, she could see him as he 
 sat before the fire enjoying the warmth. 
 
 " I should think it was time for you to' be 
 in bed/' she exclaimed. 
 
 " No'm, 't ain't," responded Uncle Kemus. 
 " I year tell dat w'en ole folks git ter bed 
 soon, dey feelin's bin hurted; en goodness 
 knows dey ain't nobody hurted my feelin's dis 
 
 " Well, there is n't anything in there that 
 you can pick up. I 've had everything put 
 under lock and key." 
 
 "Yessum dey is sump'n n'er in yer, too, 
 kaze yer Mars John supper settin' right down 
 yer 'fo' de fier, en little mo' hit 'ud a bin dry 
 spang up, if I had n't 'a' drapt in des w'en 
 I did. I year Mars John tell dat ar nigger 
 'oman w'at you call yo' cook fer ter have 
 'im some fried aigs fur supper, en ef deze ain't 
 fried en dried I ain't never see none w'at is. 
 W'en Mars John come, you kin set plum' in 
 dar en year 'im crack um up in his mouf, same 
 lak cow chawin' fodder. Las' Sat'd'y night 
 Mars John fotch some fried isters home, en ef 
 dish yer nigger 'oman stay on dis hill many 
 mo' days, he ull git all his vittles cooked down 
 
 
UNCLE REMUS AT THE TELEPHONE. 221 
 
 town en fetch it home in a baskit. Whai 
 Mars John now ? " 
 
 Just then there was a call at the telephone. 
 The little gong rattled away like a house oil 
 fire. As the lady went to answer it, Uncle 
 Remus rose from his chair and crept on his 
 tip-toes to the door that opened into the sitting- 
 room. He heard his Miss Sally talking. 
 
 "Well, what's wanted? . . . Oh — is that 
 you ? Well, I could n't imagine . . . No . . . 
 Fast asleep too long ago to talk about . . . 
 Why of course ! No ! . . . Why should I be 
 frightened ! . . . I declare ! you ought to be 
 ashamed . . . Remus is here . . . Two hours ! 
 I think you are horrid mean ! . - . . By-by ! " 
 
 Uncle Remus stood looking suspiciously at 
 the telephone after his Miss Sally had turned 
 away. 
 
 " Miss Sally," he said presently, " wuz you 
 talkin ter Mars John ? " 
 
 " Certainly. Who did you suppose it was ? " 
 
 " Wharbouts wuz Mars John ? " 
 
 " At his office." 
 
 " Way down yan on Yallerbamer Street ? '* 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 At this piece of information, Urcle Remus 
 emitted a groan that was full of uoubt and 
 
222 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 pity, and went into the dining-room. His 
 Miss Sally laughed, and then an idea seemed 
 to strike her. She called him back, and went 
 again to the telephone. 
 
 " Is that you, Central ! . . . Please connect 
 eleven-forty with fourteen-sixty." There was 
 a fluttering sound in the instrument, and then 
 the lady said : " Yes, it 's me ! . . . Here 's Re- 
 mus. . . . Yes, but he wants to talk to you." 
 
 " Here, Remus, take this and put it to your 
 ear. Here, simpleton ! It won't hurt you." 
 mm Uncle Remus took the ear-piece and handled 
 it as though it had been a loaded pistol. He 
 tried to look in at both ends, and then he 
 placed it to his ear, and grinned sheepishly. 
 He heard a thin, sepulchral, but familiar voice 
 calling out, " Hello, Remus ! " and his sheep- 
 ish grin gave place to an expression of uneasy 
 astonishment. 
 
 " Hello, Remus ! Hello-ello-ello-ello-o-o ! " 
 
 " Is dat you, Mars John ? " 
 
 " Of course it is, you bandy-legged old vil- 
 lain. I have no time to be standing here. 
 What do you want ? " 
 
 " How in de name er God you git in dar, 
 Mars John?" 
 
 "In where?" 
 
UNCLE REMUS AT THE TELEPHONE. 223 
 
 " In dish yer — in dish yer appleratus." 
 
 " Oh, you be fiddle-stick ! What do you 
 want?" 
 
 " Mars John, kin you see me — er is she all 
 dark in dar ? " 
 
 "Are you crazy? Where is your Miss 
 Sally?" 
 
 " She in yer, hollun en laughin'. Mars 
 John, how you gwine git out'n dar ? " 
 
 "Dry up! Good-night!" 
 
 f^FYis, Miss Sally," said Uncle Remus, 
 after listening a moment. " Dey 's a mighty 
 zoonin' gwine on in dar, en I dunner whe'er 
 Mars John tryin' ter scramble out, er whe'er 
 he des tryin' fer ter make hisself comfertuble 
 in dar." 
 fe " What did he say, Remus ? " 
 
 " He up en 'low'd dat one un us wuz a vil- 
 yun, but dey was such a buzzin' gwine on in 
 dar dat I could n't 'zactly ketch de rights un 
 it." 
 
 Uncle Remus went back to his place by the 
 dining-room fire, and after a while began to 
 mutter and talk to himself. 
 
 " What 's the matter now ? " his Miss Sally 
 asked. 
 
 " I 'uz des a-sayin' dat I know Mars John 
 mus' be suffun some'rs." 
 
224 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 " Oh, I des knows it ; kaze' ef he ain't, wa't 
 make he talk so weak ? He bleedz ter be in 
 trouble. I 'm a-tellin' you de Lord's truf e — 
 dat w'ite man talk like he ain't bigger den one 
 er deze yer little teenchy chany dolls. I boun 5 
 you," he continued, " ef I 'uz a w'ite 'oman 
 en Mars John wuz my ole man, I 'd snatch up 
 my bonnet en I 'd natally sail 'roun' dish yer 
 town twel I fine out w'at de matter wid 'im. 
 I would dat." 
 
 The old man's Miss Sally laughed until the 
 tears came in her eyes, and then she said : — 
 
 " There 's a piece of pie on the sideboard. 
 Do get it, and hush so much talking." 
 
 " Thanky, mistiss, thanky ! " exclaimed 
 Uncle Remus, shuffling across the room. He 
 got the pie and returned to his chair. " Dish 
 yer pie," he continued, holding it up between 
 his eyes and the fire — " dish yer pie come in 
 good time, kaze Mars John talk so weak en 
 fur off it make me feel right empty. I speck 
 he be well time he git home, en ef he 'uz ter 
 git holt er dish yer pie, hit mought make 'im 
 have bad dreams." 
 
 In a few moments the pie had disappeared, 
 and when his Miss Sally looked at him a little 
 later, he was fast asleep. 
 
 
II. 
 
 UNCLE REMUS RECEIVES A VALENTINE. 
 
 Uncle Remus's Miss Sally determined that 
 the old man should not be slighted on Valen- 
 tine's day, and so she hunted around and got 
 a comic one that seemed to fit the case, and 
 put in it a large envelope. Upon this she 
 pasted a number of old postage stamps, and 
 duly addressed it. When the day arrived, 
 she had Uncle Remus called from his work in 
 the garden. He came grumbling. 
 
 " When yuther folks 'roun' yer git ter eat- 
 in' der sallid en' truck, Mars John nee'nter 
 come axin' me w'at gone wid our'n. Kaze 
 gyarden truck ain't gwineter grow less'n hit 's 
 planted, en she can't be planted less'n dey 's 
 some un ter put 'er in de groun'. I ain't md'n 
 got my back fit ter de mattock twel yer dey 
 come a-hollerin' en a-bawlin'. Hit 's Remus 
 dis en Remus dat, en 'f o' de year out hit '11 
 be Remus kill de ole black cat." 
 
 "What has the cat done, now?" asked his 
 
226 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 Miss Sally, who had heard only a part of the 
 old man's growl. 
 
 " Nothin' 't all, Miss Sally ; she ain't done 
 nothin' 'tall ter me," said Uncle Remus, in 
 another tone altogether. " Is you want me, 
 Miss Sally ? Dat slick-head house gal squeal 
 so w'en she holler dat I can't tell w'at she 
 say." 
 
 " Yes ; here is a big letter for you. I expect 
 it is a valentine." 
 
 Uncle Remus adjusted his spectacles, took 
 the letter, and examined it carefully on both 
 sides, and then looked curiously at the super- 
 scription. 
 
 " How do she run, Miss Sally ? " indicating 
 the address with his forefinger. 
 
 The lady read : " Remus Misery, Esq., 
 West End, Atlanta, Georgia : At Home." 
 
 " Ah-yi ! " exclaimed the old man, his eyes 
 twinkling humorously. " Dey des know'd I 
 wuz one er de at-home niggers — dey did 
 dat. Is dey got de 'squire on dar sho nuff, 
 Miss Sally ? Some folks calls Mars John kun- 
 nul, en some calls 'im major, en some calls 'im 
 jedge; but dish yer 'squire business is bran 
 new ter me. W'at 'uz de yuther name, Miss 
 Sally?" 
 
 i 
 
UNCLE BEMUS RECEIVES A VALENTINE. 227 
 
 " Remus Misery." 
 
 " How de name er goodness does dey fine 
 folks out dat away ? De man w'at writ dat 
 know me by heart. Let 'lone dat, I 'm ole 
 mizerbul Miz'ry." 
 
 Still holding the letter, Uncle Remus felt 
 of it carefully, pressing every part of it be- 
 tween his thumb and forefinger. 
 
 "What are you feeling of it for?" ex- 
 claimed his Miss Sally. " Why don't you open 
 it?" 
 
 " I 'm too ole for dat, Miss Sally," said 
 Uncle Remus. " Ef I feels any little bunch 
 er sumpin' n'er in yer, den I '11 know some er 
 deze yer yuther niggers bin fixin' up der cun- 
 jerments at me, en I '11 des take'n take it 
 'roun' yan en bury it whar Mars John p'inter 
 made his bed las' night, en dat '11 ondo it." 
 
 " Well, undoubtedly, you are the craziest 
 old loon in the country." 
 
 " Yessum. But you know'd dat nigger 
 man w'at Ole Miss got fum Mars Bill Little 
 endurin' er de war, kaze he could tan hides 
 en make shoes ? Well, dat ve'y nigger man 
 ain't bin on our place mo 'n a week, 'f o' he 
 fine a little bunch er sump'n layin' on de top 
 do' -step. He pick 'er up, he did, en open 'er, 
 
228 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 en dey wan't nothin' in dar but some ha'r, en 
 some frog toes, en some dry roots. He take'n 
 fling it down, he did, en go long 'bout his 
 business, en dat night he "uz tuck wid a misery 
 in de side er de head, en hiz jaw got draw'd 
 down, en look lak die he would spite er all 
 dey kin say and do. Hit went on dis away 
 twel bimeby ole Affikin Jack, he tuck'n come 
 up fum de Albenny place, en time he lay 
 eyes on de nigger, Brer Jack low he 'uz cun- 
 jud, en den hit come out dat de nigger done 
 gone en foun' sump'n on de do' -step. Brer 
 Jack ax 'im wharbouts is it, en de nigger 'low 
 he dunno ; en den Brer Jack 'low he boun' 
 't ain't so mighty fur, en lo en beholes ! he 
 tuck'n pull de cunjerments fum und' de nigger 
 bed tick. Dat he did, kaze I seed 'im wid my 
 own eyes. En den Brer Jack tuck'n bury it, 
 he did, out whar de dogs make der bed, en he 
 rub de nigger head wid a rabbit foot; en 
 't wan't two hours 'f o' dat nigger wuz wadin* 
 'roun' in de tan vats ten'in' ter he business. 
 Dey ain't no hear-tell 'bout dis, Miss Sally, 
 kaze I seed it wid my own eyes. 
 
 " I wish you please, ma'am, open it," con- 
 tinued Uncle Remus, " en read w'at de intents 
 un it mought be, kaze I oughter be out yan 
 
UNCLE REMUS RECEIVES A VALENTINE. 229 
 
 right now, puttin' dem sallid seed in de 
 groun\" 
 
 " Miss Sally " opened the envelope, and 
 drew forth a highly colored cartoon of a negro 
 cramming a huge pie in his mouth. She 
 read : — 
 
 " He eats, he sleeps, he steals on the sly, 
 Nigger, big nigger, with a mouthful of pie." 
 
 Uncle Remus took the caricature and ex- 
 amined it critically. Contrary to expectations, 
 he did not make any demonstration of anger. 
 He frowned heavily for a moment, and then 
 sighed. 
 
 " Is dish year wa't folks calls a volyumtine, 
 Miss Sally? " he asked presently. 
 
 " Of course it is." 
 
 " Well, den, I 'm done. I can't stay 'roun* 
 yer. My time 's done up. I 'm a-bleedz ter 
 go. I know dey ain't no nigger man w'at 'ud 
 dast ter sen' me dis, en if it 's a nigger 'oman, 
 den I ain't got no time ter tarry in de state er 
 Georgy. You all bin treatin' me mighty well, 
 you en Mars John, but w'en dey comes at me 
 dis away, I bleedz ter go." 
 
 " Why ? What is the matter ? " 
 
 " No 'm ; I ain't ezcusin' you all ; I ain't 
 excusin' nobody un it. Hit des happen so* 
 
230 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 Yit I got ter move. I is dat. Fus' news you 
 know, word '11 go 'roun' ter my ole 'oman dat 
 I been kyarin on wid some yuther 'oman. She 
 look lak she mighty feebly, my ole 'oman do, 
 but dey ain't no mo' actier creetur dan w'at she 
 is w'en she git 'er Affikin up. En den bime- 
 by yer '11 come Brer John Henry, en he '11 
 gimme er invite f er ter draw out er de church. 
 Oh, no 'm ! Man w'at gits volyumtines, dat 
 man ain't ter have no peace er min' less'n he 
 git out er de country. I done got de 'speunce 
 un it, mon." 
 
 It is unnecessary to remark that the old man 
 is still digging around in his Miss Sally's 
 garden and quarreling with the other negroes. 
 
in. 
 
 "miss sally" and the tree man. 
 
 The other day Uncle Remus had an op 
 portunity to kill two birds with one stone — 
 an opportunity which he promptly but quietly 
 made the most of. Last year a consumptive- 
 looking young man came into the front yard 
 where the old negro was working, and after 
 walking around and examining the shrubbery, 
 suggested that appearances could be materially 
 improved by the addition of a few trees and 
 flowers. Uncle Remus resented the familiar 
 way in which the young man went nosing 
 about, and he resented the intimation that the 
 yard was n't as nice looking as he and his Miss 
 Sally could make it. 
 
 "Where is the lady of the house?" in- 
 quired the young man. 
 
 "Who? Miss Sally?" responded Uncle 
 Remus, leaning confidently upon his rake. 
 " She in dar, some'rs, I speck." The tone 
 was not conciliatory. 
 
$32 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " I guess I can sell her some ornamental 
 trees and some nice flowers/' said the young 
 man. 
 
 " Goodness knows w'at she want wid um. 
 Kaze she done got all de sorts and sizes 
 w'at '11 grow roun' yer. I dunner wharbouts 
 she gwineter put um." 
 
 But the young man rang the bell, and pretty 
 soon he was engaged in showing the lady 
 through a large portfolio containing pictures 
 of flowers and trees. These pictures were not 
 beautiful, but they were casually attractive. 
 They were gaudy. The green of the trees 
 looked as if it could be stirred with a stick, 
 and the flowers were all in a state of inflam- 
 mation alarming to behold. But the young 
 man was a good talker. His fluency seemed 
 to lend a sort of perspective to the glare of 
 the pictures. His persuasiveness softened the 
 harsh outlines and gave tone to the whole. 
 Uncle Remus sang aggressively while this was 
 going on, but no one paid any attention to 
 him. The lady purchased twenty dollars' 
 worth of trees, shrubs, and flowers, and the 
 young man went on his way rejoicing. 
 
 In due time the order was filled, the plants 
 set out, and the young man collected his 
 
 ! 
 
"MISS SALLY" AND THE TREE MAN. 233 
 
 money, not without a protest from the lady's 
 husband, in which Uncle Remus heartily 
 joined. Most of the flowers withered, but 
 several of the trees and shrubs grew and 
 thrived. Some of them Uncle Remus re- 
 cognized as soon as they put forth in the 
 spring, and as soon as he had verified his re- 
 cognition by careful comparison, he dropped 
 his work, went to the horse lot, slipped under 
 the buggy shelter, and laughed until he was 
 exhausted. 
 
 But he held his peace. Lately, however, his 
 Miss Sally has been teasing him so unmer- 
 cifully that he has been compelled to make 
 some counter-demonstration, and the other 
 day it culminated in an undoubted victory for 
 the old man. He begun it very cunningly. 
 When he was sure his Miss Sally could hear 
 him, he would talk rapidly to himself in a low 
 tone, and then break into a fit of laughter 
 that appeared to be uncontrollable. Then he 
 would suddenly grow serious, sigh heavily, 
 groan, shake his head, and proceed with his 
 work in a forlorn, dejected sort of way. This 
 went on day after day, until his Miss Sally 
 began to have serious doubts of the old man's 
 sanity. 
 
234 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " If you go on in this way, you will land 
 in the lunatic asylum/' she exclaimed one 
 day, after Uncle Kemus had gone through 
 with one of his paroxysms of laughing and 
 groaning. " Come ! I want you to behave 
 yourself; I don't want any crazy niggers 
 around here." 
 
 Uncle Remus' s only reply was a groan, and 
 that was all the explanation or excuse he 
 deigned to offer. 
 
 But the next day everything was made clear. 
 The lady was in the flower-yard giving Uncle 
 Remus some directions, when he suddenly 
 dropped his hoe, and called out to some person 
 going by, — 
 
 " Boss ! — Oh, Boss ! — I wish you step dis 
 way a minit, ef you please, sir." It was the 
 consumptive-looking nursery agent. He was 
 evidently in a hurry, and hesitated about stop- 
 ping. He pulled out his watch nervously. 
 
 " I declare, Uncle ! I — er — I have n't 
 hardly"— 
 
 " Dess a minit, Boss," said Uncle Remus in 
 an insinuating tone. " Man come by yer ter- 
 day en ax me whar you live, kaze he say he 
 wanter git some er dem s'ubs w'at you bin 
 sellin'." 
 
 > 
 
 . 
 
"MISS SALLY" AND THE TREE MAN. 235 
 
 Glancing at the lady, and seeing that she 
 was paying no attention to him, the plausible 
 young man seemed to recover his assurance. 
 He drew out his note-book. 
 
 " What was the gentleman's name ? I 
 should be glad to supply him." 
 
 Uncle Remus took off his hat and scratched 
 his head slowly. 
 
 " Lem — me — see. Look lak I oughtn' ter 
 f ergit dat man name off'n my mine. He come 
 'long yer day 'f o' yistiddy, and 'low, he did : 
 
 " ' Dem mighty nice s'ubs en trees you got 
 dar. Whar you git um ? ' 
 
 " Wid dat, I ups en sez, s' I, * Dey 's a young 
 gentermun w'at fetches um 'roun', en I '11 tell 
 'im 'bout you,' s' I. 
 
 " < Do so,' s'e, ' en ef he fotch you dat ar 
 swamp poplar, en dat ar sycamo', en dat ar 
 sweet-gum, en dat ar honey-suckle bush, I 
 want some er de same kin'. Dey are mighty 
 scase 'roun' yer,' s'e." 
 
 The lady, who had been pretending to ar- 
 range a rose-vine, turned around at this, but 
 the enterprising agent was gone. 
 
 " Remus ! " she exclaimed in a tragic voice, 
 " call that man back." 
 
 Uncle Remus called him, but the man never 
 
236 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 turned his head, and he soon disappeared 
 around the corner. There was no tag on the 
 sweet-gum tree, but that on the honeysuckle 
 read " rhododendron/' that on the sycamore, 
 "American plane-tree," and that on the swamp- 
 poplar, " American tulip tree." 
 
 Uncle Remus's Miss Sally went into the 
 house, and at dinner time he learned that she 
 had gone to bed with the sick headache. Just 
 before night, " Miss Sally " felt well enough to 
 get up, and when her husband came home he 
 found her going about the house in a subdued, 
 half reproachful way, with her head tied up. 
 She had intended to say nothing of the swindle 
 of which she was the victim, but after supper 
 Uncle Remus engaged the cook in conversa- 
 tion, and after some palaver, his Mars John 
 heard him exclaim, with well-feigned indigna- 
 tion : — 
 
 " Dat w'at makes I say w'at I does. When 
 folks treats nice w'ite 'oman ez Miss Sally is 
 dat away, den hit 's des 'bout time fer ter go 
 'roun' quirin' ef dey 's any law in deze Nu- 
 ninety States." 
 
 His Miss Sally also heard him, and she be- 
 came thoroughly indignant. 
 
 " If you don't clear out of that dining-room, 
 
 i 
 
"MISS SALLY" AND THE TREE MAN. 237 
 
 you miserable old wretch/' she exclaimed, 
 " I '11 brain you with the coal-scuttle." 
 
 Whereupon she cried, and told her husband 
 all about it, and this hard-hearted man laughed 
 so immoderately that " Miss Sally " fluttered 
 off to bed in a huff. 
 
