very faint idea of the sound, but it can not be reproduced in
print. The little boy was astonished.
"What did you say, Uncle Remus?"
"I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! I-doom-er-ker-kum mer-ker!"
"What is that?"
"Dat's Tarrypin talk, dat is. Bless yo' soul, honey," continued
the old man, brightening up, "w'en you git ole ez me--w'en you
see w'at I sees, en year w'at I years--de creeturs dat you can't
talk wid'll be mighty skase--dey will dat. W'y, der's er old gray
rat w'at uses 'bout yer, en time atter time he comes out w'en you
all done gone ter bed en sets up dar in de cornder en dozes, en
me en him talks by de 'our; en w'at dat old rat dunno ain't down
in de spellin' book. Des now, w'en you run in and broke me up, I
wuz fetchin' into my mine w'at Brer Tarrypin say ter Brer Fox
w'en he turn 'im loose in de branch."
"What did he say, Uncle Remus?"
"Dat w'at he said--I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! Brer Tarrypin wuz
at de bottom er de pon', en he talk back, he did, in bubbles--I-
doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! Brer Fox, he ain't sayin' nuthin', but
Brer Bull-Frog, settin' on de bank, he hear Brer Tarrypin, he
did, en he holler back:
"Jug-er-rum-kum-dum! Jug-er-rum-kum-dum!'
"Den Brer Frog holler out: 'Knee-deep! Knee-deep!'
"Den ole Brer Bull-Frog, he holler back: 'Don'-you-ber-lieve-'im!
Don't-you-ber-lieve-'im!'
"Den de bubbles come up fum Brer Tarrypin: 'I-doom-er-ker-kum-
mer-ker!'
"Den Brer Frog sing out: 'Wade in! Wade in!'
"Den ole Brer Bull-Frog talk thoo his ho'seness: 'Dar-you'll-
fine-yo'-brudder! Dar-you'll-fine-yo'-brudder!'
"Sho nuff, Brer Fox look over de bank, he did, en dar wuz n'er
Fox lookin' at 'im outer de water. Den he retch out fer ter shake
han's, en in he went, heels over head, en Brer Tarrypin bubble
out:
"'I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!"'
"Was the Fox drowned, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.
"He weren't zackly drowndid, honey," replied the old man, With an
air of cautious reserve. "He did manage fer ter scramble out, but
a little mo' en de Mud Turkle would er got 'im, en den he'd er
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