smoke from his pipe curl upward over the little boy's head--"down
ter dis day, Brer Possum's bound ter s'render w'en you tech him
in de short ribs, en he'll laugh ef he knows he's gwineter be
smashed fer it."
IV. HOW MR. RABBIT WAS TOO SHARP FOR MR. FOX
"UNCLE REMUS," said the little boy one evening, when he had
found the old man with little or nothing to do, "did the fox kill
and eat the rabbit when he caught him with the Tar-Baby?"
"Law, honey, ain't I tell you 'bout dat?" replied the old darkey,
chuckling slyly. "I 'clar ter grashus I ought er tole you dat,
but old man Nod wuz ridin' on my eyeleds 'twel a leetle mo'n I'd
a dis'member'd my own name, en den on to dat here come yo mammy
hollerin' atter you.
"W'at I tell you w'en I fus' begin? I tole you Brer Rabbit wuz a
monstus soon creetur; leas'ways dat's w'at I laid out fer ter
tell you. Well, den, honey, don't you go en make no udder
calkalashuns, kaze in dem days Brer Rabbit en his fambly wuz at
de head er de gang w'en enny racket wuz on han', en dar dey
stayed. 'Fo' you begins fer ter wipe yo' eyes 'bout Brer Rabbit,
you wait en see whar'bouts Brer Rabbit gwineter fetch up at. But
dat's needer yer ner dar.
"W'en Brer Fox fine Brer Rabbit mixt up wid de Tar-Baby, he feel
mighty good, en he roll on de groun' en laff. Bimeby he up'n say,
sezee:
"'Well, I speck I got you dis time, Brer Rabbit, sezee; 'maybe I
ain't, but I speck I is. You been runnin' roun' here sassin'
atter me a mighty long time, but I speck you done come ter de
een' er de row. You bin cuttin' up yo' capers en bouncin''roun'
in dis neighberhood ontwel you come ter b'leeve yo'se'f de boss
er de whole gang. En den you er allers somers whar you got no
bizness,' sez Brer Fox, sezee. 'Who ax you fer ter come en strike
up a 'quaintance wid dish yer Tar-Baby? En who stuck you up dar
whar you iz? Nobody in de roun' worl'. You des tuck en jam
yo'se'f on dat Tar-Baby widout waitin' fer enny invite,' sez Brer
Fox, sezee, en dar you is, en dar you'll stay twel I fixes up a
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