 When the gentleman went to close the house 
 for the night, he found Uncle Remus sitting 
 contentedly by the dining-room fire. 
 
 " I speck Miss Sally mighty mad," said the 
 old philosopher, when he was roused from his 
 doze, " kaze she done f orgit f er ter put out 
 dem ar taters w'at she promise me. Dey er 
 up dar in dat ar lef-hand sidebo'd draw," he 
 explained, " en de key, hit 's up dar on de top 
 she'f. Don't git um all, Mars John, kaze 
 Miss Sally '11 be a-lightin' on ter me." 
 
IV. 
 
 INTIMIDATION OF A COLORED VOTER. 
 
 " I hope you all young gentermens is well," 
 Baid Uncle Remus, as he entered the editorial 
 rooms of " The Constitution," the other day. 
 " I mighty po'ly myse'f, but dat ain't hender 
 me from hopin' dat yuther folks is keepin' 
 way from de doctor shops. Many is de po' 
 creeter w'at done been ter doctor shops one 
 time too much. Yit look at me. I bin dar 
 mighty nigh much ez anybody, en Miss Sally 
 say dey 's lots er hard work in me yit, 'vidin' 
 anybody kin git it out'n me. In my young 
 days I use ter year talk dat de nighest road 
 ter de buryin'-groun' wuz 'roun' by de doctor 
 shop, but 'spite er dat I keeps on taking 
 der truck, en I ain't see dat it do me no harm. 
 Ef any you young gentermens gits ter feel- 
 in' low down in de sperets, en sorter 'quare 
 in de naborhoods er de gizzard, you des 
 rack 'roun' to Mars Dock Alexander en git 
 some er dem ar quiernine en blue mast 
 
INTIMIDATION OF A COLORED VOTER. 239 
 
 pills, en ef dey don't set you up, you kin des 
 lay de blame onter me. When ole Miss was 
 'live, de doctor 'd come 'roun' 'bout dis time er 
 year, en all de niggers, little en big, 'ud hatter 
 come up en git a dost er jollup en callymel ; 
 but deze days you gotter hunt de doctor up 
 en git a piece er paper en beat 'roun' town 
 twel you kin fine some un fer ter mix up 
 de truck." 
 
 Uncle Kemus paused, and then broke into 
 a loud laugh. 
 
 " Wat de name er goodness is I doin' ? I 
 des crope up yer fer ter ax you all young gen- 
 termens sump'n, en yer I is runnin' on like a 
 cat- bird in a peach orchard. I dunner how 
 you all is, but I ain't got no time fer ter be 
 projickin'." 
 
 " Gracious heaven ! " exclaimed one of the 
 young men, " do you hear that ? He says he 
 has n't got time ! Won't somebody lead him 
 out and ask him to call again and say one 
 word — one little word — when he has got 
 time?" 
 
 " En needer is I got time fer ter be runnin' 
 on 'longer you all," Uncle Remus retorted in- 
 dignantly. " You all kin take yo' shears an' 
 split dem ar newspapers wide open, but ole 
 
240 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIE&DS. 
 
 Remus can't take no shears en cut truck outer 
 t'er folks gyardin, kaze ef I did dey'd slap de 
 law on me. En ef I ain't got time ter stan' 
 yer en talk, co'se I ain't got no time fer ter 
 be gwine ter law. Dat gyardin out dar at 
 Wes' Een' callin' me right now, en I ain't got 
 a minnit ter spar' • — dat I ain't." 
 
 " Suppose you go down in the fire-escape," 
 some one suggested, but Uncle Remus ignored 
 the hint. 
 
 " Man down dar on de street ax how Fgwine 
 vote dis time, en I des runned up yer fer ter 
 ax you all gentermens ef deyer a gwinter be 
 n'er 'lection in de Nunited States er Georgy." 
 
 " Why, of course there is ! " 
 
 " Now ain't dat too much ! " exclaimed 
 Uncle Remus with unmistakable bitterness. 
 " Man go up en vote, en he ain't got time ter 
 change his cloze 'f o' he gotter rack up en vote 
 ag'in." 
 
 " Why, have n't you heard about Boynton, 
 Bacon, and the rest ? " 
 
 "I year Miss Sally readin' out names en 
 dates, en 'sputin' 'longer Mars John, but I 
 tuck de idee dey wuz one er deze yer cake- 
 walks gwine on up dar." 
 Up where?" 
 
 a 
 
INTIMIDATION OF A COLORED VOTER. 241 
 
 " Up dar whar de sleepin' kyars comes f urn ; 
 some'rs up dar." 
 
 " He seems to be thoroughly familiar with 
 the geography of our common country/' re- 
 marked one of the young men. 
 
 Uncle Remus grinned broadly. 
 
 "I lay dey don't fool me on de cake-walk, 
 kaze dey wuz a nigger man in one un um ; 
 but w'at pester me is deze yer 'lections f oller- 
 in' atter one er n'er des lak a drove er sheep. 
 Eve'y time dey comes, ole Remus gits in 
 trouble wuss en wuss." 
 
 "Why so?" 
 
 " Des kaze. Mars John en Miss Sally gits 
 ter 'sputin' 'bout w'ich de bes' man, en den 
 dey comes atter me. Hit 's ' Remus, how you 
 gwine ter vote? ' en ' No, you ain't,' en i Yes 
 you is,' ontwel I des natally gits wo' out. 
 Hit 's pull en haul, pull en haul, day in en 
 day out, en I ain't got no peace er min' twel 
 'lection day done gone. Miss Sally say vote 
 dish year way, Mars John say vote dat ar way, 
 en w'en dat de case, w'at a ole nigger like 
 me gwine do ? " 
 
 " Well, how do you vote, after all? " 
 
 " Dat w'at I want to know : dat des zackly 
 w'at I 'm atter. Mars John, he 'low he de 
 
242 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 boss ; yit I notices dat w'en Miss Sally say I 
 ain't gwine to git no gravy on my grits, dey 
 ain't no gravy dar, en de man w'at kin eat 
 grits widout gravy is got mo' strenk in his 
 stummuck dan w'at I is. Fum dis out twel 
 atter de 'lection done good en gone, you kin 
 des put it down dat de rheumatiz done struck 
 me in de j'ints, en hit '11 be dat servigrous dat 
 I can't move skacely. En eve'y time dey say 
 vote, I 'm a-gwine ter grunt en groan like one 
 er deze yer Wes' P'int ingines. But shoo ! 
 I ain't got time fer ter be runnin' on yer wid 
 you all." 
 
A STORY OF A BLIND HORSE. 
 
 Uncle Remus walked into " The Constitu- 
 tion " office one morning recently after an ab- 
 sence of several days. He seemed to be rather 
 fagged out, and yet there was a humorous 
 twinkle in his eye. 
 
 " I 'speck you all gentermens done got de 
 notion dat I'm a mighty kuse ole creetur," 
 he said, chuckling sheepishly. 
 
 "He has been in more trouble," said one 
 of the young men to another, in a confidential 
 tone, but loud enough for Uncle Remus to 
 hear. " If there 's any trouble in Pulton 
 County, the old wretch will shut his eyes and 
 walk right into it." 
 
 " Trufe, too ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus 
 with unction ; " dat 's de Lord's trufe. Look 
 lak I done got ter dem p'ints whar I oughter 
 settle down en do lak t'er folks, but de mo' 
 w'at I try ter settle down, de wuss trouble I 
 draps inter. I done got so I feared ter tu'n 
 
244 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 a cornder, kase I mos' know ole Satan done 
 got some kinder trap set f er me. It 's mighty 
 kuse — mighty kuse." 
 
 " Well, what 's the difficulty now ? You 
 look as if you had just fought your way out 
 of one of Satan's traps." 
 
 " I des got out er bed, bless you ! " There 
 was a hint of boastfulness in the old man's 
 tone. "I bin layin' up same lak man in 
 hospital, en I bin had mo' doctor truck dan 
 de law 'lows ; but spite er dat I got mo' so' 
 places 'roun' munks my ribs dan a man w'at 
 bin run over wid de kyars. I is, mon." 
 
 " Well, we might just as well suspend opera- 
 tions and let him tell us all about it," exclaimed 
 the police reporter, flinging down his pencil 
 in despair. " Nobody can pursue the literary 
 calling in the building where that old repro- 
 bate does his talking." 
 
 " T'er day," said Uncle Remus, ignoring the 
 police reporter, " Mars John holler me up en 
 say he want some grass seed sowed in de peach 
 orchard. He say he want de groun' broke up 
 good, en den he want de seeds horrored in. 
 I ax 'im wharbouts is I gwine ter git a hoss, 
 en he up'n 'low I better go borrer one, en 
 wi'les I 'm a borryin' de hoss I better borrer 
 
 
A STORY OF A BLIND HOUSE. 245 
 
 de horror. I tuck'n traipse over dat neigh- 
 borhood plum twel dinner-time, en I ain't git 
 no hoss. Dis man say he done loant his'n out, 
 en t'er man say he bleedz ter do some ploughin' 
 hisse'f. 
 
 " Bimeby, I struck up wid Brer Plato, I 
 did, en he say he kin make out f er ter loan 
 me his hoss, ef I '11 take good care un 'im. 
 Brer Plato hoss blin' ez a bat, en yet blin' 
 hoss better dan no hoss. So I tuck 'im, en I 
 put de gear on, en I kyar'd 'im home en broke 
 up de groun', an blin' do' he wuz, dat ole 
 hoss move right 'long. Atter I git de groun' 
 ploughed en de seed sowed, lo en beholes, I 
 done forgit de horror, en I tuck'n ax Miss 
 Sally 'bout it, kaze Mars John done gone 
 down town. Miss Sally, she up'n say dey want 
 no horrors in her time, en she 'low I better 
 git a bresh en drag it 'cross de groun', en do 
 lak folks done w'en folks had some sense. 
 Wid dat I goes, I does, en I cuts me down a 
 good size tree, en drug 'er inter de back yard. 
 
 "Eve'ybody," continued Uncle Remus, 
 "wuz tennin' ter der own business. Miss 
 Sally, she uz dustin' 'roun' in de back po'ch 
 whar dey wan't no dus', en Sis Tempy, she uz 
 chunkin' up chips roun' de wash-pot en singin' 
 
246 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 one er dem ar glory chunes. I stop de hoss 
 at de back steps fer ter ax Miss Sally sump'n', 
 en des 'bout dat time, dat ar nigger 'oman w'at 
 mess up de w'ite folks vittles fer 'urn start ter 
 fling de dish-water out de winder, en de pan 
 come wid it — kerblimidy blam — blam ! " 
 
 "What then?" one of the young men 
 Asked, as Uncle Remus paused. 
 
 " Gentermens ! you oughter des seed dat ole 
 blin' hoss. He sorter squat, en den he lipped 
 up in de a'r, en natally tuck wings. De fus' 
 pass he make, he fling me plum thoo Miss 
 Sally honeysuckle vine, en wrop me 'roun' de 
 chanybe'y tree. Den he run over de wash- 
 pot en knock Sis Tempy down, en drug dat 
 big bresh 'crosst 'er. Let 'lone dat," contin- 
 ued Uncle Remus, speaking in a subdued, 
 confidential tone ; " let lone dat, he drug dat 
 bresh 'crosst Sis Tempy de wrong way. Gen- 
 termens, don't talk ! I year Sis Tempy groan- 
 in' 'bout some kinder stiffness in de j'ints, but 
 de way she shuck dem shins in de a'r wuz 
 scan'lous. Mc' *peshually w'en de bilin' water 
 fum de wash-pot run und' 'er. She des fetch 
 one squall en riz fum dar, en made fer de 
 house ; en w'en she riz, look lak all 'er cloze 
 bin cut bobtail." . . 
 
A STORY OF A BLIND HORSE. 247 
 
 u What became of the horse ? " 
 
 " Shoo ! dat hoss gallop off in de ploughed 
 groun' en fall down, en time I git whar he is, 
 he done had a nap. He des lay dar des ez 
 ca'm ez a dead pig in de sunshine. Wat I 
 lak ter know is dish yer : Ef dat ar hoss bun', 
 how kin he see f er ter run 'crosst Sis Tempy ? 
 Now dat w'at I lak ter know. 
 
 " Sis Tempy done sent me wud," said Uncle 
 Remus, looking serious, " dat I '11 be a lots 
 older man dan w'at I is 'f o' I gits her fergiv- 
 ance ; en I 'speck dat 's so, kaze deze yer ole- 
 time niggers is a heap mo' servigrous dan 
 w'at dey wuz 'f o' de war. I 'm gwineter 
 give Sis Tempy de big road. You yeard my 
 horn!" 
 
VL 
 
 UNCLE REMUS IN LIMBO. 
 
 As the result of a very curious train of 
 circumstances, Uncle Remus was brought up 
 before Recorder Andy Calhoun the other day. 
 He was triumphantly vindicated, but the cir- 
 cumstances that led to his arrest as well as 
 his vindication may be of some interest to the 
 reader. It seems that Uncle Remus's " Miss 
 Sally," after counting the clothes brought in 
 by the washerwoman recently, discovered that 
 one of her husband's night-shirts was missing. 
 It happened to be one which she had made 
 herself, and she immediately called Uncle Re- 
 mus up and told him to go after the missing 
 garment, after describing it with great par- 
 ticularity. The old man was perfectly willing 
 to go after the shirt, but two circumstances 
 put him out of humor. The day was Friday. 
 This fact was ominous enough of itself, but 
 the omen was made portentous by the addi- 
 tional fact that Uncle Remus was compelled to 
 
UNCLE REMUS IN LIMBO. 249 
 
 turn back, after he had gone a little way, to 
 inquire whether a red or a blue silk vine ran 
 around the collar of the shirt. This was irritat- 
 ing, and when the old man got fairly started, 
 he was mad. When he reached the washer- 
 woman's house she was out, and he was com- 
 pelled to wait some little time for her re- 
 turn. When she did come, Uncle Remus was 
 thoroughly worked up, and his anger was in- 
 tensified a thousandfold by the loud imper- 
 tinence of the woman, whose piercing treble 
 voice was the delight of the religious congre- 
 gation of which she was the leading spirit, and 
 the terror of those against whom it was used 
 as a weapon. 
 
 " Whar Mars John night-gown ? " exclaimed 
 Uncle Remus savagely, as the woman came up. 
 
 " Whose Mars John ? I let you know here 's 
 what ain't got no Mars John. Not dis week." 
 She held her head high in the air, and her 
 loud tone was irritating. 
 
 * Well, den, ef you ain't got no Mars John," 
 said Uncle Remus, " you ain't got no bizness 
 wid Mars John night-gown ; en you des might 
 ez well go in dar en git it out'n yo' chist, whar 
 you got it hid away." 
 
 " You all hear what he savin' ? " said the 
 
250 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 woman to two or three negroes who were 
 lounging around. 
 
 " Git dat night-gown ! " was Uncle Remus' s 
 imperative demand. 
 
 " Who ever hear talk er men folks w'arin 9 
 night-gowns ? " the woman exclaimed con- 
 temptuously. 
 
 " Git dat night-gown, you triflin' huzzy, 
 yelse I '11 have you brung up." 
 
 " Who up ? Have who brung up, you nasty, 
 low life ole vilyun ! " 
 
 All this and much more, until presently a 
 policeman came along and arrested the woman 
 on a charge of disorderly conduct. Perhaps 
 he ought to have arrested Uncle Remus on 
 the same charge, but the old man, with an eye 
 to precisely such a contingency, made no great 
 display of his voice. He was very mad, but 
 he didn't yell as the woman did. 
 
 At any rate the policeman did n't arrest 
 him, and the woman had no sooner reached 
 the station-house than she preferred a charge 
 of " probusness " (as she called it) against him, 
 and an officer was sent after him. 
 
 Both the distinguished persons found 
 friends to answer for their prompt appearance 
 at Recorder Calhoun's court. The woman's 
 
UNCLE REMUS IN LIMBO 251 
 
 society brethren came to her aid in the matter, 
 and Uncle Remus' s Miss Sally sent this mes- 
 sage over the telephone : — 
 
 "John, that miserable old reprobate has 
 been arrested by a policeman. . . . No, I tell 
 you I 'm not joking. ... I wish you would 
 go down and get him out. . . . Ten dollars ! 
 . . . Well, what 's the use of being a lawyer 
 if you can't get him out without paying ten 
 dollars ? Well, it won't do for the old wretch 
 to stay in that station-house all night this kind 
 of weather. . . . Can't you go now? . . . 
 Well, I wish you would. . . . Come home 
 soon." 
 
 The next morning both parties were on 
 hand when court opened. The friends of the 
 woman had employed a young lawyer to de- 
 fend her, and he, with an eye to humorous 
 results, pushed the case against Uncle Remus. 
 In the case against the woman, the testimony 
 of the policeman who arrested her was suffi- 
 cient, and a small fine was imposed upon her 
 which was promptly paid, after which she and 
 her friends remained in the court-room to en- 
 joy the discomfiture of Uncle Remus. 
 
 The young lawyer rose and said that as the 
 case against the old man was a serious one he 
 
252 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 would beg the court to indulge him in a few 
 opening remarks. He proposed to prove, he 
 said, that the language employed by the pri- 
 soner (giving solemn emphasis to the word 
 " prisoner ") against his client was not only 
 opprobrious, but libelous. The prisoner had 
 in effect charged an honest woman with theft. 
 The charge was not made openly, but by in- 
 direction ; but in a case of this kind, what was 
 indirection but insinuation ? What was in- 
 sinuation but slander ? What was slander but 
 libel ? For his part, he was glad that the case 
 was not to be tried before a jury, for the pri- 
 soner was old, and the verdict of a jury, which 
 would be nothing less than a term of years in 
 the penitentiary, might bear too heavily upon 
 him. The young lawyer went on in this 
 strain for three or four minutes, and finally 
 announced that if the prisoner had no counsel 
 he would proceed to call his first witness — 
 the woman who had been so outrageously 
 slandered. Before the witness could be called, 
 however, Uncle Remus spoke up. 
 
 " Mars Andy Calhoun," he said, " you bin 
 knowm' me a mighty long time, en I bin 
 knowin' you ; but ef dish yer de way de matter 
 stan', den I 'm gwineter make admittance un 
 it, 'fo' hit gits wuss. I aint gwineter say 1 
 
UNCLE REMUS IN LIMBO. 253 
 
 did n't exzuse dat 'oman er takin' Mars John 
 night-gown, kaze I did ; but yit, 'f o' I go ter 
 de chain-gang, I wish you be so good ez ter 
 sen' er p'leeceman out dar ter dat 'oman house 
 en make 'im git dat night-gown, kaze Miss 
 Sally done sot 'er heart on dat gyarment, en 
 ef she don't git it back, I never is ter year de 
 las' un it. I thank you might' ly ef you do 
 dat, Mars Andy. De way de p'leeceman kin tell 
 it is by er blue silk muscadime vine, w'ich de 
 vine she run up'n down in front en 'roun' de 
 collar, en all 'roun' de rizbuns." 
 
 It is perhaps needless to remark here that 
 when the young lawyer proceeded to call his 
 witness she was gone. She was gone, and she 
 failed to return. The prospect of a domi- 
 ciliary visit from a policeman was a little too 
 much for her. The case against Uncle Remus 
 was dismissed, and when the old man got 
 home he found that the brilliantly embroid- 
 ered night-shirt had been returned. His Miss 
 Sally gave him a severe lecture, but his only 
 response was : — 
 
 " You better lem me hang Mars John 
 night-gown out in de sun, kaze a nigger 
 'oman w'at '11 steal dat kind er doin's ain't 
 none too good fer ter have de small-pox hid 
 
 some'rs 'roun'." 
 
vn. 
 
 UNCLE REMUS THINKS HE FINDS A SNAKE . 
 
 During the past summer, the lady whom 
 Uncle Remus calls " Miss Sally/' and for whom 
 he does odd jobs, went to one of the Virginia 
 watering places. For some reason or other, 
 her stay was prolonged until the latter part of 
 September. When she returned, she found 
 her backyard overgrown with grass and weeds, 
 although she had particularly cautioned the 
 old negro to keep it clean. She was very 
 much surprised and somewhat indignant at 
 the apparent neglect, and the next morning 
 she made it convenient to be in and about the 
 front porch as much as possible, in order to 
 employ the first idle negro that came along 
 and have the whole lot put in order. 
 
 Among the first to put in an appearance 
 was Uncle Remus himself. He had a small 
 garden hoe on his shoulder and a heavy cane 
 in his hand. He stopped at the gate and 
 looked up and down the street, and then came 
 
UNCLE REMUS FINDS A SNAKE. 255 
 
 slowly into the yard. The lady watched him 
 as he came up the walk. His face, furrowed 
 with the lines of age and laughter, was very 
 grave, and there was a hitch in his gait which 
 told of a struggle with rheumatism. The lady 
 was watching him from a window, and, some- 
 how, her indignation disappeared as she gazed 
 at the weather-beaten features of the old man. 
 She had known him since she was a little 
 child, although her own youth had long since 
 taken wings, and she was inclined to look 
 kindly on all his failings. He was a family 
 appendage, a piece of furniture that had be- 
 come valuable as a relic. 
 
