Turkle. Den de Crawfishes, w'at dey wuz lef' un um, swarmed
tergedder en draw'd up anudder peramble wid sum mo' wharfo'es;
but dey might ez well er sung Ole Dan Tucker ter a harrycane. De
udder creeturs wuz too busy wid der fussin' fer ter 'spon' unto
de Crawfishes. So dar dey wuz, de Crawfishes, en dey didn't know
w'at minnit wuz gwineter be de nex'; en dey kep' on gittin madder
en madder en skeerder en skeerder, twel bimeby dey gun de wink
ter de Mud Turkle en de Spring Lizzud, en den dey bo'd little
holes in de groun' en went down outer sight."
"Who did, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.
"De Crawfishes, honey. Dey bo'd inter de groun' en kep' on bo'in
twel dey onloost de fountains er de yeth; en de waters squirt
out, en riz higher en higher twel de hills wuz kivvered, en de
creeturs wuz all drownded; en all bekaze dey let on 'mong
deyselves dat dey wuz bigger dan de Crawfishes."
Then the old man blew the ashes from a smoking yam, and
proceeded to remove the peeling.
"Where was the ark, Uncle Remus?" the little boy inquired,
presently.
"W'ich ark's dat?" asked the old man, in a tone of well-feigned
curiosity.
"Noah's ark," replied the child.
"Don't you pester wid ole man Noah, honey. I boun' he tuck keer
er dat ark. Dat's w'at he wuz dar fer, en dat's w'at he done.
Leas'ways, dat's w'at dey tells me. But don't you bodder longer
dat ark, 'ceppin' your mammy fetches it up. Dey mout er bin two
deloojes, en den agin dey moutent. Ef dey wuz enny ark in dish
yer w'at de Crawfishes brung on, I ain't heern tell un it, en
w'en dey ain't no arks 'roun', I ain't got no time fer ter make
um en put um in dar. Hit's gittin' yo' bedtime, honey."
VI. MR. RABBIT GROSSLY DECEIVES MR. FOX
ONE evening when the little boy, whose nights with Uncle Remus
were as entertaining as those Arabian ones of blessed memory, had
finished supper and hurried out to sit with his venerable patron,
he found the old man in great glee. Indeed, Uncle Remus was
talking and laughing to himself at such a rate that the little
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