boy was afraid he had company. The truth is, Uncle Remus had
heard the child coming, and, when the rosy-cheeked chap put his
head in at the door, was engaged in a monologue, the burden of
which seemed to be--
"Ole Molly Har',
W'at you doin' dar,
Settin' in de cornder
Smokin' yo' seegyar?"
As a matter of course this vague allusion reminded the little boy
of the fact that the wicked Fox was still in pursuit of the
Rabbit, and he immediately put his curiosity in the shape of a
question.
"Uncle Remus, did the Rabbit have to go clean away when he got
loose from the Tar-Baby?"
"Bless gracious, honey, dat he didn't. Who? Him? You dunno
nuthin' 'tall 'bout Brer Rabbit ef dat's de way you puttin' 'im
down. W'at he gwine 'way fer? He moughter stayed sorter close
twel de pitch rub off'n his ha'r, but tweren't menny days 'fo' he
wuz lopin' up en down de neighborhood same ez ever, en I dunno ef
he weren't mo' sassier dan befo'.
"Seem like dat de tale 'bout how he got mixt up wid de Tar-Baby
got 'roun' 'mongst de nabers. Leas'ways, Miss Meadows en de gals
got win' un' it, en de nex' time Brer Rabbit paid um a visit
Miss Meadows tackled 'im 'bout it, en de gals sot up a monstus
gigglement. Brer Rabbit, he sot up des ez cool ez a cowcumber, he
did, en let em run on.
"Who was Miss Meadows, Uncle Remus?" inquired the little boy.
"Don't ax me, honey. She wuz in de tale, Miss Meadows en de gals
wuz, en de tale I give you like hi't wer' gun ter me. Brer
Rabbit, he sot dar, he did, sorter lam' like, en den bimeby he
cross his legs, he did, and wink his eye slow, en up and say,
sezee:
"'Ladies, Brer Fox wuz my daddy's ridin'-hoss fer thirty year;
maybe mo', but thirty year dat I knows un,' sezee; en den he paid
um his 'specks, en tip his beaver, en march off, he did, des ez
stiff en ez stuck up ez a fire-stick.
"Nex' day, Brer Fox cum a callin', and w'en he gun fer ter laugh
'bout Brer Rabbit, Miss Meadows en de gals, dey ups en tells 'im
'bout w'at Brer Rabbit Say. Den Brer Fox grit his tushes sho'
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