 Though the lady is a matron, with a plentiful 
 sprinkling of gray in her hair, a spirit of mis- 
 chief seized her. She went forth on the porch, 
 and before Uncle Remus, with a happy smile 
 on his face, could take off his hat and give 
 her a genuine plantation greeting, she said : 
 
 "Howdy, old man. I have no work for 
 you to-day." Then she turned and began to 
 pull down the dead Madeira vines that were 
 still clinging to the strings on which they had 
 run so bravely in the summer. 
 
 " Lor', Miss Sally ! you can't fool ole Re- 
 mus," exclaimed the old man, laughing. 
 
256 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " Did you say you knew old Remus ? " the 
 lady asked quite seriously. " He was a great 
 deal older than you are, and I expect he 's 
 dead by this time. Until I saw the hoe in 
 your hand I thought you were Remus him- 
 self. He always carried a bag instead of a 
 hoe, and he never went in anybody's yard 
 that he did n't come out with his bag full of 
 victuals. When you get as old as Remus 
 was, you '11 be better off by going to the poor- 
 house." 
 
 The lady talked so seriously that the smile 
 died away on the old man's face, and before 
 he could say anything she had gone into the 
 house humming a tune. Uncle Remus stood 
 scratching his head and reflecting, and then 
 he went slowly around the house, and took a 
 seat on the edge of the passage-way that led 
 from the kitchen to the back porch. The 
 cook, who had been living on the place during 
 the lady's absence, was busy cleaning up. 
 
 " Chlory," said Uncle Remus, " is you 
 notice Miss Sally right close sence she come 
 back?" 
 
 " I ain't got no time ter watch white folks," 
 said the cook, who was fat and high tem- 
 pered. " What I wanter be watchin' Miss 
 Sally fer?" 
 
UNCLE REMUS FINDS A SNAKE. 257 
 
 a I des ax you," said Uncle Remus, with a 
 sigh. He had heard the blinds of the dining- 
 room window rattle, and he knew his Miss 
 Sally was listening. " I des ax you," he re- 
 peated in a louder tone. " She wuz standin' 
 out yander in de front er de house des now, 
 en I axed her howdy, en she sorter roll her 
 eye, she did, en 'low dat I wuz dead." 
 
 " Hush, man ! " exclaimed the cook, coming 
 to the kitchen door, and looking at Uncle 
 Remus in astonishment. 
 
 " Dat 'zackly what she say," said the old 
 man, with due solemnity. " 'T ain't so much 
 what she say," he went on, " ez de way she 
 do. I bin knowin' Miss Sally ev'y sence she 
 wuz a suckin' baby, and I ain't never is see 
 her show de white er her eye like she done 
 des now." 
 
 " I say it ! " exclaimed the cook. 
 
 " Yassum," said Uncle Remus, with in- 
 creased solemnity, " she stood dar, she did, en 
 look like she dazed. I des bin runnin' over 
 in my min' ef any er de fambly bin 'flicted dat 
 away, en de nighest I kin come at it is dat 
 Miss Sally gran'ma, she had a full blood br'er 
 what married a 'oman dat showed de white er 
 her eye, en dat 'oman she had ter be put in a 
 straight jacket." 
 
258 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " Well ! well ! well ! " exclaimed the cook. 
 « You sho'ly don't tell me ! " 
 
 Before Uncle Remus could make any reply, 
 there was a swish of a dress on the back porch 
 and a rattling of keys. Then a sharp, angry 
 voice called out : — 
 
 " Remus, are you going to clean up that 
 yard ? If you are not, I want you to get off 
 this lot!" 
 
 " Yassum, Miss Sally," exclaimed Uncle 
 Remus, as he seized his hoe; "I des gittin' 
 me a drink er water." 
 
 With that, the old man began his attack on 
 the grass and weeds in the yard, and the lady 
 sat at a window where she could watch him. 
 She was not long in observing that he was in 
 no special hurry. He would grub away for a 
 few minutes, and then lean on the handle of 
 his hoe and rest. Frequently, he would turn 
 his hoe around, examine the blade of it, and 
 shake his head. He seemed to get on with 
 his work so slowly that the lady put on her 
 sun-bonnet and went out to oversee the job. 
 For an hour she kept the old man very busy, 
 and he grew tired of it. She was not in the 
 habit of following him up so closely. Finally, 
 when he saw that she intended to see the yard 
 
UNCLE EEMUS FINDS A SNAKE. 259 
 
 cleaned then and there, Uncle Remus raised 
 his head and looked all around, sniffing the 
 air. 
 
 " What is the matter now ? " the lady- 
 asked. 
 
 Uncle Remus made no reply to the question, 
 but continued sniffing the air, looking very 
 serious. Presently he said in a very loud and 
 emphatic tone : — 
 
 " I wonder wharbouts is dat snake what I 
 bin interferin wid ? " 
 
 "What are you talking about?" the lady 
 asked contemptuously. 
 
 " 'Bout dat ar snake what I smells. I kin 
 allers smell um when dey gits stirred up." 
 
 " What snake? " asked the lady with some- 
 thing more than curiosity. 
 
 " Dat ar snake what I bin interferin' wid. 
 He some'rs closte 'roun' here, sho." 
 
 "Where?" asked the lady, instinctively- 
 grasping her skirts. 
 
 " Miss Sally," said Uncle Remus, in the 
 most business-like way, " I wish you 'd please, 
 ma'm, be so good ez ter look in dat bunch er 
 grass dar. He smell so rank he bleedz ter 
 be right 'roun' here." 
 
 Instead of searching in the bunch of grass, 
 
260 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 "Miss Sally" jerked up her skirts, gave a 
 little scream, and ran to the house like a deer. 
 Safe on the back porch, she turned and looked 
 at Uncle Eemus. The old man was half bent, 
 and his head was going from side to side. 
 He pretended to be searching for the snake, 
 but his Miss Sally knew that he was laughing 
 at her. Angry as she was, she interfered 
 with Uncle Remus no more, but left him to 
 clean the yard in his own way and in his own 
 time. 
 
VIII. 
 
 UNCLE REMUS AND THE COMET. 
 
 " You all folks may be a havin' a mighty 
 good time," said Uncle Remus, rubbing the 
 back of his head against the door facing, 
 " but I let you know dis ain't no wedder fer 
 no picnics. I 'm a-talkin' now ; I 'm a-flingin' 
 de essent er de truf at you." 
 
 " Why, what has come over you ? " said the 
 society editor, pausing in the middle of an 
 announcement relating to Miss Smithkins, of 
 Smithkinsville. 
 
 " Well, I des tell you w'at," said Uncle Re- 
 mus, " I bin mighty mizerbul, en I ain't no 
 better now. Look like ter me hit gits wuss. 
 Ef I stays at home, I feels lonesome ; en ef I 
 goes ter chu'ch, I gits stirred up ; en ef I loafs 
 'roun' town, I years bad news. T'er night I 
 say ter myse'f , I did, i Remus, you ole rap- 
 scallion you, you better go down dar whar Brer 
 John Henry preaching dat w'at you better do. 
 You better go down dar en year 'im sco' de 
 
262 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 sinners. Wid dat, I tuck my foot in my han' 
 en I put out, en w'en I git dar, de house uz 
 full, en dey wuz all a settin' dar des ez ca'm, 
 en des ez cole blooded ez mud-cats in de mont' 
 er Jinerwary. W'en I walk in, dey all cas' 
 der eyes on me, en dey keep on a-lookin' at me ? 
 twel bimeby I say ter myse'f, I did, " Bless 
 yo' soul, childun, I '11 des 'bout show you who 
 I is, en whar I come fum, en I des rar'd my 
 head back en I lit on ter dat ole time chune : 
 
 4 Come along, true believer, come along, 
 And walk in de heVmly way — 
 1 rastle wid Jacob all night, all night, 
 I rastle wid Jacob all day ! ' 
 
 " You ain't year me sing, is you, Boss ? 
 Well, bless yo' soul, I shuck dem niggers up, 
 en de fus' news you know I had urn swayin' 
 backards en f orrerds, same like I had um on 
 a string. I des natally hetted um up. Den I 
 sorter ease down, and Brer John Henry, he riz 
 en begin for ter preach. I lay back, I did, f er 
 to 'joy myse'f, en I ain't mo'n doze off 'fo' he 
 begin fer ter tetch on de comic." 
 
 " On the what ? " the society editor asked. 
 
 " On de comic — dis yer stair w'at shows 
 up 'fo' day wid 'er back hair down. I done 
 got my 'spishuns er dat comic, and Brer John 
 
UNCLE REMUS AND THE COMET. 263 
 
 Henry ain't no sooner totch on 'er, dan I pick* 
 up my hat, I did, en makes fer home. Brer 
 John Henry done sont me wud dat he gwine 
 fetch me up at confunce, kaze I vi'late de 
 'ciplin', but I done got too ole en settle fer to 
 squat down en year deze yer preacher mens 
 take der texes on de comic. Is you seen 'er 
 yit, Boss?" 
 
 " No, not yet." 
 
 " She 's a sight, mon ! She look lak she 
 done drap loose fum some'rs en lef a streak 
 er fier behime 'er ez big ez er omlybus en long 
 ez a freight train ; en, honey, she 's des a cally- 
 hootin'." 
 
 " It is more than probable," said the political 
 editor, " that if we don't bother the comet, the 
 comet won't bother us." 
 
 " Dey mought be mo' dan one proberbul," 
 Uncle Remus replied, " but, chile, don't you 
 fret ; I ain't gwine nigh dat comic — dat I 
 ain't. De furder off w'at she is de mo' better 
 I feels. Ef no comic don't come a-huntin' 
 atter me, I ain't gwine huntin' atter no comic 
 — now you kin des mark dat down wid de 
 p'int er yo' scissors. 
 
 " Wat pesters me," continued Uncle Remus 
 in a troubled tone, "is de way Miss Sally 
 
264 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 gwine on. Bless gracious ! I can't git in sight 
 er de house widout Miss Sally come a-hollerin' : 
 4 Remus ! Oh, Remus ! Man done fin' n'er 
 comic. Yer de 'count right in de paper.' Ef 
 I ain't forgit some, deyer mo'n 'lev'm un um 
 right now in de Nunited States, en deyer all 
 a-makin' f er Atlanta, Georgy. I ax Mars John 
 'bout it, en he hoot at me, but Miss Sally she 
 say ef I don't b'leeve w'at she say, I kin des 
 git up 'fo' day and look todes sunrise, en, 
 bless gracious ! dar wuz de comic right at me. 
 De way I puts it down is dat Miss Sally got 
 mo' sense dan me en Mars John bofe put ter- 
 gedder. 
 
 " Hit look like," said Uncle Remus, after a 
 little pause, " hit look like dey can't be no mo' 
 'leckshuns 'roun' in deze naborhoods 'cepin' 
 dey's a comic hung up in de elements. I 
 dunner w'at kinder sign dat is, but dar she is. 
 Miss Sally, she talk politics at me eve'y time 
 she gimme a plate er vittles, but I mos' fear'd 
 fer ter go up dar en slip in my ballots. Eve'y 
 time I year talk er 'leckshun, den I year talk 
 er comics. Las' year, year 'fo' las', en now 
 dish year. Up dey comes an' dar dey hangs. 
 Some you kin see, en some you can't, but you 
 kin year tell er all un um. Dey comes up en 
 
UNCLE REMUS AND THE COMET. 265 
 
 dey looks at us en den dey goes a-sailin' off. 
 Whar dey comes fum en whar dey goes ter, I 
 be bless ef I know ; but w'at do dey come f er 
 eve'y time dey 's a 'leckshun up ? Dat w'at I 
 wanter know. Sho ez youer settin' dar, hit 's 
 mighty quare dat a cullud man can't go en 
 cas' his ballots widout dey 's a comic a-settin' 
 up a-watehin' 'im. I ain't skeered," continued 
 Uncle Remus, moving towards the door, " but 
 I 'm gwine to keep one eye on Miss Sally an' 
 te'r one on de comic, an' w'en Miss Sally starts 
 in f er ter pack up, den I 'm gwineter go wid 
 'er, kaze w'en dey done fool all de yuther 
 folks, de day ain't gwineter come w'en dey 
 fool Miss Sally." 
 
IX. 
 
 SOME ADVICE TO A COLORED BROTHER. 
 
 Uncle Remus had been in the court-house 
 to see a gentleman, for whom he does little 
 odds and ends of work. As he came out he 
 saw, standing on the stone steps, a stylishly 
 dressed negro man. He had on a shining 
 beaver, a heavy watch-chain ran across his vest 
 " like de sun, moon, an' stars tied togedder," 
 as the old man described it afterwards, and a 
 silver-headed cane was tucked under his arm. 
 Altogether, he presented such an imposing 
 appearance that Uncle Remus paused to take 
 an inventory of him. The old man has fogy 
 notions, especially in regard to colored people, 
 and to some of the " new issue," as he calls 
 them, he is known as " a white-folks' nigger," 
 which, in the kitchen, is intended to be a term 
 of very severe reproach. 
 
 Perceiving that Uncle Remus was eying 
 him rather closely, the negro straightened him- 
 self up and gave a military salute. 
 
SOME ADVICE TO A COLORED BROTHER. 267 
 
 Ignoring the salutation, Uncle Remus in- 
 quired, u What mought yo' name be ? " His 
 tone was bland and insinuating. 
 
 " My name, suh, is William Henry Haddem, 
 de worl' 'roun'." 
 
 " William Henry Haddem ? " said Uncle 
 Remus, rubbing his head, and eying the negro 
 curiously. 
 
 " Yes, suh, de worl' 'roun'." 
 
 " I 'm mighty glad ter hear dat," said Uncle 
 Remus, with the affectation of enthusiasm; 
 " kaze some er deze here highfalutin' niggers 
 is name William Henry on one side er town 
 en John Jeems on t'er side. Yasser ! right in 
 dish yer town, let 'lone de 'roun' worl'." 
 
 " Well, suh," said William Henry, " wher- 
 ever you go you '11 find dat I am name Wil- 
 liam Henry Haddem. Could you be so kind, 
 suh, ez to tell me where de gran' jury is 
 settin' at?" 
 
 " What you gwine do wid de gran' jury ? " 
 inquired Uncle Remus, with some show of 
 solicitude. 
 
 " Dey want me," said William Henry. " Dey 
 done summons me ter come before urn." 
 
 "What dey want wid you?" Uncle Remus 
 asked. 
 
268 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " Witness/' said the other, drawing himself 
 up. " I bin robbed right in de public street ; 
 dey jumped on me and took my money £um 
 me right before my own eyes, and I 'm gwine 
 up and tell de gran' jury all about it." 
 
 " When dey tuck en rob you," said Uncle 
 Remus, " how much did dey git ? " 
 
 " Sev'mty-five dollars," said William Henry. 
 
 " Wuz de money all yone ? " asked Uncle 
 Remus, showing no surprise. 
 
 " All exceptin' of sev'mty dollars," replied 
 William Henry. 
 
 " Ah-yi ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus. " En 
 who is de sev'mty dollars belong ter ? " 
 
 " It belong to de Jacob's Ladder Serciety," 
 said William Henry. 
 
 " Dar now ! " cried Uncle Remus. 
 
 "Yes, suh," said William Henry. "If it 
 had been my money, I would n't worry about 
 it, but I 'm de treasurer ov de Jacob's Ladder 
 Serciety, and I feels in juty bound to make a 
 riffle and try ter git de money back." 
 
 " Des so ! " said the old man. 
 
 " Yes, suh," William 'Henry went on, grow- 
 ing more confidential. " I wuz walkin' along 
 with my hands in my pockets, when two men 
 jumped on me and got me down, and when I 
 
SOME ADVICE TO A COLORED BROTHER. 269 
 
 got up frum dar I wuz perfectly nickleless. 
 Yes, suh ! perfectly nickleless." 
 
 " Den what de Jacob Lathers say ? " in- 
 quired Uncle Remus. 
 
 " Dey ain't held no meetin' sence," said 
 William Henry. " Ef de gran' jury will do 
 dere juty, I '11 git de money back befo' de 
 serciety meets." 
 
 " What you say yo' name mought be ? " 
 said Uncle Remus, shifting the weight of his 
 body from one leg to the other. 
 
 " William Henry Haddem." 
 
 " Tooby sho'," said the old man, " Haddem 
 had um, an now he ain't got um. Is you bin 
 foolin' 'roun' deze here gran' juries en cote- 
 houses much ? " 
 
 " No, suh," said William Henry. 
 
 "So fur, so good," said Uncle Remus. 
 " You see deze here steps, and dat dar door 
 dar? Well, dey leads right straight to de 
 chain-gang. I bin see niggers go in dar 
 lookin' mighty nigh ez big en ez slick ez what 
 you is, en when dey come out, dey mos' in- 
 giner'ly got somebody wid um fer to p'int out 
 de way ter de rock-pile. Dem white folks 
 waitin' fer you right now. Ef you go in dar, 
 foa ruffle up dat hat so she won't shine, and 
 
270 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 hide dat ar watch-chain whar dey can't see it, 
 en den when you git in dar you up en tell um 
 dat you done fergit 'bout de circumstance er 
 bein' robbed, en dat you speck you los' dat 
 money som'ers in de big road. En den when 
 you come out'n dar, ef you come out widout 
 any han'cuffs on you, you des take yo' foot 
 in yo' han' en go swap de watch-chain fer one 
 er dem ar long railroad tickets what look like 
 it got j'ints in it. You hear me talkin' ! " 
 
 William Henry Haddem gazed at Uncle 
 Remus in astonishment. He looked at his 
 watch-chain, examined his hat, and seemed to 
 be somewhat uneasy. 
 
 " What de Jacob's Ladder Serciety gwine 
 ter do ? " he asked. 
 
 " Gi' um back der money ! " exclaimed Un- 
 cle Remus ; " gi' um back der money ! Don't 
 you dast ter go in dar en tell dem ar white 
 folks de tale you bin tellin' me!" 
 
 With that the old man went on his way. 
 He looked back as he was turning a corner 
 some distance away, and saw William Henry 
 Haddem still standing where he had left him. 
 
PREACHING THAT IS PREACHING, AND UNCLE 
 REMUs's COMMENTS ON IT. 
 
 In a little town not far from Atlanta there 
 has been a controversy going on between the 
 Methodists and the Baptists. It has been a 
 hot affair from beginning to end, and, as is 
 usual in such cases, the bad feeling developed 
 has spread for miles around among those who 
 believe that a human creed is more important 
 than religion itself ; and this feeling has ex- 
 tended to the negroes, though the bitterness 
 is somewhat mitigated by the good humor 
 and the accommodating nature of the negro 
 character. 
 
 An echo of this controversy was heard one 
 Sunday morning recently, in the kitchen of 
 the lady to whose family Uncle Remus used 
 to belong. 
 
 It was participated in by the old man, 
 Chloe, the cook, and Aunt Mirny, a colored 
 lady who had once reigned in Chloe's place, 
 
272 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 and who was secretly anxious to get back 
 again. Uncle Remus was sitting near the 
 stove, his elbows on his knees and his hands 
 spread out to catch the warmth ; Aunt Mirny 
 was sitting in a corner bolt upright, stiff and 
 uncompromising, while Chloe was bustling 
 around preparing dinner. 
 
 "Sis Chlory," said Aunt Mirny, "is you 
 gwine ter church dis evenin' ? " 
 
 " Law, chile ! don't ax me dat," replied 
 Chloe with a sigh. " Time I git thoo wid 
 dish yer dinner, I '11 be mighty willin' ter set 
 down an' rest, I 'speck." 
 
 " Dat 's so," said Aunt Mirny, sympatheti- 
 cally. " I done bin dar myse'f . I know des 
 'zackly how 't is. When you cook f er white 
 folks, you got ter be on yo' feet all day long, 
 an' you may thank yo' stars ef you ain't on 
 yo' head half de time." 
 
 "Dat cert'ny is de trufe," cried Chloe 
 " Dey ain't nothin' would suit me better dan 
 ter go ter church dis evenin' an' hear um talk 
 'bout babtizin' an' sprinklin'. De white folks 
 bin swappin' some rank talk 'bout which de 
 bes', Methodis' er de Babtis', an' now I 'speck 
 de colored folks gwine do some quoilin' 'bout 
 it. An' I don't keer ef dey does, kaze Brer 
 
PREACHING THAT IS PREACHING. 273 
 
 John Henry 'low dat hit 's better ter quoil 
 'bout de docterin' er de sperrit dan ter git in- 
 stignated wid de flesh. He say dem ve'y 
 words, an' he 's a preacher, mon, ef dey ever 
 wuz one. What church does you b'long ter, 
 Sis Mirny?" 
 
 " Babtis' ! " exclaimed Aunt Mirny, emphati- 
 cally. " Brer Zeke Simmons, he 'low I 'm a 
 fightin' Baptis' ef dey ever bin any. I done 
 got de word ; I knows what I 'm a-doin'." 
 
 " Ah-yi ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus with 
 affected enthusiasm, knowing that Chloe was 
 a Methodist. 
 
