fum whar he bin takin' a bee-tree. Brer Rabbit, he hail 'im:
"'Howdy, Brer B'ar!'
"Brer B'ar, he look 'roun en bimeby he see Brer Rabbit swingin'
fum de saplin', en he holler out:
"'Heyo, Brer Rabbit! How you come on dis mawnin'?'
"'Much oblije, I'm middlin', Brer B'ar,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
"Den Brer B'ar, he ax Brer Rabbit w'at he doin' up dar in de
elements, en Brer Rabbit, he up'n say he makin' dollar minnit.
Brer B'ar, he say how. Brer Rabbit say he keepin' crows out'n
Brer Fox's groun' pea patch, en den he ax Brer B'ar ef he don't
wanter make dollar minnit, kaze he got big fambly er chilluns fer
to take keer un, en den he make sech nice skeercrow. Brer B'ar
'low dat he take de job, en den Brer Rabbit show 'im how ter ben'
down de saplin', en 'twan't long 'fo' Brer B'ar wuz swingin' up
dar in Brer Rabbit's place. Den Brer Rabbit, he put out fer Brer
Fox house, en w'en he got dar he sing out:
"'Brer Fox! Oh, Brer Fox! Come out yer, Brer Fox, en I'll show
you de man w'at bin stealin' yo' goobers.'
"Brer Fox, he grab up his walkin'-stick, en bofe un um went
runnin' back down ter der goober-patch, en w'en dey got dar, sho
'nuff, dar wuz ole Brer B'ar.
"'Oh, yes! you er kotch, is you?' sez Brer Fox, en 'fo' Brer B'ar
could 'splain, Brer Rabbit he jump up en down, en holler out:
"'Hit 'im in de mouf, Brer Fox; hit 'im in do mouf'; en Brer Fox,
he draw back wid de walkin' cane, en blip he tuck 'im, en eve'y
time Brer B'ar'd try ter 'splain, Brer Fox'd shower down on him.
"W'iles all dis 'uz gwine on, Brer Rabbit, he slip off en git in
a mud-hole en des lef' his eyes stickin' out, kaze he know'd dat
Brer B'ar'd be a comin' atter 'im. Sho 'nuff, bimeby here come
Brer B'ar down de road, en w'en he git ter de mud-hole, he say:
"'Howdy, Brer Frog; is you seed Brer Rabbit go by yer?'
"'He des gone by,' sez Brer Rabbit, en ole man B'ar tuck off down
de road like a skeer'd mule, en Brer Rabbit, he come out en dry
hisse'f in de sun, en go home ter his fambly same ez enny udder
man.
"The Bear didn't catch the Rabbit, then?" inquired the little
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