knotted.
"I wuz fixin' up a w'ip fer a little chap," he continued, with a
sigh, "but, bless grashus! 'fo' I kin git 'er done de little chap
done grow'd up twel he know mo'n I duz."
The child's eyes filled with tears and his lips began to quiver,
but he said nothing; whereupon Uncle Remus immediately melted.
"I 'clar' to goodness," he said, reaching out and taking the
little boy tenderly by the hand, "ef you ain't de ve'y spit en
image er ole Miss w'en I brung 'er de las' news er de war. Hit's
des like skeerin' up a ghos' w'at you ain't fear'd un."
Then there was a pause, the old man patting the little child's
hand caressingly.
"You ain't mad, is you, honey?" Uncle Remus asked finally, "kaze
ef you is, I'm gwine out yere en butt my head 'gin de do' jam'."
But the little boy wasn't mad. Uncle Remus had conquered him and
he had conquered Uncle Remus in pretty much the same way before.
But it was some time before Uncle Remus would go on with the
story. He had to be coaxed. At last, however, he settled himself
back in the chair and began:
"Co'se, honey, hit mout er bin ole Brer Wolf, er hit mout er bin
er n'er Brer Wolf; it mout er bin 'fo' he got kotch up wid, er it
mout er bin atterwards. Ez de tale wer gun to me des dat away I
gin it unter you. One time Brer Wolf wuz comm' long home fum a
fishin' frolic. He s'anter long de road, he did, wid his string
er fish 'cross his shoulder, w'en fus' news you know ole Miss
Pa'tridge, she hop outer de bushes en flutter long right at Brer
Wolf nose. Brer Wolf he say ter hisse'f dat ole Miss Pa'tridge
tryin' fer ter toll 'im 'way fum her nes', en wid dat he lay his
fish down en put out inter de bushes whar ole Miss Pa'tridge come
fum, en 'bout dat time Brer Rabbit, he happen long. Dar wuz de
fishes, en dar wuz Brer Rabbit, en w'en dat de case w'at you
speck a sorter innerpen'ent man like Brer Rabbit gwine do? I kin
tell you dis, dat dem fishes ain't stay whar Brer Wolf put um at,
en w'en Brer Wolf come back dey wuz gone.
"Brer Wolf, he sot down en scratch his head, he did, en study
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