 " Yes, Lord ! " Aunt Mirny went on, clos- 
 ing her eyes in a self-satisfied way. " I bin 
 a-stumblin' 'long a mighty long time. I bin a 
 Tiscopal Meth'dis', an' I bin a Afiikin Meth'- 
 dis', an' I bin a Pottistant Meth'dis', an' I bin 
 a Pesberteen. All dat time I wuz oneazy — 
 all dat time I wuz restless in de min'. I laid 
 'wake nights an' I ain't had no appetite. I 
 wuz dat worried dat I could n't set still. One 
 night I wuz layin' in bed, an' it look like 
 eve'ything cle'r'd up. I said out loud, ' I 'm 
 gwine ter be a Babtis'.' I lay dar, I did, an' 
 I felt des as ca'm ez ca'm could be. I say out 
 loud, 'Is I right?' Sump'n answer back, 
 
274 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 4 Rise, sinner, yo' sins is done forgive ! ' I lay 
 dar a little while, an' de same sump'n say, ' Go 
 show de worl' what Jesus give you ! ' Mon, I 
 riz fum dar a-shoutin', an' I bin a-feelin' like 
 shoutin' ever sence." 
 
 Uncle Remus shook his head solemnly., but 
 said nothing, and there was a pause. 
 
 "Well," said Chloe after awhile, "I tell 
 you how I is — I 'm a born Meth'dis'. Dem 
 what wants ter be babtize kin go git babtize, 
 an' dem what wants ter be sprinkled can git 
 sprinkled. I 'm a sprinkler myse'f ; and I 
 ain't los' no sleep on de 'count uv it, an' I 
 ain't gwine ter lose none. I 'm des a plain 
 Meth'dis'. Dem what got so many sins on 
 um dat dey hatter git souzed under de water 
 had better go splunge right in, an' dey 
 oughtn' ter lose no time needer. Dat 's what." 
 
 Uncle Remus, seeing that a fuss was immi- 
 nent, straightened up. 
 
 " You two niggers hush up ! Miss Sally 
 may be gone ter church, but Mars John ain't, 
 en ef he hear you all gwine on dat way, he '11 
 jump out'n dat hall do' wid his night-gown 
 on en tarrify you, mon." 
 
 "Wuz we talkin' loud?" asked Aunt 
 Mirny. 
 
PREACHING THAT IS PREACHING. 275 
 
 " Des a-holl'in'," said Uncle Remus indig- 
 nantly. " What you all want ter be quoilin' 
 in white folks' kitchen fer? Go out yander 
 in de ol' fiel', en pull ha'r en paw up de yeth, 
 but don't come cuttin' up 'roun' here. What 
 kinder 'ligion you call dat, whar dey scratch 
 en bite en kick en squall? Ef dat de kind 
 you got, all de water in de Atlanta Ocean 
 won't save na'er one un you. I hear Mars 
 John trompin' 'roun' in dar now." 
 
 "What we doin', man?" exclaimed Aunt 
 Mirny, lowering her voice. " We ain't doin' 
 nothin' but talkin' 'bout preachin'. Sis 
 Chlory, ef you think yo' '11 go dis evenin', I '11 
 call back atter you." 
 
 " Oh, I speck I '11 go," said Chloe. " I '11 
 be wo' out,' but Sunday ain't no Sunday wid 
 me, less'n I goes some'rs whar dey 's preachin' 
 an' gwine on. Ef we er gwine, less go whar 
 dey 's sho' nuff preachin'." 
 
 " Dat 's what I say," Aunt Mimy assented. 
 ff Law, honey ! We oughter go 'cross town an' 
 hear Brer Dave Varner. Some er deze preach- 
 ers des gits up in de pullypit dar an' stan's 
 right still an' talks — look like dey ain't got 
 no life in um. Dat ain't de way wid Brer 
 Dave Varner. Gentermens ! he des gits up 
 
276 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 dar an' talks in about ez much wid his han's 
 an' foots ez he do wid his mouf . I tell you 
 de trufe, Brer Dave Yarner dunno a blessed 
 thing what he doin'. I done hear him sesso. 
 He work his foots, he work his body, and he 
 hoi' his han's des so." 
 
 Aunt Mirny had left her chair and was 
 standing out in the floor, in order to give 
 Brother Dave Varner's favorite attitude. Her 
 head was thrown back, there was an ecstatic 
 smile on her face, and her hands were clasped 
 together in the air. Uncle Remus looked at 
 her curiously. 
 
 "Den," Aunt Mirny continued, "he work 
 his arms an' swing his body dis away," — suit- 
 ing the action to the word. " Man, sir ! it 
 make me feel right ticklish. Sis Hannah 
 Simpson wuz settin' dar lis'nen at 'im one 
 night, an' she lipt up in de a'r an' holler 
 1 Glory ! ' an' fell back like she uz dead. Brer 
 Dave, he seed 'er fall, but he ain't stop; he 
 des keep right on, an' Sis Hannah she lay dar 
 intranced, an' when she come back ter life she 
 say she done bin ter glory whar she kin look 
 back an' see de sev'mty an' sev'm creeturs wid 
 fier-balls fer eyes a-grabbin' an' a-pullin' at de 
 po' sinners. 'Ceppin' fer de dus' de mo'ners 
 
PREACHING THAT IS PREACHING. 277 
 
 kicked up, I ain't had no better time at no 
 church." 
 
 Uncle Remus looked at Aunt Mirny again 
 as she paused for want of breath. 
 
 " How you say dat Dave Varner do whiles 
 he preachin' ? " the old man asked. Aunt 
 Mirny went through the performance again 
 with characteristic vigor, clasping her hands 
 over her head, swinging her arms, and sway- 
 ing her body from side to side. It was an 
 impressive pantomime. 
 
 " When he do dat away," said Uncle Remus, 
 solemnly, " he a-practicin'. Dat 'zackly what 
 he doin'." 
 
 "Practicin' what?" asked Chloe. 
 
 "Ain't you got no eyes, 'oman ? " asked 
 Uncle Remus scornfully. " Don't yo' sev'm 
 senses tell you what he practicin' f er ? When 
 he reach up his han's an' jine um in de air, 
 he 's a-reachin' fer one er deze lank-shank 
 pullets like Miss Sally got here ; en when he 
 swing his arms en sway his body, he 's des 
 a-gittin' 'way fum de hen-roos'." Uncle 
 Remus carried his illustration so far that he, 
 himself, went out of the kitchen, shaking his 
 arms and swaying his body. 
 
 "Well!" exclaimed Aunt Mirny, with a 
 
278 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 snort. " Ain't dat too much ? An' Brer 
 Dave Varner a preacher, too ! I tell you, 
 honey, dat ole Remus is a scan'lous villyun. 
 Deze yer white folks done sp'ilt 'im." 
 
 " He sp'iles dem wuss'n dey sp'iles him," 
 said Chloe, angrily, "a-gwine 'roun' here 
 a-Mars'n an' a Miss'n uv urn." 
 
 " I 'm gwine," said Aunt Mirny. " I ain't 
 gwine ter stay whar he is. Come by, ef you 
 kin, an' come soon. It 's a long ways 'cross 
 town yander." 
 
 
 
XI. 
 
 CALLED TO ACCOUNT BY THE PREACHER, 
 
 Uncle Remus's remarks about the Rev. 
 David Varner, which have already been re- 
 ported, went further, perhaps, then he in- 
 tended they should go, though this is merely 
 surmise, for the old man had acquired some- 
 thing of the independence and fearlessness of 
 the family with which his lot had been cast 
 in slavery times. At any rate, Aunt Mirny, 
 thinking to prove to her preacher that she was 
 his most zealous defender, took occasion to tell 
 him at the first opportunity what Uncle Re- 
 mus had said about him. 
 
 The Rev. David Varner listened with a 
 frown, and although he said nothing in re- 
 sponse, his very silence was threatening. In 
 her enthusiasm, Aunt Mirny greatly exagger- 
 ated what Uncle Remus had really said, and 
 such was her volubility that Chloe, who had 
 accompanied her to church, found it impos- 
 sible to enter a protest or to make an explana- 
 tion. 
 
280 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 Rev. David Varner took off his hat and 
 smoothed his wrinkled brow with a large red 
 silk handkerchief. He was tall and not un- 
 handsome, being a dark mulatto. He wore a 
 suit of shining black, and bore the appearance 
 of a prosperous preacher who is satisfied with 
 himself and his position. He seemed to be 
 about forty-five. 
 
 " And he said dat, did he ? " inquired Rev. 
 David Varner, smacking his lips ominously. 
 " He said dat I has been stealin' chickens ? 
 Well, ma'm, he may be relowed to talk about 
 de rest of de colored people in dis communion, 
 but he shall not be relowed to talk about me. 
 I '11 show him, ma'm, dat dere is some colored 
 people he cannot slanderize. I thank you 
 hearty, ma'm, for bein' so good as to remind 
 me of deze circumstances." 
 
 " I mos' sorry I tole 'im," said Aunt Mirny, 
 watching the Rev. David Varner as he strut- 
 ted off to join another group of his congrega- 
 tion. " I skeer'd he gwine ter beat ole Uncle 
 Remus scan'lous." 
 
 " Law, honey, don't you fret," said Chloe ; 
 " ole man Remus bin in deze low groun's a 
 mighty long time, an' dey ain't nobody bin 
 beat 'im up yet. Bless yo' soul, chile ! you 
 dunno dat ole nigger man." 
 
 
CALLED TO ACCOUNT BY THE PREACHER. 281 
 
 This happened on the afternoon of the Sun- 
 day on which Uncle Remus had criticised 
 Aunt Mirny's reproduction of Rev. David 
 Yarner's soul-stirring gestures. A few days 
 ..iterwards, as the old man was lecturing a 
 crowd of idle negroes who were standing on 
 the street, near his Miss Sally's gate, the Rev. 
 David chanced to pass along. His pompous 
 strut and store clothes made him conspicuous. 
 He paused in front of Uncle Remus, hung 
 the handle of his walking cane on his left arm, 
 stuck the thumb of his right hand in the arm- 
 hole of his vest, and stared at the old man. 
 
 " And so you is de genulmun dat been ex- 
 scusin' me of stealin' chickens," he said nod- 
 ding his head most vigorously, " I 'm truly 
 sorry dat you has to go roun' an' slanderize 
 your betters, an' so fur as I am concern, you 
 will reternally regret it." 
 
 Uncle Remus' s counternance was a study. 
 With an indifference that was by no means 
 assumed, he regarded the preacher through 
 half -closed eyes, and there was a smile of min- 
 gled contempt and amusement on his face. 
 
 u Whose chickens wuz dey ? " he inquired 
 in a tone as bland as a spring morning, as soon 
 as the preacher paused. 
 
1582 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 "Dey was not nobody's chickens/' ex- 
 claimed Rev. David Varner, with increasing 
 indignation, "an' I prepose to hold you er- 
 sponsible for de scandal." 
 
 "What yo' name?" asked Uncle Remus 
 straightening himself up. 
 
 " Revun David Varner," exclaimed the 
 other, " a preacher of de reternal gospel, an' 
 a 'spectable man." 
 
 " Well, I dunner what else you mought be," 
 said Uncle Remus, " but I know mighty well 
 dat you ain't name David Varner." 
 
 " What is I name, den ? " inquired the other 
 in a somewhat subdued tone. 
 
 " You er name Mose Waters," said Uncle 
 Remus. "I know'd yo' daddy in Jasper 
 County, en I bin knowin' you off en on sence 
 you had yo' eyes open. Ef you '11 sneak aroun' 
 en pick up some un else's name, what is dey 
 you won't pick up ? Now, I des ax you dat 
 right here befo' deze folks." 
 
 " Well, suh," said the Reverend Dave, to- 
 tally unprepared for this turn of affairs, " in 
 rega'd to de name, it is not what I 'm here to 
 talk erbout." 
 
 " Well, let 's fling it in," said Uncle Remus, 
 raising his voice to an irritating pitch. " A 
 
CALLED TO ACCOUNT BY THE PREACHER. 283 
 
 man what kin talk ez what dey sez you kin, 
 aint got no business slightin' his own name. 
 Now, I want you ter tell me en deze yuther 
 folks how come Mose Waters, de name dat you 
 wuz borned inter, ain't des ez good ez Dave' 
 Varner. You got de whole sidewalk fer er 
 flatform, en you kin des r'ar back en tell us 
 all you know 'bout it." 
 
 " What I come fer," said the Rev. David, 
 " is to hoi' you ersponsible fer diz 'tempt to 
 slanderize a minister of de reternal gospel 
 what have been call to preach de word." 
 
 " Nigger ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus, going 
 a little closer to the preacher, " you done change 
 yo' name, en I '11 change yo' complexion. I 
 des dar' you ter squinch yo' eye-ball at me. 
 Ef you des so much ez make a Z at me, dey '11 
 hatter call de Black Maria, kaze I sholy will 
 kill you. Now, go on en hoi' me 'sponsible." 
 
 Rev. David Varner, seeing that Uncle Re- 
 mus was in earnest, remarked that he would 
 not be so undignified as to engage in a street 
 scuffle, and went strutting down the street, 
 leaving Uncle Remus singing, — 
 
 " 'T is de ol' Black Maria backin' up ter yo' do', — 
 Hello, Black Maria, hello ! " 
 
XII. 
 
 UNCLE REMUs's EXPERIENCE WITH " HA'NTS." 
 
 One morning Uncle Remus sat in his Miss 
 Sally's kitchen with his chair tilted back and 
 his head leaning against the wall. His atti- 
 tude was reflective, though there was a twinkle 
 of humor in his eyes as he watched Chloe, the 
 cook, preparing to make waffles for breakfast. 
 
 "I hear tell," he said after awhile, "dat 
 'tain't no use fer ter have no cook in dis 
 house." 
 
 "How come dat?" inquired Chloe with 
 some interest. 
 
 " Ah Lord, chile ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus, 
 shaking his head, "you mos' too much fer 
 me when you ax me dat. You know what de 
 preacher say : ' So is desso ; how come so is 
 mo' so.' " 
 
 " I ain't hear no preacher say dat yit," said 
 Chloe, complacently. " Ef dey ever is say it, 
 dey done say it long 'fo' my time." 
 
 " I hear talk," said Uncle Remus, closing 
 

 EXPERIENCE WITH "HA' NTS." 285 
 
 his eyes and elevating his eyebrows, " dat all 
 you got ter do is ter git you some flour en 
 lay it dar in de pantry en walk out back'ards, 
 en de nex' mornin', dar you '11 fin' yo' light 
 bread done riz up en baked." 
 
 " It don't do dat away fer me," remarked 
 Chloe, " e£ it did, I boun' you I 'd feel mighty 
 thankful." 
 
 "Dey tells me," the old man continued, 
 " dat 'f o' me an' Miss Sally come here, de 
 whole place was ha'nted." 
 
 " Oh, hush, man ! " exclaimed Chloe, " who 
 tell you dat?" 
 
 "Dem what know," said Uncle Remus, 
 solemnly. "But, bless yo' soul, honey, dey 
 ain't had no needs fer ter tell me, kaze time I 
 sot my foot on de place I seed de signs. I 
 seed paths runnin' thoo de grass en no tracks 
 in um, en de red spiders wuz a-spinnin' der 
 wheels on de front porch. Dar dey wuz. 
 'Roun' on de side er de house 't wan't no bet- 
 ter, en right out dar on de back steps de 
 snails had done writ der name on de planks. 
 I know'd right den dat ha'nts had been pro* 
 jikin' 'roun' dar in dem neighborhoods." 
 
 " What you do den ? " inquired Chloe, af 
 Uncle Remus paused. 
 
286 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 "S'posin' dat had er been you?" the old 
 man asked in an argumentative way. 
 
 " Man — suh ! " exclaimed Chloe, flourishing 
 a dish-rag wildly above her head, " ef dat had 
 been me, I 'd V des riz an flew — dat I would ! 
 Ef you don't want ter see human folks fly, 
 don't you put me whar dey's any ha'nts. 
 Now, I des tell you dat ! " 
 
 " Well," said Uncle Remus, " I stood dar, 
 I did, en scratch my head. I know'd in 
 reason dat dem kinder doin's can't be put up 
 wid. Den it tuck'n come in my head dat de 
 signs what I seed wan't sho' nuff ha'nt signs. 
 Dar dey wuz plain ez day, but I 'low ter my- 
 se'f dat maybe I done git so ole en fibble- 
 minded dat I can't tell ha'nt sign like I use- 
 ter. So, den, what I gwine do ? I gwine see 
 fer myse'f ; I gwine come dar atter dark en 
 see what kinder capers dey cut up 'twix' sun- 
 down en moonrise." 
 
 " Oh, go 'way, man ! " exclaimed Chloe, with 
 unfeigned astonishment. 
 
 " Yessum," said Uncle Remus, " dat 'zackly 
 *ie way de idee struck me, en she struck me 
 hard, mon. I put out fer home, en got what 
 little scraps er vittles de ole 'oman done save 
 up fer me. Some er deze I made way wid 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH " HA' NTS.'- 287 
 
 den en dar, en de yuthers I tuck en wrop up 
 in a little piece er paper en put it in my 
 pocket. Den atter it got dark good, I got 
 down my hat en my cane, en come back fer 
 ter see how de Ian' lay." 
 
 "Well, I tell you now," said Chloe, "ef 
 dat had er been me, I boun' you I 'd er been 
 gwine t'other way." 
 
 " I come back, I did," the old man contin- 
 ued, " en sot out dar on de front steps. De 
 grass wuz growin' rank in de yard, de front 
 gate wuz off de hinges, en de winder blin's 
 rattled eve'y time de win' drawed a breff. 
 High ez de grass wuz, dey wan't no crickets 
 a-skreakin' in it, en dey want none er deze yer 
 big night bugs a-zoonin' 'roun'. I sot dar, I 
 did, en 'low ter myse'f dat I dunner how come 
 Mars John en Miss Sally want ter buy dish 
 yer place whar yuther folks 'fuse ter live." 
 
 " Dat 's de Lord's trufe ! " exclaimed Chloe, 
 with unction. Uncle Remus took no notice 
 of the interruption. 
 
 " How long I sot dar I ain't gwine ter tell 
 you — it mought er been one hour, and it 
 mought er been two ; I mought er drapped off 
 in a doze, en I mought er stayed 'wake ; yit, 
 long er short, sleep er wake, de fust news I 
 
288 BIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 know I hear sump'n trottin' 'long on de piaz° 
 zer — dip-dip — dip-dip. I look 'roun', I did, 
 en dough it wuz dark en my eyes weak, I seed 
 a great big black dog eomin' to'rds me. Des 
 'bout dat time it seem like de dog seed me, en 
 he stop en look at me. 'Fof I kin shoo at 
 'im wid my cane, he fetched a growl en run 
 right at me. I shot my eyes and hit at 'im, 
 but dey want no dog dar. Dey wuz a sorter 
 cracklin' soun' like dry weeds a-burnin' when 
 he lipped over my head." 
 
 " Ah-ha ! " exclaimed Chloe ; " what he do 
 den?" 
 
 " Dat what been pesterin' me," said Uncle 
 Remus solemnly. "He lipped up in de a'r, 
 but he ain't never lit on de groun'. Hit des 
 like I tell you," the old man went on, seeing 
 that Chloe was speechless with astonishment. 
 " De creetur lipped up in de a'r, but he ain't 
 never lit on de groun'." 
 
 " Wan't you skeer'd mighty nigh ter death ? " 
 exclaimed Chloe, dropping suddenly in a chair. 
 
 " Dey ain't gimme no time fer ter git 
 skeer'd," said Uncle Remus. " Mos' 'fo' I 
 fine dat de big dog done make his disappear- 
 ance, I hear sump'n come 'long de piazzer 
 — dip-dip — dip-dip — dip-dip. I look 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH "HA'NTS." 289 
 
 'roun', en dar wuz a little black dog 'lopin' 
 'long, en time I could shut my eye, he riz en 
 made his disappearance wid dat same cracklin' 
 soun' like weeds a-burnin." 
 
 " Why n't you break an' run ? " cried Chloe, 
 with some show of indignation. 
 
 " Shoo ! " said Uncle Remus. " Runnin' 
 fum ha'nts is like dodgin' a thunder-clap. Yit 
 I ain't a-denyin' but what I got up fum dar 
 en done my level bes' f er ter f oiler on atter de 
 dogs. Dey mought er made der disappearance 
 mo' quicker dan what I done, kaze dey went 
 away like blowin' out a light, but I lay dey 
 want no mo' willin' dan what ole Remus wuz. 
 I des tuck de nighest cut right 'cross de front 
 yard. I 'speck dey wuz a fence in de way, 
 kaze when I went back dar nex' day, de palin's 
 wuz strowed all 'long de street, en folks wuz 
 stan'in' 'roun' axin' one an'er ef dey hear dat 
 drove er hosses runnin' away endurin' er de 
 night." 
 
 " Ah-yi ! " exclaimed Chloe. 
 
 " Dat what dey say," Uncle Remus contin- 
 ued. " I went back in dar, I did, en look all 
 'roun', en dey ain't no dog track in de yard. 
 Needer wuz dey any yuther sign, 'ceppin whar 
 I struck de groun' one time 'twix' de front 
 steps en de fence." 
 
