his knee, and stroking the child's hair thoughtfully and
caressingly--"one night Brer Possum call by fer Brer Coon,
'cordin' ter 'greement, en atter gobblin' up a dish er fried
greens en smokin' a seegyar, dey rambled fort' fer ter see how de
ballance er de settlement wuz gittin' long. Brer Coon, he wuz one
er deze yer natchul pacers, en he racked 'long same ez Mars
John's bay pony, en Brer Possum he went in a han'-gallup; en dey
got over heap er groun, mon. Brer Possum, he got his belly full
er 'simmons, en Brer Coon, he scoop up a 'bunnunce er frogs en
tadpoles. Dey amble long, dey did, des ez sociable ez a basket er
kittens, twel bimeby dey hear Mr. Dog talkin' ter hisse'f way off
in de woods.
"'Spozen he runs up on us, Brer Possum, w'at you gwineter do?'
sez Brer Coon, sezee. Brer Possum sorter laugh 'round de cornders
un his mouf.
"'Oh, ef he come, Brer Coon, I'm gwineter stan' by you,' sez Brer
Possum. 'W'at you gwineter do?' sezee.
"'Who? me?' sez Brer Coon. 'Ef he run up onter me, I lay I give
'im one twis',' sezee."
"Did the dog come?" asked the little boy.
"Go 'way, honey!" responded the old man, in an impressive tone.
"Go way! Mr. Dog, he come en he come a zoonin'. En he ain't wait
fer ter say howdy, nudder. He des sail inter de two un um. De
ve'y fus pas he make Brer Possum fetch a grin fum year ter year,
en keel over like he wuz dead. Den Mr. Dog, he sail inter Brer
Coon, en right dar's whar he drap his money purse, kaze Brer Coon
wuz cut out fer dat kinder bizness, en he fa'rly wipe up de face
er de yeth wid 'im. You better b'leeve dat w'en Mr. Dog got a
chance to make hisse'f skase he tuck it, en w'at der wuz lef' un
him went skaddlin' thoo de woods like hit wuz shot outen a
muskit. En Brer Coon, he sorter lick his cloze inter shape en
rack off, en Brer Possum, he lay dar like he wuz dead, twel
bimeby he raise up sorter keerful like, en w'en he fine de coas'
cle'r he scramble up en scamper off like sumpin' was atter 'im."
Here Uncle Remus paused long enough to pick up a live coal of
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