Rabbit, sezee. 'Sence Brer Wolf done quite comin' en settin' up
wid me, I gittin' so I feels right lonesome dese long nights,'
sezee.
"But Brer Fox, he button up his coat-collar tight en des put out
fer home. En dat w'at you better do, honey, kaze I see Miss
Sally's shadder sailin' backerds en forerds 'fo' de winder, en de
fus' news you know she'll be spectin' un you."
XXIII. MR. RABBIT AND MR. BEAR
"DAR wuz one season" said Uncle Remus, pulling thoughtfully at
his whiskers, "w'en Brer Fox say to hisse'f dat he speck he
better whirl in en plant a goober-patch, en in dem days, mon, hit
wuz tech en go. De wud wern't mo'n out'n his mouf 'fo' de groun'
'uz brok'd up en de goobers 'uz planted. Ole Brer Rabbit, he sot
off en watch de motions, he did, en he sorter shet one eye en
sing to his chilluns:
"'Ti-yi! Tungalee!
I eat um pea, I pick um pea.
Hit grow in de groun', hit grow so free;
Ti-yi! dem goober pea.'
"Sho' 'nuff w'en de goobers 'gun ter ripen up, eve'y time Brer
Fox go down ter his patch, he fine whar somebody bin grabblin'
'mongst de vines, en he git mighty mad. He sorter speck who de
somebody is, but ole Brer Rabbit he cover his tracks so cute dat
Brer Fox dunner how ter ketch 'im. Bimeby, one day Brer Fox take
a walk all roun' de groun'-pea patch, en 'twan't long 'fo' he
fine a crack in de fence whar de rail done bin rub right smoove,
en right dar he sot 'im a trap. He tuck'n ben' down a hick'ry
saplin', growin' in de fence-cornder, en tie one een' un a plow-
line on de top, en in de udder een' he fix a loop-knot, en dat he
fasten wid a trigger right in de crack. Nex' mawnin' w'en ole
Brer Rabbit come slippin' 'long en crope thoo de crack, de
loop-knot kotch 'im behime de fo'legs, en de saplin' flew'd up,
en dar he wuz 'twix' de heavens en de yeth. Dar he swung, en he
fear'd he gwineter fall, en he fear'd he wer'n't gwineter fall.
W'ile he wuz a fixin' up a tale fer Brer Fox, he hear a lumberin'
down de road, en present'y yer cum ole Brer B'ar amblin' 'long
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