290 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 « What you do den ? " asked Chloe. 
 
 "I went right straight back en tell Miss 
 Sally 'bout dat ar place bein' ha'nted. Miss 
 Sally look so quare she got me flustrated. I 
 bin knowin' 'er sence she wuz little bit er 
 baby, all what she b'lieve en what she don't 
 b'lieve, yit she sot in de hall dar en stood me 
 down dat dey wan't no ha'nts. Bimeby I hear 
 Mars John stirrin' 'roun' in his room, en den 
 I know how come Miss Sally gwine on dat 
 away. Mars John, he come out en ax me 
 what is it, en den he natally gimme Down-de- 
 country. A little mo' en he 'd a-cussed. But 
 atter he done gone, Miss Sally come out en 
 call me, en ax me how I gwine ter run de 
 ha'nts off. I 'low dat ef dey ain't no ha'nts, 
 't ain't no use ter run um off. Den she 'low dat 
 I nee'n't ter be a gump des kaze I knows how, 
 en wid dat I tol' 'er dat de way ter git rid er 
 ha'nts wuz ter git some prickly-pear root en 
 bile it in stump-water en sprinkle it 'roun' de 
 yard." 
 
 " What Miss Sally say ? " asked Chloe. 
 
 " She say, ' Don't you min' yo' Mars John. 
 You go on en run de ha'nts away. Don't 
 stan' grinnin' 'roun' here.' " 
 
 " An' you went ? " said Chloe. 
 
EXPEBIENCE WITH "HANTS." 291 
 
 "I went," said Uncle Remus. "I went, 
 but I 'speck I '11 hatter go ag'in. De ha'nts 
 done come back." 
 
 "Oh, go 'way, man," exclaimed Chloe. 
 " How you know ? " 
 
 "Well 'm, I '11 tell you," said the old man 
 more solemnly than ever. " I wuz in here las' 
 night atter you done gone, en I found a basket 
 er vittles hid in de wood-box right dar, en I 
 knowed in reason de ha'nts done come back, 
 kaze dey ain't nobody 'roun' here gwinter hide 
 good vittles like dat." 
 
 " Honey," said Chloe under her breath, 
 "did you tell Miss Sally?" 
 
 " What I gwine tell Miss Sally f er ? I tuck 
 de basket home, en me en de ole 'oman en 
 William Henry walloped de vittles up." 
 
 " Well, I thank de good Lord for dat ! " 
 exclaimed Chloe with a sigh of relief, and just 
 then Miss Sally came into the kitchen with a 
 swish and a flutter to ask why breakfast was 
 so late. Chloe will never know whether the 
 lady heard what was said about the basket of 
 victuals, but Uncle Remus knows. 
 
XIII. 
 
 A QUEER EXPERIENCE WITH THE PHONO- 
 GRAPH. 
 
 Not long ago the husband of the lady whom 
 Uncle Kemus calls " Miss Sally " carried home 
 a phonograph, or graphophone, for the edifi- 
 cation and amusement of his family. There 
 were several cylinders with the machine : one 
 or two comic solos, some pieces by a military 
 band, a banjo solo, the chimes of Trinity 
 Church, and some blank cylinders for experi- 
 ment. When they had all enjoyed the per- 
 formance of this wonderful invention, and had 
 been duly amazed at the vivid reproduction of 
 the slightest shades of sound, the lady of the 
 house thought of Uncle Remus, who was en- 
 gaged in repairing the grape arbor in the 
 garden. She placed one of the unused cylin- 
 ders in the little machine, set it in motion, and 
 proceeded to talk into the receiver, imitating 
 the voice of the cook. The result was a dia- 
 logue between herself and the cook, in which 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH TEE PHONOGRAPH. 293 
 
 Uncle Remus was the subject of discussion. 
 In a little while the old man made his appear- 
 ance at the door. He had dropped his hat 
 on the back steps, and as he stood bareheaded 
 in the attitude of expectancy, with a half hu- 
 morous expression on his weather-beaten fea- 
 tures, he cut a figure that was not without its 
 pathetic suggestions. 
 
 " Is you sen* for me, Miss Sally ? " he in- 
 quired. 
 
 " Yes," said the lady. " I 've got a little 
 machine I want to show you. Come over here. 
 Now stand there and put these cups over your 
 ears." 
 
 " Miss Sally, what kinder contraption dish 
 yer ? " the old man asked, examining the ear 
 tubes suspiciously. " Please, ma'm, don't play 
 no pranks on me. I been feelin' skittish all 
 day, en ef you git me skeer'd I 'm bleedz ter 
 holler." 
 
 " Don't be so stupid," exclaimed the lady ; 
 " put the things over your ears." 
 
 " Miss Sally, what you gwine ter do ? My 
 work waitin' fer me right now, en it got 
 ter be done dis blessed day — ain't it, Mars 
 John?" 
 
 The gentleman appealed to pretended to be 
 
294 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 playing with the children, and made no re* 
 sponse. 
 
 " I believe you are losing your mind/' said 
 the lady. " Put those things over your ears." 
 
 * Miss Sally/' protested Uncle Reinus, " I 
 ain't got no time fer ter be projickin' in here. 
 I been knowin' you ever sense you 'uz born, an 
 I know right pine-blank you 'er fixin' fer ter 
 git me in trouble. Deze yer fixin's is holler, 
 en I dunner what dey got in urn." 
 
 " Are you going to put them on ? " inquired 
 the lady impatiently. 
 
 " Miss Sally, fer de Lord sake lemme go out 
 yonder en do my work. I ain't use to no 
 kinder harness like dis, mo' speshually puttin' 
 blinds on my years. I '11 put um on," he con- 
 tinued, seeing that protest was useless, " but 
 atter you git me hitched up, I 'm sholy gwine 
 ter break sump'n, en 't won't be my fault 
 nudder. I tell you dat now." 
 
 Uncle Remus adjusted the tubes to his ears, 
 and his Miss Sally started the machine. First 
 came the announcement of the piece in a voice 
 that sounded like it had been dug out of a tin 
 mine and hardened by the Bessemer process. 
 It was so startlingly near, that Uncle Remus, 
 whose politeness is a part of his nature, dodged 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH THE PHONOGRAPH. 295 
 
 his head, and exclaimed " Suh ! " rolling his 
 eyes at his Miss Sally. 
 
 Then the band struck up, and the old man 
 seemed to enjoy it immensely. He shut his 
 eyes, and then suddenly opened them, as if to 
 make sure that he was still in the neighbor- 
 hood. Presently the band concluded with the 
 usual crash, and Uncle Remus drew a long 
 breath of relief, as his Miss Sally stopped the 
 phonograph. 
 
 " What did you hear ? " she asked, as the 
 old man took the tubes from his ears and pro- 
 ceeded to examine them more closely than 
 before. He looked at them inside and out, 
 and then fitted them to his ears again, but he 
 heard nothing. 
 
 " Miss Sally," he exclaimed, " I wish you 'd 
 please 'm tell me wharbouts deze yer pipes 
 leads ter ? " 
 
 " Right to the phonograph, here." 
 
 " De which, 'm?" 
 
 " The phonograph — this little machine 
 here." 
 
 " Uh-uh, Miss Sally ! Dey may fool you, 
 but I done been yer too long fer dat ; dey can't 
 fool me. De t'er een' er deze yer pipes ain't 
 so mighty fer fum de circus. I dunner whar- 
 
296 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 bouts de circus is, but wharsomever de show 's 
 a-gwine on, right dar is de t'er een' er dem ar 
 pipes. You ax Mars John dar, en ef he ain't 
 playin' no prank on you, 'long er dish yer 
 contraption, he '11 tell you de same. When I 
 go home ter night, I gwine ter holler at my 
 ole 'oman : ' You Kather'n ! wake up f um 
 dar whar you settin' noddin' by de chimbly 
 jam ! Wake up from dar ! You say yo' Miss 
 Sally de smartest white 'oman in de Nunited 
 State er Georgy, en yit yer she is done bin 
 fooled by dem town folks.' Dat des 'zackly 
 what I 'm gwine ter tell 'er, en I boun' you 
 Mars John '11 b'ar me out in it — won't you 
 Mars John ? " 
 
 Uncle Eemus rattled this off so rapidly that 
 the lady had no opportunity to interrupt him. 
 At last she said, with some show of vexation : 
 
 " If your head was n't so thick, you 'd see 
 that the music is on this cylinder." 
 
 " Wharbouts, Miss Sally ? " 
 
 " On this cylinder. The cylinder is covered 
 with wax, and the music is on the wax." 
 
 Uncle Remus put on his spectacles, exam- 
 ined the cylinder closely, and then looked at 
 his Miss Sally curiously. He shook his head 
 slowly and said : — 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH THE PHONOGRAPH. 297 
 
 " Miss Sally, I bin knowin' you sense you 
 wuz a little bit er baby, en I ain't never hear 
 you gwine on dis away befo\ I wish you 'd 
 please 'm tell me how dat ar brass ban' gwine 
 git in dar. De ban' what I hear in deze yer 
 pipes had de big horn en de bass drum in it 
 yit, let 'lone all de yuther horns, en my min' 
 pi'ntedly tells me dat ef dey wuz all ter git in 
 dat ar shebang dar, dey 'd bust it wide open. 
 Now you know dat yo'se'f, Miss Sally." 
 
 The lady wanted to laugh, but, instead, 
 she adjusted another cylinder, and told the 
 old man to place the tubes to his ears. It 
 was the banjo solo — the old make-believe 
 affair with the mould of age on its whiskers. 
 When it was concluded, Uncle Remus ex- 
 claimed : — 
 
 "What I tell you, Miss Sally? I know'd 
 dey wuz a show gwine on some'rs 'roun' yer. 
 Dar wuz de man pickin' de banjo, en doin' 
 like he hear folks say de niggers does. I kin 
 shet my eyes en see 'im right now. He got 
 blackin' on his face, en his eyes is mo' blood- 
 shotten dan what niggers' eyes is. He got on 
 a high stove-pipe hat, en he showin' de bottom 
 er his shoe wid chalk marks on it. He ain't 
 no mo' like a nigger dan a bumble-bee is like 
 
HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 a roan mule. Yit dar he sets en plunks on 
 de banjer. Mars John," the old man went 
 on, " you reckon Miss Sally gwine ter up'n 
 'low dat dat ar man wid de banjer is in de 
 beeswax ? " 
 
 For answer, " Mars John " winked his eye 
 and shook his head with an air of mystery. 
 Meanwhile, " Miss Sally " was adjusting the 
 chimes of Trinity. Uncle Remus, listening, 
 winked his eyes at every stroke of the bells, 
 and remarked when the ringing ceased : — 
 
 " Is anybody ever hear de beat er dat ? Ef 
 dey ain't a big fire broke out some'rs, de 
 meetin' houses is all got in er bunch. Dat ar 
 beeswax got a mighty tough job ef it got ter 
 hoi' all dem bells." 
 
 Then came the conversation between Uncle 
 Remus and the cook, which had been spoken 
 into the phonograph by " Miss Sally." The 
 old man's placid countenance gathered severity 
 as the dialogue was poured into his ears. The 
 lady's imitation of the cook was cleverer than 
 she had intended, and when Uncle Remus 
 hung the tubes across the machine there was 
 an ominous frown on his brow. 
 
 " Where are you going ? " asked his Miss 
 Sally, as the old man started out. 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH THE PHONOGRAPH. 299 
 
 " I 'm gwine out dar en see dat nigger 
 'oman. Dat ar contraption is wuss dan run- 
 nin' de kyards. Hit beats eavedrappin\ Hit 
 tell you what folks bin sayin' atter dey done 
 said it en gone. Dat nigger 'oman out dar in 
 de kitchen bin talkin' 'bout me scan'lous." 
 
 With that Uncle Remus went out into the 
 back yard, and those in the house heard a 
 conversation something like this : — 
 
 " I ain't been talkin' 'bout you needer. She 
 tell you dat ? She 'uz des prankin' wid you." 
 
 " Miss Sally ain't tell me nothin' 't all. I 
 hear de ve'y words wid my own years." 
 
 "Lookyer, nigger man ! is you gwine 
 crazy ? Ef you is, I want you ter g'way f 'm 
 here!" 
 
 " You up'n tell Miss Sally dat I bin stealin 
 tater pie, en fried sossidge, en light bread." 
 
 "Is she tell you dat?" 
 
 " Miss Sally ain't tell me nothin'. I tuck'n 
 hear de ve'y words. What you done wid dat 
 apern full er biscuits you tuck'n slipped off 
 wid las' night ? En whar dat can er devilish 
 ham, en dat ar bag er prunes, en dem ar spar'- 
 ribs what you kyard off day 'f o' yistiddy ? " 
 
 " I ain't deff ! What you want to be hol- 
 ler'n so loud f er ? She don't wanter hear you 
 
300 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 gwine on dat away. All de white folks wants 
 is ter git de niggers ter quoilin' an' fightin' 
 an' see urn go ter de chain-gang. You hush 
 up an' go on 'bout yo' business." 
 
 A little later, when Miss Sally was attend- 
 ing to affairs in the dining-room, the cook 
 took occasion to remark : — 
 
 " Miss Sally, you better make dat ole nig- 
 ger man keep his mouf off'n me. I 'm gwine 
 cripple him, mon, ef he don't lemme 'lone. Is 
 you hear what he tell me dis evenin' ? " 
 
 " What was it ? " asked the lady, feigning 
 ignorance. 
 
 " He come out here, he did," said the cook, 
 scornfully, " an' say dat I wuz settin' my cap 
 f er him, kaze you-all had 'im in de settin'-room 
 dar showin' 'im de picters. He de sassiest ole 
 nigger I ever is see." 
 
XIV. 
 
 A CASE OF THE GRIPPE. 
 
 " You ain't been missin' me f um 'roun' here 
 nowhars, is you, Miss Sally ? " Uncle Remus 
 asked one morning recently. He had been ill 
 several weeks, and had just made his appear- 
 ance, looking considerably under the weather, 
 as the phrase goes. 
 
 " I noticed," said the lady, u that we had 
 been saving a good deal of victuals lately, and 
 (yhloe has had a chance to get around the 
 stove. There has been plenty of room in the 
 kitchen. Where have you been ? " 
 
 " Bless yo' soul, honey ! I been laid up — 
 I been laid up sho' nuff dis time. De time has 
 been when I put on en played 'possum, but 
 dat time done gone. I been had de measles, 
 en de plooisy, en de swamp fever, en de rheu- 
 matiz, en de rash, but I never is had nothin' 
 H all like dish yer sickness what laid holt un 
 me dis time." 
 
 " Have you been sick ? " the lady asked. 
 
302 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 " Now, Miss Sally/' exclaimed Uncle Remus, 
 " you know I been sick. Who sent me dat 
 ar bottle er dram, en dat ar tum'ler er jelly, en 
 who tol' dat ar doctor f er ter fetch me dat ar 
 truck what I kin tas'e yit ? " 
 
 " What did the doctor say was the matter 
 with you ? " asked the lady. 
 
 " He say it wuz some kinder brown sump'n 
 n'er." 
 
 " Bronchitis?" 
 
 " Yassum ; dat what he say. I tol' 'im 
 right den en dar dat he kin take dat name en 
 gin it a twist er two en kill lots er white folks, 
 let 'lone niggers. He call de sickness dat, but 
 ole Miss Sessions, which she live not fur fum 
 me, she 'low it wuz de grip, en I 'speck it wuz, 
 kaze it had a mighty powerful grip on me. 
 
 " Wellum, eve'y time I tuck a dose er doc- 
 tor truck, I 'd up en take a dram ; en hit wuz 
 nip en tuck 'twixt de truck en de dram ez ter 
 which wuz gwine ter kill en which wuz gwine 
 ter kyo. But de dram got de best er de doc- 
 tor truck, en so here I is." 
 
 " Chloe will be very glad to see you," said 
 the lady. " She is just pining for some col- 
 ored man to sit in the kitchen and put his 
 feet in the stove." 
 
A CASE OF THE GRIPPE. 303 
 
 " De Lord he'p my soul, Miss Sally ! " ex- 
 claimed Uncle Remus, " how you does go on ! 
 Long ez de sun shine like she do, I don't 
 wanter go in no kitchen en see Chlory wipe 
 out de tray wid de towel en make up dough 
 widout washin' her han's. Bless you, no ! I 
 done been too sick, ma'm, fer ter be settin' in 
 de house.' ' Here the old negro had a fit of 
 coughing which was severe enough to excite 
 Miss Sally's pity. 
 
 " You ought to be in bed now," she said. 
 " What are you running about on the damp 
 ground for? That cough is enough to kill 
 you." 
 
 " Miss Sally, please ma'm don't excuse me 
 er runnin'," said Uncle Remus, solemnly. 
 " I 'm dat weak dat it tire me mos' ez much 
 fer ter scratch my head ez it useter ter plough a 
 ten acre fiel'. Dat 's de Lord's trufe. En ez 
 ter dat cough — wellum, hit ain't nothin' 't all 
 like de cough what I had when I wuz sick 
 sho' nuff. One time I tuck'n coughed twel I 
 busted a button off'n my shirt collar. I 'speck 
 i dat 's one er de reasons I got well, bekaze my 
 ole 'oman, she pick up dat button, she did, 
 en make a great 'miration over it. She tuck'n 
 tol' some er de yuther niggers dat I wuz so 
 
304 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 sick I coughed up collar-buttons. En den 
 here dey come — big en little, old en young — 
 peepin' in de do', en trompin' thoo de house. 
 
 " One ole nigger 'oman stuck her head in de 
 do* en 'low, i Well, well, well ! When folks 
 commence fer ter cough up collar-buttons, de 
 las' day ain't fur off.' Wid dat, ma'm, I up'd 
 wid one er my shoes, en ef she had n't V jerked 
 her head back so quick I sho'ly would a ruint 
 her. Wellum, dat het things mighty hot, kase 
 my ole 'oman en de yuther niggers what wuz 
 hangin' 'roun', waitin' fer me ter take my 
 dram so dey kin git a whiff un it, dey helt up 
 der ban's en 'low dat de nigger 'oman what 
 I flung de shoe at wuz de headquarters er 
 de Cha'ty Buryin' S'ciety er de Bruthin' en 
 Sister'n er Jeycho." 
 
 " What was that ? " asked the lady, " the 
 Charity Burying Society of the Brothers and 
 Sisters of Jericho ? " 
 
 "Dat what dey call it, ma'm. I dunner 
 how dey does, ner what dey does. But dar I 
 wuz layin' flat er my back en done flung my 
 shoe at de headquarters er de whole shebang. 
 I done tuck er dram des 'fo' I split de do' 
 jam' wid my shoe, en de niggers all make so 
 much fuss 'bout it dat I got up en tuck an'er 
 
A CASE OF THE GRIPPE. 305 
 
 one. Dis sorter hep'd matters, yit I could lay 
 dar wid my eyes shot en de pain in my chist, 
 en hear dem niggers gwine on kaze I let drive 
 at dat ole nigger 'oman. 
 
 " Dey talk 'bout dis eve'y day, en eve'y 
 time dey talk 'bout it, I tuck an'er dram« 
 Den one time whiles dey thunk I wuz sleep, I 
 hear um say dat de ole nigger 'oman done 
 got intranced on account er my flingin' de 
 shoe. Dey say she was layin' stretch out col' 
 en stiff, wid her eyes wide open en her thum's 
 p'intin' up'ards, en a-talkin' in her sleep same 
 ez de man what sells toof -powder on de street. 
 Dey say she done call Remus' name nine times., 
 which make de odd number, en eve'y time she 
 call it she roll her eyes en groan like a cow 
 what done lose her cud. Dey 'low dat she 
 done see sights in de hev'ms, en hear um call 
 de roll, en de name er Remus wan't dar. 
 
 " Wellum, wid dat I riz en tuck an'er dram, 
 en I sot on de side de bed en say ter de ole 
 'oman : c Tabby,' sez I, i how many niggers is 
 dey in here dat don't b'long here ? I want 
 you ter count um,' sez I, ' kaze I 'm gwine in 
 a trance myse'f, en when I wake up I want 
 ter know des 'zackly how much damage been 
 done. Des count em,' sez I, 6 en I '11 mark 
 
306 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 urn down on de wall here wid my finger-nail, 
 en dem what gits kilTt in de scuffle I '11 scratch 
 out when I comes out'n de trance. Dat ole 
 nigger 'oman,' sez I, ' kin lay dar on de nV 
 at her house en roll her eye-balls en work de 
 skin on her head backerds en forrerds, but 
 I 'm diff'unt,' sez I. ' Dat ain't de kind er 
 trance w'at comes over me. I got ter have 
 all de han' roomance what I kin git. Ef any 
 er deze here ladies en gents/ sez I, ' has got 
 any walkin' canes en parasols dat dey don't 
 want broke, dey better kyar um outside en 
 lef um dar, kaze I feels my kinder trance 
 comin' on,' sez I. 
 
