but he feelin' mighty lonesome, en he sot dar lookin' like eve'y
minnit wuz gwineter be de nex'. En w'iles Mr. Man wuz off
prepa'r'n his bresh-broom, who should come p'radin' long but Brer
Fox. Brer Fox make a great 'miration, he did, 'bout de fix w'at
he fin' Brer Rabbit in, but Brer Rabbit he make like he fit ter
kill hisse'f laffin', en he up'n tell Brer Fox, he did, dat Miss
Meadows's fokes want 'im ter go down ter der house in 'tennunce
on a weddin', en he 'low w'ich he couldn't, en dey 'low how he
could, en den bimeby dey take'n tie 'im dar w'iles dey go atter
de preacher, so he be dar' w'en dey come back. En mo'n dat, Brer
Rabbit up'n tell Brer Fox dat his chillun's mighty low wid de
fever, en he bleedzd ter go atter some pills fer'm, en he ax Brer
Fox fer ter take his place en go down ter Miss Meadows's en have
nice time wid de gals. Brer Fox, he in fer dem kinder pranks, en
'twa'n't no time 'fo' Brer Rabbit had ole Brer Fox harness up dar
in his place, en den he make like he got ter make 'as'e en git de
pills fer dem sick chilluns. Brer Rabbit wa'n't mo'n out er sight
'fo' yer come Mr. Man wid a han'ful er hick'ries, but w'en he see
Brer Fox tied up dar, he look like he 'stonished.
"'Heyo!' sez Mr. Man, sezee, 'you done change color, en you done
got bigger, en yo' tail done grow out. W'at kin' er w'atzyname is
you, ennyhow?' sezee.
"Brer Fox, he stay still, en Mr. Man, he talk on:
"'Hit's mighty big luck,' sezee, 'ef w'en I ketch de chap w'at
nibble my greens, likewise I ketch de feller w'at gnyaw my
goose,' sezee, en wid dat he let inter Brer Fox wid de hick'ries,
en de way he play rap-jacket wuz a caution ter de naberhood. Brer
Fox, he juk en he jump, en he squeal en he squall, but Mr. Man,
he shower down on 'im, he did, like fightin' a red was'nes'."
The little boy laughed, and Uncle Remus supplemented this
indorsement of his descriptive powers with a most infectious
chuckle.
"'Bimeby," continued the old man, "de switches, dey got frazzle
out, en Mr. Man, he put out atter mo', en w'en he done got fa'rly
|