"'Now den, ladies en gents,' sez Brer Tarrypin, sezee, 'you all
go wid Brer B'ar up dar in de woods en I'll stay yer, en w'en you
year me holler, den's de time fer Brer B'ar fer ter see ef he kin
haul in de slack er de rope. You all take keer er dat ar een','
sezee, 'en I'll take keer er dish yer een',' sezee.
"Den dey all put out en lef' Brer Tarrypin at de branch, en w'en
dey got good en gone, he dove down inter de water, he did, en tie
de bed-cord hard en fas' ter wunner deze yer big clay-roots, en
den he riz up en gin a whoop.
"Brer B'ar he wrop de bed-cord roun' his han,' en wink at de
gals, en wid dat he gin a big juk, but Brer Tarrypin ain't budge.
Den he take bof han's en gin a big pull, but, all de same, Brer
Tarrypin ain't budge. Den he tu'n 'roun', he did, en put de rope
cross his shoulders en try ter walk off wid Brer Tarrypin, but
Brer Tarrypin look like he don't feel like walkin'. Den Brer Wolf
he put in en holp Brer B'ar pull, but des like he didn't, en den
dey all holp 'im, en, bless grashus! w'iles dey wuz all a
pullin', Brer Tarrypin, he holler, en ax um w'y dey don't take up
de slack.
"Den w'en Brer Tarrypin feel um quit pullin', he dove down, he
did, en ontie de rope, en by de time dey got ter de branch, Brer
Tarrypin, he wuz settin' in de aidge er de water des ez natchul
ez de nex' un, en he up'n say, sezee:
"'Dat las' pull er yone wuz a mighty stiff un, en a leetle mo'n
you'd er had me,' sezee. 'You er monstus stout, Brer B'ar,'
sezee, 'en you pulls like a yoke er steers, but I sorter had de
purchis on you,' sezee.
"Den Brer B'ar, bein's his mouf 'gun ter water atter de
sweetnin,' he up'n say he speck de candy's ripe, en off dey put
atter it!"
"It's a wonder," said the little boy, after a while, "that the
rope didn't break."
"Break who?" exclaimed Uncle Remus, with a touch of
indignation in his tone--"break who? In dem days, Miss Meadows's
bed-cord would a hilt a mule."
This put an end to whatever doubts the child might have
entertained.
*1 Help; helped.
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