 " Wellum, I tuck an'er dram, en den I 'gun 
 ter open en shet my mouf sorter quick like. 
 I tuck notice dat some er de niggers sidled 
 to'rds de do'. Den I 'gun ter back out'n de 
 bed on my all-fours, en when I hit de fiV I 
 fetched a blate mo' samer dan a yearlin' calf. 
 It 's de Lord's trufe, Miss Sally, 'f o' I kin 
 turn 'roun' dey want no niggers nowhars 
 aroun', 'ceppin' me en de bottle er dram. 
 Der wuz a shuffle en a rustle, en dey wuz all 
 gone. En my ole 'oman, she went wid um, 
 kaze she say she dunner what gwineter hap- 
 pen nex\" 
 
A CASE OF THE GUIPPE. 307 
 
 " You were drunk/' said the lady, severely. 
 
 " Yassum," said Uncle Remus, serenely, 
 * I 'speck so. I been f eelin' better ever sence, 
 en I des thunk I 'd creep 'roun' dis mornin 
 en see how you en Mars John gittin' on. I 
 ain't got no big appetite like I useter have, but 
 I 'lowed maybe you would n't keer ef I sot out 
 here in de sun whar I kin smell de vittles 
 a-cookin'." 
 
 The lady looked at the old negro curiously 
 a moment, and then went into the house laugh- 
 ing. 
 
XV. 
 
 UNCLE REMUs's IDEAS OF CONJURING. 
 
 " I hear talk how you been eunjured," said 
 Chloe, as Uncle Reinus took his seat in the 
 kitchen one morning. 
 
 "Who sesso?" inquired the old man, smil- 
 ing placidly. 
 
 " Dat what dey tells me," said Chloe, with a 
 serious air. " I hear lots er folks sesso. Oh, 
 you kin laugh, man, but ef dey git atter yer 
 right straight, dey '11 make you laugh on t'er 
 side er yo' mouf. Dey cert'n'y will." 
 
 Uncle Eemus rubbed his chin thoughtfully 
 and shook his head, but continued to smile. 
 
 " Dey tells me," Chloe went on in a louder 
 and more emphatic tone, " dat de time when 
 you wuz sick you tuck'n flung yo' shoe at 
 Miss Ca'line Simpson, an' she got mad an' 
 went home an' 'come in tranced, an' now she 
 gwine cunjur' you." 
 
 "I hear tell so," said Uncle Remus, serenely. 
 " She say I 'm a white folks nigger anyhow, en 
 
UNCLE REMUS'S IDEAS OF CONJURING. 309 
 
 darf o' she gwine ter ring in de sperrets on me. 
 Hit come right straight. Dey ain't no hear- 
 say 'bout it. She done sesso." 
 
 "Ain't you skeer'd?" asked Chloe in a 
 confidential tone. 
 
 " What I skeer'd un ? " inquired Uncle Re- 
 mus, with a show of indignation. "Dat ar 
 nigger 'oman ain't got none de 'vantage er me 
 when it come down ter old-time cunj'in'. Ef 
 she is, whar she git it? My mammy talked 
 wid sperrets, an' my daddy walked in his 
 sleep. How come I can't do mo' cunj'in' in 
 one minnit dan what she kin do in a mont' ? " 
 
 " Man, I b'lieve you — dat I does ! " ex- 
 claimed Chloe, edging away from Uncle Remus 
 and regarding him curiously. 
 
 " I want ter ax you dis," the old man con- 
 tinued: "is dat nigger 'oman fat, er is she 
 lean?" 
 
 " She so fat she skacely kin walk," replied 
 Chloe. 
 
 " Well, den," said Uncle Remus, " how she 
 gwine cunjur' anybody ? Tell me dat. I bin 
 seem' cunjur' folks ever sence I wan't no big- 
 ger dan a skin't rabbit, en I ain't never see no 
 fat un yit. Dey er all so lean dat it look like 
 der skin done swunk on der bones, en when 
 
310 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 dey grin you kin see der yaller toofies. Now 
 you des watch urn." 
 
 " Go 'way, man ! " exclaimed Chloe. " De 
 Lord knows I don't wanter see none un urn, 
 much less watch urn." 
 
 " De men folks what do de cunj'in'," Un- 
 cle Kemus went on, "is diffunt. De 'oman 
 folks is lean, but de men folks, dey er lean er 
 fat ez de case may be. You can't tell de cun- 
 jur' man 'less'n you watch his eye right closte. 
 Ef he show too much er de eyeball en dey 's 
 a streak er red splashed roun' de cornder, you 
 watch 'im. You hear me now- — you watch 
 'im ! " 
 
 "What de name er de Lord I want ter 
 watch 'im f er ? " asked Chloe, nervously. " I 
 ain't gwine to be watchin' no cunjur' man. I 
 boun' you I got my work ter do." 
 
 " I done bin had de 'sperience un it," the 
 old man continued. " I done bin see urn work 
 der tricks, en I done larnt all der signs." 
 
 " Well, don't come projickin* wid me," ex- 
 claimed Chloe. " Yo' eye look red now — dat 
 it do ! " 
 
 " I kin turn dat ar broom dar on de eend, 
 en name it fer you," said Uncle Eemus, pur- 
 suing the subject, " en you '11 hatter pack up 
 
fJNCLE REMUS' S IDEAS OF CONJURING. 311 
 
 yo' duds en leave here. I kin fling it down in 
 de flo', en ef you step 'cross it, you '11 hatter 
 min' eve'y word I say. I kin take de same 
 broom en go out dar in de yard en sweep your 
 track away, en you '11 hatter leave 'fo' sun- 
 down. I kin go out dar en pick up de san' 
 what you done make yo' track in, en fling it 
 in runnin' water, en you '11 hatter travel ez fur 
 ez de water does. You see ole Remus settin' 
 here like he got no sense. You better keep 
 yo' eye on 'im, mon ! " 
 
 " What de name er de Lord is I done ter 
 you ? " cried Chloe, stopping short in her work, 
 and staring at Uncle Remus. " You comes en 
 you goes, en I ain't never pester you sence you 
 been a man an' I been a 'oman. I dunner 
 what make you keep on atter me. Ef you 
 wanter come cunj'in' anybody, you better cun- 
 jur' dat ar nigger 'oman what 'low she gwine 
 lay a spell on ter you." 
 
 " Bless yo' soul, chile ! " exclaimed Uncle 
 Remus, with a chuckle, " she done bin fixt. I 
 ain't mo' dan git de word dat she gwine trick 
 me dan I sot myself in motion. Now whar is 
 she ? Des tell me dat ! Wharbouts is she ? " 
 
 " Is she done daid ? " asked Chloe in a sub- 
 dued tone. 
 
312 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " You go down dar whar she been livm'," 
 said Uncle Remus, with an air of mystery, " en 
 ax wharbouts is she, en den come back en tell 
 me what de folks say. You may n't b'lieve 
 me, but you bleedz ter b'lieve dem. Ef you 
 ax me wharbouts is she, I '11 up en tell you 
 she 's gone ; ef you ax t'er folks wharbouts is 
 she, dey '11 up en tell you she 's gone — no 
 mo', no less." 
 
 "What 'come un her?" inquired Chloe, 
 with open-eyed astonishment. 
 
 " Hit 's des like I tell you," replied Uncle 
 Remus, solemnly. " She done make her dis- 
 appearance." 
 
 " Is you done cunju'd her ? " asked Chloe. 
 
 " Not what you might call right straight up 
 en down cunj'in'," said the old man. " I des 
 sorter wunk my eye en shuck my ringer, en de 
 nigger 'oman went en ax'd her 'quaintances 
 good-by. I look like I ain't much, en I don't 
 'speck I is ; but nummine ! You des watch 
 me!" 
 
 " Now ! " exclaimed Chloe, " why n't you 
 tell me what you done ter de 'oman ? " 
 
 "Well," said Uncle Remus, "'t ain't no 
 mighty long tale. Atter dat nigger 'oman 
 make her brags dat she gwine cunjur' me, she 
 
UNCLE REMUS' S IDEAS OF CONJURING. 313 
 
 had de inshurance fer ter come ter my house. 
 I was settin' down by de fier, me an' William 
 Henry, when I hear her come in de nex' room 
 en pass de time er day wid my ole 'oman. I 
 raise my finger at William Henry so he 'd be 
 still, en den I beckon 'im ter come close, en 
 den I say dat eve'yt'ing I tell 'im ter do, he 
 must talk out loud en say, i I know right whar 
 it 's at.' Den I make 'im set down. Atter 
 while I holler out : — 
 
 " ' You William Henry ! ' He holler back, 
 i Suh ! ' I say, c I want you ter ketch me 
 sev'n spring lizzuds.' He 'low, c Yasser, I 
 know right whar dey at.' De folks in de nex' 
 room stop talkin', en I know'd in reason dey 
 wuz lis'nen'. Den I holler out : — 
 
 " < William Henry ! ' He holler back, < Suh ! ' 
 I say, ' I want you ter git me two snake skins.' 
 He 'low, i Yasser, I know right whar dey at.' 
 De nigger 'oman kep' on lis'nen'. Den I hol- 
 ler out : — 
 
 " ' William Henry ! ' He holler back, < Suh ! ' 
 I say, 'I want you ter fetch me two toad 
 frogs.' He 'low, < Yasser, I know right whar 
 dey at.' 
 
 " I sot dar en waited a little bit, en den I 
 hear de nigger 'oman say she bleedz ter go, en 
 
314 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 de nex' day word come dat she done move 
 'way." 
 
 Chloe drew a long breath of relief. She 
 had expected something sensational, and had 
 prepared herself to be shocked. The disap- 
 pointment irritated her. 
 
 " Does you call dat cunj'in' ? " she exclaimed 
 scornfully. 
 
 " Hit des ez good ez cunj'in'," said Uncle 
 Remus. " What mo' does you want ? Does 
 you want ter be cunju'd ? " 
 
 " No," said Chloe, in a more amiable tone, 
 " en 1 don't want you ter be projickin' long er 
 me, nudder." 
 
 " Well, den," said the old man, " don't be 
 so high-stringity in yo' talk. Fus' news you 
 know, you 'U wish dey wan't no cunjurments. 
 You bin hidin' pie fum me dis long time, en 
 folks what hides pie ain't got no kinder 
 showin' when it cums ter hard-down cunj'in'." 
 
 " Well, de Lord knows, man, I don't be- 
 grudge you no pie. Here 's a piece I bin 
 savin' fer you." Chloe lifted a tin cover and 
 brought forth a large piece. 
 
 " Aha ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus, " did I 
 hafter cunjur' you ter git dis pie ? " 
 
XVI. 
 
 VIEWS ON THE AFRICAN EXODUS. 
 
 The Southern papers have not devoted 
 much attention to the movement that is known 
 as the " African exodus." This is to be ac- 
 counted for by the fact that the modern re- 
 porter, sharp as he is, has never yet learned 
 the art of getting information from the ne- 
 groes, particularly if they are disposed to hold 
 their tongues. In truth, the African exodus, 
 so called, is important as well as serious. It 
 is more extensive than the newspaper men 
 have any idea of, and has made a very deep 
 impression on a certain class of negroes. 
 
 Uncle Remus's " Miss Sally " discovered 
 this fact the other morning, while she was at- 
 tending to her domestic duties, and heard a 
 very interesting controversy in the bargain. 
 The old man went into the kitchen, as was his 
 custom, before going to his work. On this 
 particular morning Chloe, the cook, seemed to 
 be in a very good humor. She saluted Uncle 
 
316 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 Remus cordially, and then asked, in a tone of 
 friendly solicitude : — 
 
 " Ain't you gwine home ? " 
 
 " Ain't I gwine whar ? " responded Uncle 
 Remus. 
 
 "Ain't you gwine home? Lots of 'em 
 gwine home." 
 
 " What I gwine home f er, when I des come 
 f um dar ? " inquired the old man, looking at 
 Chloe with a puzzled expression. 
 
 " Ah, Lord ! " exclaimed Chloe, wiping the 
 flour from her fat arms with her apron, " you 
 ain't bin dar yit. You better git ready an' 
 
 go." 
 
 "How come I ain't bin dar? You don't 
 speck I bin trollopin' 'roun' fum post to pillar 
 de whole blessed night, does you ? " 
 
 " I went down ter Zion Chapel las' night, 
 an' dar I hear Brer John Henry. Man, suh ! 
 I ain't never hear anybody talk purtier dan 
 what Brer John Henry did. He say, he did, 
 dat we all mus' go back home — go back ter 
 Af 'ica whar we come fum ; an' he kep' on tell 
 he make us all feel right thankful. Sis 'Ria 
 she jump up an' holler bless God ! she gwine, 
 an' den all un us holler dat we gwine. I hear 
 talk er deze white folks preachers — man ! dey 
 
VIEWS ON THE AFRICAN EXODUS. 317 
 
 can't hoi' Brer John Henry a candle when he 
 git up dar in de pulpit an' begin ter rock fum 
 side ter side an' swing his arms. You better 
 come on an* go wid us — better come on an* 
 go home." 
 
 " Who — me?" exclaimed Uncle Remus in- 
 dignantly. "What I gwine to do in Affiky? 
 I ain't no Aflikin nigger." 
 
 " Yes, you is, too," said Chloe, somewhat 
 wrought up, " kaze Brer John Henry say 
 dat colored folks all come fum Af'ica, an' 
 dem what 'ny it speaks fum ign'ance uv de 
 sperrit." 
 
 "What he know 'bout it?" asked Uncle 
 Remus, scornfully. " Down yander in Put- 
 mon County dat ar same preacher call hisse'f 
 Tom Perryman, an' now he come up here en 
 call hisse'f John Henry. Ef he ain't know his 
 own name, how come he know so much 'bout 
 Affiky ? Now des tell me dat." 
 
 " Ah, Lord ! " exclaimed Chloe with inde- 
 scribable unction. " Brer John Henry know. 
 He could n't a-tdked no purtier dan ef he 'd 
 'a' done seed it. An' we er all a-gwine. I gi' 
 'im a dollar, an' Sis 'Ria gi' 'im a dollar, an' 
 ill un um gi' 'im a dollar." 
 
 " Who got de money ? " inquired Uncle 
 Remus. " Dish yer John Henry ? " 
 
318 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 " No," said Chloe, " dey wuz a man dar, an* 
 he tuck de money. He come fum 'way off 
 yander, an' he say he gwine take it an' buy 
 tickets ter Af 'ica fer us all. He say he done 
 got de tickets, and he gwine ter 'stribbit um 
 'fo' long, des soon ez de ship come in." 
 
 Here Uncle Remus uttered a dismal groan» 
 " Wuz you dar when dat ar Tom-en-Jerry 
 preacher " — 
 
 "He name Brer John Henry," exclaimed 
 Chloe, indignantly, "dat what he name." 
 
 " Wuz you dar, Chlory," Uncle Remus went 
 on, "when dat ar John Henry preacher en 
 de t'er man went 'roun' behime de house en 
 'vided de money out ? " 
 
 " No, I wan't ! " exclaimed Chloe, turning 
 on the old man viciously, " an' nobody else 
 ain't seed um — dat 's what ! " 
 
 " I 'speck dat 's so," said Uncle Remus, rub= 
 bing his beard thoughtfully. "Dey er lots 
 too slick fer dat." 
 
 " I dunner what you want ter run down yo' 
 own color fer," remarked Chloe. " Better 
 leave dat fer de white folks." 
 
 " Whose color ? " inquired Uncle Remus, 
 with angry emphasis. " Ef dat ar John Henry 
 ain't paint hisse'f, he 's a rank merlatter ez de 
 
VIEWS ON THE AFRICAN EXODUS. 319 
 
 sun ever shined on. He ain't none er my 
 color. I 'm a full-blood nigger, myse'f, en I 
 come fum Ferginny." 
 
 " Dat what make me say what I does/' said 
 Chloe, in a tone at once friendly and confiden- 
 tial. " Bern' ez you is a full-blood nigger, 
 you oughter come en go 'long wid us. You 
 oughter come en go home ter Af 'ica wid us. 
 Brer John Henry say dat de full-blood colored 
 folks is got mo' p'int-blank rights in Af 'ica 
 dan all de yuther folks put together. Brer 
 John Henry cert'n'y say dem ve'y words." 
 
 Uncle Remus leaned against the wall and 
 groaned. Chloe, ignoring the old man's ap- 
 parent contempt for the scheme, continued 
 after a little pause : — 
 
 " Brer John Henry say we all des ez well 
 go now ez to go later. He say dat Af'ica 
 b'longs ter de colored folks by good rights, en 
 he say dey oughter go en take occupiance er 
 de Ian' 'fo' it git tooken up by white folks. 
 He say dat all dis country whar we at now 
 b'longs ter de Injuns, en dey er gwine ter 
 come back here en take it. Dey done broke 
 loose out yander now ; an' Brer John Henry 
 say dat what dey fightin' fer, on account er 
 de white folks takin' der Ian' fum um, an* 
 
820 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 when dey come, de colored folks what stay 
 here is got ter fight 'em. Brer John Henry 
 is sholy say dat, kaze I hear 'im wid my own 
 years." 
 
 The only comment that Uncle Remus made 
 was a heart-rending groan. 
 
 " You may well ter groan/' Chloe went on. 
 " You may well ter groan ef you ain't gwine 
 iiome wid us, kaze we er all a-gwine. De 
 colored folks is done commence ter move. 
 Dey er comin' here fum Texas an' fum all out 
 dar." 
 
 '< Comin' whar?" asked Uncle Remus. 
 
 " Comin' here, ter dis ve'y town." 
 
 "IsdisAffiky?" 
 
 " No, 't ain't, but it 's on de road, an' de 
 colored folks is a-movin'." 
 
 "How long is dey gwine ter stay 'roun' 
 yer ? " Uncle Remus inquired, straightening 
 himself up. 
 
 " Tell de ship come," said Chloe. 
 
 " Ah-yi ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus. " Twel 
 de ship come. Dat des 'zactly what I 'lowed. 
 Dey er gwine ter stay twel de ship come, en 
 betwixt dis time en dat, what dey gwine do ? 
 Who gwine ter feed um ? " 
 
 u Dey gwine ter feed deyse'f," said Chloe, 
 
VIEWS ON THE AFRICAN EXODUS. 321 
 
 indignantly. " Who feed 'em whar dey come 
 f um ? Dey had ter work dar — let 'em work 
 here." 
 
 " I ain't so mighty sho' en certain 'bout der 
 workin'," said Uncle Remus placidly. " I bin 
 noticin' dis, dat whar you fin' niggers so keen 
 fer ter traipse about fum post ter pillar, dey 
 ain't apt ter hurt deyse'f wid work. Some un 
 um bin runnin' fum work ever sence de farmin* 
 days wuz over. An' dey er makin' a great to- 
 do 'bout gwine off ter Affiky, kaze somebody 
 done gone en tole um dat all dey got ter do 
 atter dey git dar is ter set in de sun en watch 
 de truck grow. All dey got ter do is ter set 
 dar en let der ha'r grow bushy. Ain't de 
 man what wuz 'vidin' out de money wid dat 
 ar John Henry preacher a white man ? " 
 
 " What ef he is ? " responded Chloe, snap- 
 pishly ; " what dat got ter do wid it ? " 
 
 " Dar 't is ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus tri- 
 umphantly. " You dunner whar he come fum. 
 You dunner how long he gwine stay. You 
 dunner whar he gwine. Yit de niggers is 
 givin' 'im der money, en makin' ready ter go 
 ter Affiky. Dey er des er swarmin' ter At- 
 lanta en makin' ready ter cross de Atlanta 
 Ocean, when 't won't mo' dan kyar um 'cross 
 
322 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 town en back. En yit, here you is talkin' ter 
 me 'bout bein' er white folks nigger." 
 
 " I don't keer ; I don't keer ! " exclaimed 
 Chloe. " I know what Brer John Henry say." 
 
 " Ef dat ar white man wuz ter come honeyin' 
 'roun' me," continued Uncle Remus, " I 'd do 
 'im like de Coon did de Polecat." 
 
 " Go off fum here ! " said Chloe. " What 
 de Coon do?" 
 
 " One mighty col' day, Mr. Coon wuz layin' 
 up in his house, which he call it de Holler 
 Tree Tavern. He wuz all quiled up in dar, 
 warm en snug, when he year somebody knock- 
 in' at de do'. Hit 'uz Mr. Polecat. Mr. Coon 
 say, < Who dar ? ' Mr. Polecat say, ' Hit 's me.' 
 Den Mr. Coon say, ' What you want ? ' Mr. 
 Polecat say, ' Open de do', I wanter come in 
 en warm.' Mr. Coon say, ' What you name ? ' 
 Mr. Polecat say, ' I 'm name Coony Coon, fum 
 Coon Holler. I 'm de bes' frien' yo' gran 'pa 
 is ever had.' Mr. Coon crack de do' en peep 
 at 'im, en den he say, ' Uh-uh ! you don't look 
 like coon, you don't walk like coon, you don't 
 talk like coon, en I know mighty well you don't 
 smell like coon. You can't come in here ! ' 
 
 " I say it ! " exclaimed Chloe, restored to 
 good humor. 
 
