I'm a fishin' fer suckers, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
"'Is dey many un um down dar, Brer Rabbit?' sez Brer Fox, sezee.
"'Lots un um, Brer Fox; scoze en scoze un um. De water is
natchully 'live wid um. Come down en he'p me haul um in, Brer
Fox,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
"'How I gwineter git down, Brer Rabbit?'
"'Jump inter de bucket, Brer Fox. Hit'll fetch you down all safe
en soun'.'
"Brer Rabbit talk so happy en talk so sweet dat Brer Fox he jump
in de bucket, he did, en, ez he went down, co'se his weight pull
Brer Rabbit up. W'en dey pass one nudder on de half-way growl',
Brer Rabbit he sing out:
"'Good-by, Brer Fox, take keer yo' cloze,
Fer dis is de way de worl' goes;
Some goes up en some goes down,
You'll git ter de bottom all safe en soun'.' *1
"W'en Brer Rabbit got out, he gallop off en tole de fokes w'at de
well blong ter dat Brer Fox wuz down in dar muddyin' up de
drinkin' water, en den he gallop back ter de well, en holler down
ter Brer Fox:
"'Ye come a man wid a great big gun--W'en he haul you up, you
jump en run."'
"What then, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy, as the old man
paused.
"In des 'bout half 'n hour, honey, bofe un um wuz back in de new
groun' wukkin' des like dey never heer'd er no well, ceppin' dat
eve'y now'n den Brer Rabbit'd bust out in er laff, en old Brer
Fox, he'd git a spell er de dry grins."
*1 As a Northern friend suggests that this story may be somewhat
obscure, it may be as well to state that the well is supposed
to be supplied with a rope over a wheel, or pulley, with a
bucket at each end.
XVII. MR. RABBIT NIBBLES UP THE BUTTER
'"DE animils en de creeturs," said Uncle Remus, shaking his
coffee around in the bottom of his tin-cup, in order to gather up
all the sugar, 'dey kep' on gittin' mo' en mo' familious wid
wunner nudder, twel bimeby, 'twan't long 'fo' Brer Rabbit, en
Brer Fox, en Brer Possum got ter sorter bunchin' der perwishuns
tergedder in de same shanty. Atter w'ile de roof sorter 'gun ter
leak, en one day Brer Rabbit, en Brer Fox, en Brer Possum,
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