"Did the Bear have a 'simmon orchard, Uncle Remus?" the little
boy asked.
"Co'se, honey, kaze in dem days Brer B'ar wuz a bee-hunter. He
make his livin' findin' bee trees, en de way he fine um he plant
'im some 'simmon-trees, w'ich de bees dey'd come ter suck de
'simmons en den ole Brer B'ar he'd watch um whar dey'd go, en
den he'd be mighty ap' fer ter come up wid um. No matter 'bout
dat, de 'simmon patch 'uz dar des like I tell you, en ole Brer
Possum mouf 'gun ter water soon's he year talk un um, en mos'
'fo' Brer Rabbit done tellin' 'im de news, Brer Possum, he put
out, he did, en 'twa'n't long 'fo' he wuz perch up in de highes'
tree in Brer B'ar 'simmon patch. But Brer Rabbit, he done
'termin' fer ter see some fun, en w'iles all dis 'uz gwine on, he
run 'roun' ter Brer B'ar house, en holler en tell 'im w'ich dey
wuz somebody 'stroyin' un his 'simmons, en Brer B'ar, he hustle
off fer ter ketch 'im.
"Eve'y now en den Brer Possum think he year Brer B'ar comin',
but he keep on sayin', sezee:
"'I'll des git one 'simmon mo' en den I'll go; one 'simmon mo' en
den I'll go.'
"Las' he year Brer B'ar comm' sho nuff, but 'twuz de same ole
chune--'One 'simmon mo' en den I'll go'--en des 'bout dat time
Brer B'ar busted inter de patch, en gin de tree a shake, en Brer
Possum, he drapt out longer de yuther ripe 'simmons, but time he
totch de groun' he got his foots tergedder, en he lit out fer de
fence same ez a race-hoss, en 'cross dat patch him en Brer B'ar
had it, en Brer B'ar gain' eve'y jump, twel time Brer Possum make
de fence Brer B'ar grab 'im by de tail, en Brer Possum, he went
out 'tween de rails en gin a powerful juk en pull his tail out
'twix Brer B'ar tushes; en, lo en behol's, Brer B'ar hol' so
tight en Brer Possum pull so hard dat all de ha'r come off in
Brer B'ar's mouf, w'ich, ef Brer Rabbit hadn't er happen up wid a
go'd er water, Brer B'ar 'der got strankle.
"Fum dat day ter dis," said Uncle Remus, knocking the ashes
carefully out of his pipe, "Brer Possum ain't had no ha'r on his
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