VIEWS ON THE AFRICAN EXODUS. 323 
 
 "Miss Sally," said Uncle Remus, turning 
 to the lady of the house, who came in just 
 then, " I 'in gwine 'roun' en tighten up de 
 chicken-house en de sto'-room twel dish yer 
 Affikin move is done blowed over. Chlory 
 dar"— 
 
 " Miss Sally ! " exclaimed Chloe, " I '11 hatter 
 quit here ef you don't make dat ole nigger 
 man go on 'bout his business. He been in 
 here quoilin' de whole blessed mornin'." 
 
 But before the lady could say anything, 
 Uncle Remus was rapidly walking across the 
 yard with a rake on his shoulder. 
 
XVII. 
 
 UNCLE REMUS ON AN ELECTRIC CAR, 
 
 One pleasant day not long ago Uncle Re- 
 mus concluded that he would take a ride on 
 the electric car. He had been engaged for 
 some time in making up his mind. There was 
 enough of mystery about the means of locomo- 
 tion to make him somewhat skittish. In point 
 of fact, he had his own private opinion, for- 
 tified by an abundant supply of superstition, 
 in regard to the whole matter. Nevertheless, 
 he decided to make a little excursion on the 
 car. He saw other people riding, and what 
 they did he could do. 
 
 So the old man was on hand when the car 
 came down to the starting-point, where there 
 is a wait of five minutes. He watched the 
 conductor reverse the contrivance that con- 
 nects the motor with the overhead wire, and 
 then he got on. He smiled as he took his 
 seat, but even his smile betrayed his anxiety. 
 He fumbled about in his pockets until he 
 
UNCLE REMUS ON AN ELECTRIC CAR. 325 
 
 found a quarter, which he proffered to the 
 motor-man. 
 
 " Don't be in a hurry, old man," said that 
 important functionary; "the conductor will 
 get your fare." 
 
 " Yasser," said Uncle Remus. " On de t v er 
 line whar dey got muels, I hatter gi' de money 
 ter de driver — dat w'at make I han' it ter 
 you. Dish yer ain't de same kind er kyar. 
 Hit look mighty blank out dar. I 'd feel lots 
 better ef dey wuz a waggin tongue stickin' 
 out dar, er some muels er sump'n." 
 
 " Why, if we had mules out there," said the 
 motor-man, with a consequential air, " they 
 would n't last five minutes. We 'd run over 
 'em. We 'd grind them into jiblets." 
 
 " You hear dat ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus, 
 solemnly, addressing no one in particular. 
 After a pause, the old man continued : — - 
 
 " Boss, is de stuff what make dish yer kyar 
 go — is she de same ez dat w'at make de 
 thunder?" 
 
 " The very same," said the man. 
 
 " Ain't you skeer'd ? " asked Uncle Remus. 
 
 " Naw ! " said the motor-man ; " so long as 
 it don't singe the hair on my head, I ain't 
 afraid." 
 
326 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 " Well, suh ! " exclaimed the old negro, look- 
 ing at the man admiringly. Then, after a 
 little pause : " Boss, does you keep de truck in 
 dat ar churn dar ? " indicating the brass cylin- 
 der containing the machinery for turning on 
 and shutting off the electric current. 
 
 Something in Uncle Remus' s tone — some 
 suggestion of unusual politeness and affability 
 — caused the motor-man to look at him more 
 closely, and the look was followed by a pleas- 
 ant smile, which was at once a recognition of 
 and a tribute to the old negro's attitude of re- 
 spectful anxiety. 
 
 " Yes," said the motor-man, " we keep it in 
 here," touching the cylinder with his foot, 
 " and when we want any we just turn it on." 
 
 " Same like you draw 'simmon beer out'n a 
 bar'l ? " suggested Uncle Remus. 
 
 " Yes," said the motor-man, " somewhat 
 similarly." 
 
 " Sometimes," said Uncle Remus, " de beer 
 got sech a head on 'er dat she '11 fly out en 
 flew all over you. Do dat truck do dat 
 away ? " 
 
 "It ain't never done it yet," replied the 
 motor-man, " and when it does, I want to be 
 plumb away from here." 
 
UNCLE BEMUS ON AN ELECTRIC CAB. 327 
 
 u Ef it 's de same kinder truck what busts 
 aloose in de elements/' said Uncle Remus, 
 " dey must be enough un it in dat churn dar 
 ter make thunder endurin' a whole summer." 
 
 The motor-man made no reply to this. In 
 response to a signal from the conductor, he 
 struck the gong sharply with his foot, causing 
 Uncle Remus to dodge as if he had been shot 
 at, turned on the current, and started the car. 
 A negro girl sitting opposite Uncle Remus 
 put a corner of her shawl in her mouth and 
 tittered. The old man turned on her fiercely 
 and exclaimed : — 
 
 " Whar yo' manners, gal ? Is dat de way 
 yo* mammy Tarn you — come gigglin' in com- 
 p'ny?" 
 
 " De Lord knows I ain't doin' nothin'," said 
 the girl, twisting herself around on the seat. 
 " I des settin' here ten'in' to my own business. 
 I wan't savin' a blessed word to nobody." 
 
 " Who you grinnin' an' gigglin' at, den ? " 
 asked Uncle Remus severely. " You '11 be 
 a-gwine on dat away some er deze yer odd- 
 come-shorts an' you '11 break yo' puckering 
 string. Den what you gwine ter do ? " 
 
 " Mister," said the girl, turning to the con- 
 ductor, " I wish you 'd please, sir, make dis 
 
528 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 colored man lemme 'lone. I ain't doin' a 
 blessed thing to him." 
 
 " Fare ! " exclaimed the conductor. He 
 spoke so loudly and so unexpectedly that 
 Uncle Kemus dodged again, and this time he 
 flung his right arm above his head as if to de- 
 fend himself. This gave the angry girl the 
 opportunity she wanted. 
 
 " Des look at dat ole man ! " she cried. 
 " I b'lieve he goin' crazy." Then she began 
 to laugh again. Even the conductor smiled, 
 and Uncle Remus, perceiving this, smiled him- 
 self, but somewhat grimly. 
 
 As the conductor was giving him his 
 change, a peculiar groaning sound issued from 
 the motor underneath the car. 
 
 "Boss," said Uncle Remus, somewhat anx- 
 iously, " wharbouts is all dat zoonin' ? Hit 
 soun' like de win' blowin' thoo a knot-hole." 
 
 " It 's the current," said the conductor. 
 
 " Yasser ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus. " Dat 
 what I 'low'd hit wuz. Hit bawlin' down dar 
 like a steer calf lef ' out in de rain. She ain't 
 gwine ter bus' loose en t'ar up nothin', is she 5 
 boss?" 
 
 " Not right now, I reckon," replied the con- 
 ductor. 
 
UNCLE REMUS ON AN ELECTRIC CAR. 329 
 
 This was very unsatisfactory to the old 
 negro, particularly as the zooning and groan- 
 ing sound continued to grow louder. He 
 looked out of the window, first on one side 
 and then on the other, and then rose and seized 
 the handstrap and gave it a jerk. Seeing 
 that the car kept on, Uncle Remus gave the 
 strap a more violent tug, and then another and 
 another. 
 
 " Ef she 's a-runnin' away," he exclaimed, 
 " des say de word en I '11 t'ar up de flo', but 
 I '11 git out'n here." 
 
 Seeing the old man's predicament, the con- 
 ductor pulled the bell, and the car stopped. 
 
 " Dat what make I say what I does," ex- 
 claimed Uncle Remus, with some show of in- 
 dignation, as he shuffled towards the door. 
 " I 'm gwine ter tell you all good-by. You 
 kin set dar en listen at de interruptions gwine 
 on in de intruls er dish yer kyar, but I 'm 
 gwine, I am. I done foun* out long ergo dat 
 no 'spectable nigger ain't got no business 
 gwine whar white folks f ear'd to resk der muels. 
 ? wish you mighty well ! " 
 
xvm. 
 
 WILLIAM HENRY AT SCHOOL. 
 
 Uncle Remus was working in his Miss 
 Sally's flower garden recently, spading up the 
 beds and dividing and replanting bulbs. The 
 lady, who takes great pride in her flowers and 
 plants, was superintending the work. The 
 old man was not in a very talkative humor at 
 first, but his humor changed when his Miss 
 Sally began to inquire about bis grandson. 
 
 " Was n't he named William Henry ? " she 
 asked. 
 
 " Yassum," said Uncle Remus with a sigh, 
 " dat what Lucindy call 'im. I tuck'n tol' 'er 
 den dat she wuz loadin' 'im down wid name, 
 but dat ar nigger man what she cook en wash 
 fer, he named 'im atter some er his kin what 
 bin in de chain-gang. He bleedz ter bin in de 
 chain-gang, kaze he's a town nigger, en I 
 ain't never is lay eyes on 'im." 
 
 " How old is William Henry ? " asked the 
 lady. 
 
WILLIAM HENRY AT SCHOOL. 331 
 
 u Wellum," said Uncle Remus, reflecting a 
 little, " he wuz born endurin' er de year when 
 Mars John kicked up sech a racket kaze he 
 had dat ar bile on de back er de neck." 
 
 " Let me see," said Miss Sally. " That was 
 in 1878. William Henry must be thirteen 
 years old." 
 
 " Yassum, I 'speck he is. I dunner what 
 gwine ter come un 'im, kaze Lucindy done 
 gone clean back on 'er raisin'. I bin mighty 
 worried 'bout dat boy. My ole 'oman say he 
 take atter me. I ain't never see no mo' likelier 
 nigger dan what dat boy is, yit he sholy gwine 
 ter be mint. Lucindy come ter my house yis- 
 tiddy en ax me is I seed William Henry, en I 
 tol' 'er no I ain't, en I did n't want ter see 
 'im, kaze she raisin' 'im up fer de chain-gang. 
 Den Lucindy say she sent 'im ter school, en he 
 done make his disappearance a mont' ago, en 
 she ain't never tell me kaze she skeer'd I gwine 
 ter git mad." Uncle Remus paused, looking 
 around as if in search of a clue to some word 
 or phrase by which he might describe his 
 feelings. Not finding any, he groaned and 
 went to digging again. 
 
 " What did you say to her ? " asked Miss 
 SaUy. 
 
332 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " Now, Miss Sally, you bin Snowin' me long 
 nuff ter know purty well what I toF dat gal. 
 Mon, I gin 'er one er de ole-time talks. She 's 
 a grown married 'oman, en got children yit, 
 but I des grabbed up a brush-broom, and I des 
 nat'rally frailed her out. I did dat. En nex' 
 time I see 'er I 'm gwine frail 'er ag'in — I 
 don't keer whar she at. You know yo'se'f, 
 Miss Sally," the old man went on, " dat I 
 tried ter raise dat ar gal right. All de time 
 she staid wid me en 'er mammy, it look like 
 butter won't melt in 'er mouf, but des ez soon 
 ez she marry dat ar hotel nigger what w'ar 
 streaked britches en a stove-pipe hat, she look 
 like she gwine ter run 'stracted. En den, on 
 top er dat, she tuck en jinded deze yer Breed- 
 in' Dove en Rastlin' Jacob S'ciety. Salt ain't 
 gwine ter save dat kin' er nigger 'oman, I 
 don't keer ef she is my own daughter. I 
 ain't had no trouble wid de nigger man w'at 
 marry 'er. I done tol' 'im long ergo dat ef 
 he cut any town shines wid me he gwine ter 
 git hurted. Streaked britches en calico shirts 
 don't pass wid me. I git nuff er dem mGs' 
 quick ez I does dat ar truck what Mars John 
 stuck under my nose t'er day." 
 
 " Hartshorn ? " suggested Miss Sally. 
 
WILLIAM HENRiT AT SCHOOL. 333 
 
 u Yassum, I 'speck so. She sholy is rank, 
 mo' speshually when she git in yo' nose en up 
 dar behime yo' eyeballs. Ef I 'd been boun' 
 by law ter take one mo' whiff er dat truck, 
 'twould er bin good-by Remus, sho. Miss 
 Sally, Mars John gwine ter kill some er deze 
 yer niggers, projickin' 'roun' dat away, en den 
 hit '11 be all you kin do ter keep 'im out'n de 
 calaboose. 
 
 " What is the matter with Lucindy ? " asked 
 Miss Sally, taking the old man back to his 
 subject. 
 
 " Wellum, she done tetotally mint wid deza 
 yer town idees. De fus' time I know'd she 
 gwine wrong, she come ter my house one night 
 wid dat hotel nigger er hern en some yuther 
 gals. She come in de do' a-gigglin', en she up 
 en 'low, she did, t Howdy, popper ! ' I look at 
 'er en say, ' Which ? ' Den she say, ' Howdy, 
 popper ! ' I riz, I did, en grab my cane en 
 'low, ' Who you foolin' 'long wid, you triflin' 
 huzzy ? Ef you dast ter come poppin' me, I '11 
 pop you ; I '11 lay you out in de Ho'. Ef I 
 ain't yo' daddy, I ain't no kin ter you.' Yas- 
 sum, I said dem ve'y words. 
 
 " Dat de fus' time," the old man continued, 
 46 dat I tuck notice she 'uz gwine wrong. Dea 
 
334 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FMIENDS. 
 
 she tuck'n j'inded deze yer Breedin' Dove en 
 Rastlin' Jacob S'ciety. Den she tuck er 
 notion dat she bleed z to sen' William Henry 
 to school — a great big boy like dat. But 
 William Henry, he bin stayin' at my house 
 mos' much ez he is at home, en me en my ole 
 'oman done Tarn 'im some sense. Wid me, 
 a nigger is done gradjywated de minnit you 
 puts de plough handles in his han's, en dat ar 
 William Henry plenty big fer ter be follerin' 
 de plough right now. De nex' time I see Lu- 
 cindy — Yander he is right now ! " exclaimed 
 Uncle Remus. He had caught sight of Wil- 
 liam Henry coming through the gate. " Come 
 yer, you triflin' rascal ! en fetch dat ar bar'l 
 hoop wid you. Whar you bin ? Don't you 
 come walkin' up yer wid yo' hat on. I '11 
 jump on you, mon, en tromple you. Come 
 yer, suh, en tell yo' Miss Sally howdy. Whar 
 yo' manners?" 
 
 William Henry, an unusually bright and 
 pleasant-looking negro boy, came up the walk, 
 shining his white teeth and swinging himself 
 with the vigor of youth. He wore on his 
 smiling face an expression of mingled intelli- 
 gence, shrewdness, and mischievousness. 
 
 "Howdy, Miss Sally; howdy, daddy," he 
 said, taking off his hat. 
 
WILLIAM HENRY AT SCHOOL. 335 
 
 " You well ter say howdy ! " exclaimed Un- 
 cle Remus, with a great affectation of anger. 
 u You kin say yo' pra'rs en thank yo' stars 
 dat yo' Miss Sally out yer whar she kin pertec' 
 you, kaze ef I had you out by yo'se'f, I lay 
 I 'd bust you wide open. What kinder way 
 is dish yer you got, playin' de runaway 
 nigger c 
 
 William Henry swung his hat from side to 
 side, and looked at everything in sight except 
 Uncle Remus. He was evidently embarrassed. 
 
 "Have you been running away, William 
 Henry? " asked Miss Sally. 
 
 " Yes 'm," said William Henry. " I been 
 stayin' 'way fum my mammy an' pappy, but 
 I ain't been runnin' 'way fum daddy dar. 
 Daddy know I ain't been hidin' fum him, 
 'cause how come I 'm here, ef I bin hidin' fum 
 nn?" 
 
 " Why did you run away ? " asked the lady. 
 
 " Hoi' up yer head, nigger, en make answer 
 ter Miss Sally when she ax you ! " exclaimed 
 Uncle Remus, as the boy hesitated. 
 
 " Mammy took an' tol' me dat I got to go 
 to school," said William Henry, " an' she 
 know all de time I dunner nothin' 't all 'bout 
 no books. Den pappy, he say I got to go, 
 
886 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 an' he took an' went wid me. De nigger man 
 what wus teaching he gimme er book an' tol' 
 me wharbouts to set at. I sot dar an' done 
 des like de balance un um." 
 
 " Did you study any ?" asked Miss Sally. 
 
 " Yes 'm, I 'speck so," said William Henry* 
 ' tC De teacher wuz a chunky little nigger, an* 
 eve'y time he turn his back de yuthers would 
 cut up, an' den when he 'd turn 'roun' dey 'd be 
 a-lookin' in der books. Dat de way I done. 
 Bimeby de teacher call me up an' ax me kin I 
 read, an' I say, ' No, suh, 'cause it make my 
 head ache.' Den he ax me to read some, an' 
 I say I got de headache right den. He look 
 at de book an' say she 's upperside down. I 
 say, l Yasser, I 'speck she is.' He say, c How 
 you gwine read dat away ? ' an' I say, I wan't 
 ^wine read dat away. He ax me what I gwine 
 do, an' I say, I dunno what I gwine do. 
 He ax me ef I kin read wid books upperside 
 down, an' I say not at de time when I got de 
 headache. Den he tell me to turn de book 
 'roun' an' go set down." 
 
 " You hear dat, Miss Sally ! " exclaimed 
 Uncle Eemus in an exultant tone. " Dat 
 what deze town niggers call teachin' school/' 
 
 " Yes 'm," said William Henry, growing 
 
WILLIAM HENRY AT SCHOOL. 337 
 
 more confident. " Dat man toP me ter go set 
 down, an' I went an* sot down. Bimeby he 
 come 'long an' say my book is upperside 
 down, an' he ax me how come she upperside 
 down. I say I dunno, 'ceppin' she one er 
 dem kinder books what stays upperside down. 
 Den he took an' lam me side de head." 
 
 " I wish ter de Lord I 'd V bin dar," said 
 Uncle Remus. 
 
 " I had a rock in my pocket/' continued 
 William Henry, " an' when he went struttin' 
 off I upped wid it an' hit 'im a clip right 'pon 
 top de head. Den I made a break fer de do* 
 an' run'd off." 
 
 " Whar you bin since den ? " asked Uncle 
 Remus. 
 
 " I bin waitin' in a bod'in' house," said the 
 boy. 
 
 " How come you ain't dar now ? " 
 
 u 'Cause dey had batter cakes fer brekkus 
 dis mornin', an' de lady say dat two un um 
 wuz missin', an' soon 's dey got to talkin' dat 
 away I say I gwine to see daddy, 'cause 1 
 know'd dey wuz gwine to lay it on me. It de 
 fust time I ever is see folks count de batte; 
 cakes." 
 
 " Look yer, boy," exclaimed Uncle R^mus, 
 
338 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 as his Miss Sally went into the house laughing, 
 " you go on ter my house en tell yo' granny 
 I sont you, en ef Lucindy come dar atter you, 
 you tell 'er I 'm gwine ter larn 'er some sense. 
 Go on now ! " 
 
XIX. 
 
 UNCLE REMUs's GRANDSON GETS INTO SERi 
 OUS TROUBLE. 
 
 "Miss Sally/' said Uncle Remus, as he 
 came around the corner of the house, leading 
 William Henry, his grandson, by the coat col- 
 lar, " is Mars John gone down town yit ? " 
 
 " Long ago," said the lady. " Why, it 's 
 after eight o'clock." 
 
 " Now, ain't dat too bad ! " exclaimed Uncle 
 Remus. " I bleedz ter see Mars John, but ef 
 I starts down town wid dish yer young vilyun, 
 dey '11 take 'im away fum me en put 'im in 
 de chain-gang 'fo' I kin git out'n sight er de 
 house. Dey er atter 'im right now — I des 
 knows dey is. Dey er bleedz ter be atter 'im." 
 
 William Henry was the picture of despair. 
 All he could do was to whimper and cry, 
 " Don't let 'em git me, daddy — don't let 'em 
 git me." 
 
 "What is the matter with the child?" 
 asked the lady. 
 
840 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " You call 'im chile, Miss Sally ? " exclaimed 
 Uncle Eemus. " He older in sin dan ole man 
 Methuselum. Miss Sally, you don't know 
 nothin' 't all 'bout dat nigger. He 's rank pi- 
 zen. He des got enough er de new issue nig- 
 ger in 'im fer ter sen' 'im fum de calaboose 
 ter de chain-gang, en fum de chain-gang ter 
 de gallus." 
 
 " But what has he been doing ? " the lady 
 inquired, with some interest. She had n't seen 
 Uncle Remus so thoroughly wrought up in 
 many a long day. 
 
 "I declar' ter gracious, Miss Sally," said 
 the old man, with emphasis, " 'twixt what I 
 knows, en dat what I bin hear talk un, en dat 
 what I 'spicions, I could set right flat on de 
 groun' here en take up yo' time fer mighty 
 nigh a whole week tellin' you 'bout de doin's 
 er dish yer nigger. I done seed all kinder 
 niggers endurin' er my day en time, but dis 
 is de mos' outdoinest, owdacious nigger what 
 I ever is come 'cross. Straighten up here, 
 you wall-eyed Affikin, 'fo' I jump on you en 
 tromple you ! " This was addressed to the 
 shrinking and penitent William Henry. 
 
