venerable head to drop forward until his whole appearance was
suggestive of the deepest dejection; and this was intensified by
a groan that seemed to be the result of great mental agony.
Finally he spoke, but not as addressing himself to the little
boy.
"I notices dat dem fokes w'at makes a great 'miration 'bout w'at
dey knows is des de fokes w'ich you can't put no 'pennunce in
w'en de 'cashun come up. Yer one un um now, en he done come en
excuse me er 'lowin dat rabbits is got long, bushy tails, w'ich
goodness knows ef I'd a dremp' it, I'd a whirl in en on-dremp
it."
"Well, but Uncle Remus, you said rabbits had long, bushy tails,"
replied the little boy. "Now you know you did."
"Ef I ain't fergit it off'n my mine, I say dat ole Brer Rabbit
wuz gwine down de big road shakin' his long, bushy tail. Dat w'at
I say, en dat I stan's by."
The little boy looked puzzled, but he didn't say anything. After
a while the old man continued:
"Now, den, ef dat's 'greed ter, I'm gwine on, en ef tain't 'greed
ter, den I'm gwineter pick up my cane en look atter my own
intrust. I got wuk lyin''roun' yer dat's des natchully gittin'
moldy."
The little boy still remained quiet, and Uncle Remus proceeded:
"One day Brer Rabbit wuz gwine down de road shakin' his long,
bushy tail, w'en who should he strike up wid but ole Brer Fox
gwine amblin' long wid a big string er fish! W'en dey pass de
time er day wid wunner nudder, Brer Rabbit, he open up de confab,
he did, en he ax Brer Fox whar he git dat nice string er fish, en
Brer Fox, he up'n 'spon' dat he kotch um, en Brer Rabbit, he say
whar'bouts, en Brer Fox, he say down at de babtizin' creek, en
Brer Rabbit he ax how, kaze in dem days dey wuz monstus fon' er
minners, en Brer Fox, he sot down on a log, he did, en he up'n
tell Brer Rabbit dat all he gotter do fer ter git er big mess er
minners is ter go ter de creek atter sundown, en drap his tail in
de water en set dar twel day-light, en den draw up a whole armful
er fishes, en dem w'at he don't want, he kin fling back.
"Right dar's whar Brer Rabbit drap his watermillion, kaze he
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