 " Turn him loose and stop jerking him 
 around," said the lady. " Can't you tell me 
 
UNCLE BEMUS'S GBANDSON. 341 
 
 wfiat he has done ? " The serious, almost se- 
 vere tone of the lady subdued Uncle Kemus's 
 violence somewhat. 
 
 " Well, you know, Miss Sally, when dat ar 
 nigger comeded up, out dar in de front yard, 
 atter he bin run away f um school ? Dat bin 
 mo' dan a fortnight ago. I tuck dat boy out 
 dar te'r side er Wes' Een', out dar whar Mr. 
 Bill Baxter keep a dairy, en I got 'im in dar. 
 Mr. Baxter say he look like he 's a likely boy, 
 en he say he '11 take 'im in en gin 'im a show- 
 in' — much on account er knowin' me so long 
 ez on account er wantin' de boy. 
 
 " Wellum, dat sorter sot me up. Dey wuz 
 Ian' dar whar he could plough en hoe, en room 
 enough out dar f er 'im ter 1'arn mo' sense in a 
 week dan what he kin Farn in deze yer nigger 
 schools in sev'm year. He had eve'ything ter 
 his han' — ash-cake en dumplin's ter eat, en 
 pot-licker en buttermilk ter drink. I cum off 
 en lef 'im dar, en it make me feel mighty 
 proud dat he wuz dar. 
 
 " It look like de people wuz made ter fit 'im. 
 I wuz gwine 'long 'cross town, en I hear some- 
 body holler at me, en dar wuz William Henry 
 a-drivin' de milk waggin, en I say ter myse'f 
 dat he dun fix, sho. It went along dis away 
 
342 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 twel dis mornin , — en dar de town nigger 
 showed off agin'. He flung all de fat in de 
 fier, en I wish ter de Lord he 'd 'a' jumpt in 
 atter it. Stan' up dar, suh, en tell yo' Miss 
 Sally what you tole me, ef you got de face 
 ter do it, en I know you is, kaze you er town 
 nigger, born en bred." 
 
 " Tell me about it, William Henry," ob- 
 served the lady, in a tone at once kind and 
 reassuring. " I hope you have n't killed any- 
 body." 
 
 " No 'm, I ain't. Daddy done got me skeer'd, 
 an' I 'speck I is been mighty bad, but it all 
 happen 'long des like somebody done fix it up 
 on me. I done hurted a white man's feelin's, 
 an' I 'speck Mr. Baxter milk waggin done all 
 broke, but de Lord knows it wan't me done it 
 myse'f." 
 
 " Tell me about it," said the lady. 
 
 " Wellum, Mr. Baxter, he ax me kin I drive 
 de milk waggin, an' I say yasser, I 'speck I kin, 
 'ceppin' de mule run'd away, an' dey wan't no- 
 body could drive a mule whilst he runnin' 
 away. Mr. Baxter say all right, an' de fust 
 mornin' er two he went 'long wid me. De 
 mule wuz done trained. Time he struck town, 
 he know de way he oughter go, an' eve'y tim© 
 
UNCLE REMU&S GRANDSON. 343 
 
 he stop, dar wuz de place ter ring de bell, an' 
 de folks would come out an' git de milk, an' 
 time de mule 'ud hear me hand de medjin' 
 cup back on de can, he 'd des switch his tail 
 an' so on. Look like I never is to have so 
 much fun — up dar drivin' by myse'f , an' ain't 
 need to hoF de lines skacely. 
 
 i l Well, dis mornin' when we start out, it 
 wuz plum dark. I dunner wherrer it wuz be- 
 kaze we come out sooner, er wherrer it 's be- 
 kaze it 's so cloudy, bat 'fo' we got ter whar 
 de street lamps wuz, I could n't see de mule's 
 tail, an' de fog des rolled aroun' in great 
 big chunks. We went 'long, an' we got mos' 
 done, an' bimeby we got to de place whar dey 's 
 a great big fat cook, an' she come out an' got 
 her milk, an' went back growlin' like she always 
 do. 
 
 " Den it look like I hear somebody talkin' 
 on de yuther side de waggin, an' I turn' roun'> 
 an' dar I see a white man holdin' up a tin 
 pitcher er sump'n'. I ax 'im how much he 
 svant, an' it look to me like he say he want a 
 quart. So I drawed de milk an' retched over 
 an' poured it in de pitcher. I thought de man 
 Wuz holdin' it mighty funny. 
 
 "Wellum, dat ar white man jump up ar/ 
 
344 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 down out dar in de road an' squall des liko 
 sump'n' n'er hurtin' him. I look at him right 
 eloste, an' I seed dat I done poured de whole 
 quart er milk in one er deze here year-trum- 
 pets what deff folks sticks in der years." 
 
 Here the lady laughed so heartily that it 
 was some time before William Henry could 
 go on. 
 
 " Yessum. He capered about out dar in de 
 road, an' he tuck a notion dat I done it on 
 a purpose. He danced to'rds de waggin an' 
 made a grab fer me, but I lit out in de road, 
 an' de mule trotted off, an' I come on an' tole 
 daddy, an' daddy he say it 's de ruination er de 
 worl' fer ter pour fresh milk in a year-trumpet, 
 an' I 'speck it is, kaze I ain't never hear er 
 anybody else doin' it." 
 
 " Cose you kin laugh, Miss Sally," said Un- 
 cle Remus in a dejected tone, " but 't ain't 
 no laughin' matter wid me an' wid dish yer 
 mizerbul nigger here." 
 
 "Fiddlesticks ! " exclaimed the lady. " There 
 is no harm done. Send William Henry back 
 to Mr. Baxter. Tell him how it all was, and 
 tell him I '11 take milk from him hereafter if 
 William Henry is going to drive." 
 
 " Yessum ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus, enthu- 
 
UNCLE REMU&S GRANDSON, 345 
 
 siastically. " Ain't dey no harm done, Miss 
 Sally?" 
 
 " Not the slightest," said the lady. 
 
 " Well, I thank God fer date Come on, 
 nigger boy 1 " 
 
XX. 
 
 THE EXPERIENCE OF WILLIAM HENRY AS A 
 FARMER. 
 
 When Uncle Eemus made his appearance 
 one morning for the purpose of putting his 
 Miss Sally's flower garden to rights after the 
 heavy rains, he brought William Henry, his 
 grandson, with him. 
 
 "He sech a no 'count nio^er he can't do 
 much," said the old man, " but he kin sorter 
 scratch in de groun' wid dish yere hoe, en 
 he '11 be here whar I kin knock 'im in de head 
 ef he des so much ez bat his eyes crooked." 
 
 " Why, I thought he went back to the dairy 
 business," said the lady. " Did n't the dairy- 
 man take him back after he had the trouble 
 with the deaf man ? " 
 
 " Oh, yessum ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus. 
 " Oh, yessum, he tuck 'im back ; but dat ain't 
 do no good. He got town nigger blood in 
 W, dat boy is, en he ain't never gwine res' 
 sati'fied twel he git in de chain-gang. Hit 
 done proned in 'im." 
 
WILLIAM HENRY AS A FARMER. 317 
 
 " What was the matter, William Henry ? " 
 the lady asked. 
 
 " Hoi' up yo' head, nigger, en talk ter Miss 
 Sally, 'fo' I bus' you wide open wid dis hoe 
 helve ! " exclaimed Uncle Remus. 
 
 " Wellum," said William Henry, with an 
 embarrassed air, " de man tuck me back, but 
 he say I can't drive de milk waggin no mo', 
 'cause I let de muel git away dat time ; an* 
 den he sot me ter feedin' an' watchin' de 
 stock. Countin' of de horses an' muels, dey 
 wuz mighty nigh forty cows ter feed, an' by 
 de time you do dat two times a day, wid de 
 calfs a-buttin' you on de legs an' de cows 
 a-hunchin' you wid dey horns, you 'd git 
 mighty lonesome. Dat de way it done me. 
 Dey ain't no town out dar. All you kin do 
 atter you git froo yo' work is ter set on de 
 fence an' listen at de trains a-whistlin'." 
 
 " Miss Sally," said Uncle Remus, " what I 
 tell you 'bout dat town nigger? Talk up, 
 boy, en tell de trufe. Don't be hatchin' no 
 tales." 
 
 "I ain't hatchin' no tales, daddy," said 
 William Henry. " I 'm tellin' Miss Sally de 
 Lord's trufe, 'cause I 'speck she know how 't is 
 when you git 'way off dar in de country whar 
 
348 BIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 de whipperwills fly right in yo' face an' holler. 
 Yit dat ain't what make me come back. I 
 don't keer nothin' 't all 'bout bein' lonesome, 
 'specially when I ain't hongry, an' dat man 
 eert'n'y gimme plenty bread an' meat." 
 
 " What was the trouble, then ? " the lady 
 inquired, with some curiosity. 
 
 " Why n't you talk up, nigger, when Miss 
 Sally ax you ? " 
 
 "Wellum," said William Henry, " dey wuz 
 a pastur' whar we turned in de muels at night, 
 an' ane'r pastur' whar we turned in de steers 
 an' de dry cattle. De cows, dey wuz put up 
 in de barn. One day des 'bout sundown, 
 atter I done put all de stock whar dey b'longed 
 at, one er de steers got over dar whar de muels 
 wuz. Time I could git in clar, de muels got 
 atter de steer, an' dey run'd 'im 'roun' like 
 dey wuz gwine ter eat 'im up ef dey kotch 
 'im. I got in dar, an' I tried to shoo um off, 
 but time dat steer see me he make right at 
 me, an' 'fo' I kin dodge 'im he run'd right 
 spang over me. I shot my eyes an' tried ter 
 say some Bible word, but befo' I kin make my 
 min' work dey had me down, an' muels an' all 
 had done run'd right over me. De steer, he 
 stumpled an' fell atter he done run'd over me ; 
 
WILLIAM HENRY AS A FARMER. 349 
 
 an' de two muels turned somersets right 'pon 
 top un 'im. 
 
 " Wellum, I ain't never seed nothin' like 
 dat, an' it make me feel like I wuz dreamin' ; 
 but 't wan't no dream, 'cause dar dey lay, 
 kickin' an' groanin', an' dar wuz my jacket 
 on de steer's horns, an' one er de muels had 
 my hat brim on his hine leg. No 'm, 't wan't 
 no dream. De man hear de racket, an' he 
 come runnin' an' ax me what de name er 
 goodness is de matter. But I ain't pay no 
 'tention ; I des stood dar an' gouge de dirt 
 outen my eyes an' outen my years. 
 
 " You know how muels is, 'm. When you 
 once git 'em hacked dey er hacked fer good ; 
 dey des give right up en roll der eyes. Dat 
 wuz de way wid dem muels. Dey wuz plum 
 hacked. Dey des lay dar an' roll der eyes an' 
 grunt like sick folks. De steer, he sorter paw 
 'roun' an' try ter git up, but one er de muels 
 wuz layin' right cross-ways on 'im. Den de 
 man look at me right hard an' ax is I do all 
 dat. I say yasser. Den he ax how come so, 
 an' I say de muels an' de steer done run'd 
 over me. He ax wuz I hurted anywhar, an' I 
 sav I wan't hurted nowhar much but in de 
 feelin's, 'cause I hate ter be trompled on." 
 
350 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 " Were the mules hurt ? " asked the lady. 
 
 " No 'm ! " exclaimed William Henry, in a 
 tone which implied his belief that not even a 
 blast of dynamite could hurt a mule, "dey 
 want nothin' 't all de matter wid 'em. De steer 
 might er been bruised up some, but dem muels 
 did n't had a scratch on 'em. 
 
 " Wellum, de man might er been mad, but he 
 look mo' like he wuz skeer'd. I toP 'im, I say., 
 6 Daddy want me ter come out here an' l'arn 
 how ter be a farmer, but ef dis what you call 
 farmin' I don't want ter git in de habits er 
 bein' a farmer.' An' den I ax 'im ter gimme 
 'nough bread ter walk home on." 
 
 " Now, you hear all dat, don't you, Miss 
 Sally ? " said Uncle Kemus, as William Henry 
 paused. " Ef eve'ybody wuz votin' fer 'im, 
 he could n't be gwine no straighter ter de 
 chain-gang. He 's a town nigger, an' he 
 bleedz ter go dar." 
 
XXL 
 
 THE GEORGIA WATERMELON. 
 
 The weather was very warm — hot, in fact. 
 The sun shone down with blistering effect on 
 the tops of the houses, and on the pavements 
 that were not protected by the friendly awn- 
 ings. Yet, hot as it was, Uncle Remus sat 
 contentedly on a platform used by the railroad 
 as a temporary depository for bulky freight. 
 He was sitting in the full glare of the sun, 
 and there was not a breath of air stirring. 
 The old man seemed to be comfortable, for, 
 although he had his hat off, he was not fan- 
 ning with it. He was gazing intently on a 
 freight car standing on the track not far off. 
 It was what is called a ventilated car, and was 
 full of watermelons. While Uncle Remus was 
 examining the car with wistful eyes, a negro, 
 evidently employed about the railroad yard, 
 came shuffling along, after the manner of 
 negroes who desire to make a show of being 
 very busy. He knew Uncle Remus, and so 
 he cried out : — 
 
352 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 " Howdy, Brer Remus ! How yer come 
 on?" 
 
 " Middlin' peart," said Uncle Remus, turn- 
 ing to look at the negro. " I ain't ez sick ez 
 I mought be, an' yet I ain't ez well ez I wish 
 I wuz. How you do ? " 
 
 u Des kinder tollable," replied the other, 
 with a sigh. " Dey keeps me so busy 'roun' 
 here dat I ain't got time to do much but com- 
 plain." 
 
 " How come you so busy ? " asked Uncle 
 Remus. " I bin had one eye on you since I 
 bin settin' here, an' I ain't seed you do nuffin' 
 yit. How come dat ? " 
 
 " I bin up dar waitin' f er der boss ter come," 
 said the other, " an' now he done come, I 'm 
 a-gwine down here whar he '11 hatter sen' atter 
 me when he want me. I 'm gwine ter rustle 
 roun' an' see ef I can't git me a watermil- 
 lion." 
 
 " Dey 's a whole kyar full un um," remarked 
 Uncle Remus, sententiously. 
 
 " Dat kyar locked," said the other. 
 
 " What kinder millions is dey ? " Uncle 
 Remus asked. 
 
 " Dey come from some'rs way off yander/' 
 said the other negro. 
 
THE GEORGIA WATERMELON. 353 
 
 "Dat what I lowed/' said Uncle Remus. 
 u Dish yere 's de fust week in June, an' dough 
 de sun gittin' sorter warm and thankful when 
 you set right down and let it take good aim 
 at you, yit 't ain't time fer no state er Georgy 
 watermillions. Not whar I come fum. Down 
 dar in middle Georgy, ef you got a good ripe 
 watermillion 'fo' de fofe er July, you wuz 
 doin' mighty well." 
 
 " Law," said the other, " it done got so 
 now dat dey 'gin ter come in 'fo' de fros' git 
 out de groun' good." 
 
 " Dem yander millions," said Uncle Remus, 
 gazing at the freight car with half -closed eyes, 
 " is cert'n'y got de ole-time look 'bout um. I 
 look at um des now, an' seem like I kin smell 
 de Maypop blossom." 
 
 " I wish you 'd hush, Brer Remus ! " ex* 
 claimed the other negro, laughing. 
 
 " Yasser ! an it look like I kin see de 
 millions shinin' in de grass in de cool er de 
 mornin', an' it look like dey ain't nobody 
 watchin' 'cept'n' a red-headed woodpecker in 
 de top uv a dead pine." 
 
 " Oh, go 'way, Brer Remus ! You er gittin' 
 me all stirred up ; an what good it gwine do, 
 ef all deze yer million kyars is locked up ? " 
 
354 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FBIENDS. 
 
 "Dem ar watermillions," continued Uncle 
 Remus, smacking his lips, "mought be ez 
 green on de inside ez dey is on de outside, yit 
 dey looks des 'zackly like dem what we useter 
 raise on de Oconee. I dunner whar dey come 
 fum, but dey sholy is got de right kinder 
 streaks on um." 
 
 " Dat ar kyar," said the other negro, ex- 
 amining some mysterious chalk marks on the 
 sides, u come fum Albenny." 
 
 " Wharbouts is Albenny ? " asked Uncle 
 Remus, with a frown. 
 
 " Down de country," said the other, with a 
 sweeping gesture that took in at least two 
 points of the compass. 
 
 " She 's in de Nunited State er Georgy," 
 exclaimed Uncle Remus, "dat whar she is. 
 Kaze my young marster had a plantation 
 down dar." 
 
 " Dey tells me," said the other negro, " dat 
 de wedder down dar starts in ter warmin' up 
 terreckerly atter Christmus." 
 
 " Hit bleedz ter be so," said Uncle Remus, 
 " bekaze it takes hot wedder an' a heap un it 
 fer ter git de right kinder sweetness on de in- 
 side uv a water million. An' 't ain't only dat — 
 't ain't only de sun what gits it in dar. When 
 
THE GEORGIA WATERMELON . 355 
 
 I come an* ax you fer to please be so good 
 ez ter gimme a watermillion, don't you dast ter 
 gimme no yuther kind 'cep'n de ginnywine 
 kind what got de natal sweetness proned inter 
 it fum de middle plum down ter de rine." 
 
 " I wish you 'd hush ! " said the other ne- 
 gro, shutting his eyes tight and grinning. 
 
 " Hit des like I tell you/' said Uncle Re- 
 mus. " Some er doze yer yuther niggers, dey 
 er runnin' 'roun' all over creation, gwine out 
 ter Massasip' an' down de Alabam', but I 
 boun' you I 'm a-gwine ter stay whar I kin git 
 de ginnywine state er Georgy watermillion 
 when de season come , roun , . ,, 
 
 " I 'clar' ter gracious, Brer Remus, you 
 make me feel right quare." 
 
 "I don't wanter be whar I'll hatter buy 
 um, needer," said Uncle Remus, paying no 
 attention to the other negro's remark. " I 
 wanter be whar I kin go 'long de road soon 
 in de mornin' an' make like I 'm huntin' a cow 
 what strayed off. Den, atter I been gwine 
 'long de road so long a time, maybe I '11 take 
 a notion fer to take a nigh cut, an' den I '11 
 clime de fence an' santer 'long thoo de fiel's, 
 an' keep on twel bimeby I '11 come 'long ter 
 whar de crab-grass sorter growin' rank. I 
 
356 HIS HOME FOLKS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 won't min' de dew, kaze what does a little 
 dew 'mount ter, mo' speshually when a man is 
 gwine 'long huntin' a stray cow ? " 
 
 The other negro stood listening to Uncle 
 Remus with open mouth. 
 
 " I '11 go 'long twel I come ter de rank crab- 
 grass, an' den I '11 'low ter myse'f , c Hey ! what 
 all dish yere grass doin' here ? Look like some- 
 body done plant sump'n' here an' den gone off 
 an' lef um. Den bimeby I '11 see sump'n 
 n'er in de grass dat look roun' an' green an' 
 slick, wid little draps er dew on it des like glass 
 beads. Den I '11 stop an' hoi' up my han's 
 an' say, ' Whoever is see de beat er dat ? Man 
 come 'long an' plant big watermillion patch, 
 an' den go off an' lef um.' Den I '11 sorter 
 poke roun' in de grass wid my cane twel I 
 come 'cross a great big million wid streaks 
 on 'im like rattlesnake, an' den I '11 thump 'er 
 an' ef she holler back at me like she full, I '11 
 set down right flat er de groun' and bus' 'er 
 wid my fist." 
 
 The listening negro moved a little nearer. 
 
 " Yasser," continued Uncle Remus, " dat 
 des what I 'd do. I would n't be grievin' kaze 
 I ain't got no comp'ny, but ef dey wuz any- 
 body settin' off in de grass watchin' me, dey 'd 
 see a sight, man. 
 
THE GEORGIA WATERMELON. 357 
 
 €t Dey 'd see me run my han' down inter de 
 meat des like a scoop, an' fetch myse'f a swipe 
 'cross de face, an* den dey 'd hear me smack 
 my mouf like a wagon-driver poppin' a whip. 
 
 " Yasser ! dey 'd see all dat, an' de mo' dey 'd 
 see er my motions de less dey 'd see er de 
 watermillion. I 'd fergit all 'bout de cow, an' 
 den I 'd make my way back home an' set in 
 de sun an' nod. I 'd nod ef de bummel-eye 
 bee did n't git me, kaze I 'd have mo' sweet- 
 ness en me fum de juice er de watermillion 
 dan one er deze yer sugar hogsheads what sets 
 out in front er de country stores. 
 
 " Yasser ! an' ef I wuz ter eat two water- 
 millions an' git bilious, I 'd shuffle up town an' 
 git me " — 
 
 Here Uncle Remus made a few marks in the 
 sand with his cane in a reflective way. 
 
 " I 'd git me a thrip's wuff er dram en den 
 go hunt me anudder cow some'rs." 
 
 " Brer Remus," said the other negro, " des 
 wait right whar you is. I 'm gwine ter git 
 a watermillion. I des bleedz ter have it." 
 
 " Go 'long, den, honey," said Uncle Remus. 
 ' When you talk dat away, I ain't got time ter 
 be in a hurry."