"One time," said the old darkey, transferring his spectacles from
his nose to the top of his head and leaning his elbows upon his
peg-board, "dere wuz a blacksmif man, en dish yer blacksmif man,
he tuck'n stuck closer by his dram dan he did by his bellus.
Monday mawnin' he'd git on a spree, en all dat week he'd be on a
spree, en de nex' Monday mawnin' he'd take a fresh start. Bimeby,
one day, atter de blacksmif bin spreein''roun' en cussin'
might'ly, he hear a sorter rustlin' fuss at de do', en in walk de
Bad Man."
"Who, Uncle Remus?" the little boy asked.
"De Bad Man, honey; de Ole Boy hisse'f right fresh from de ridjun
w'at you year Miss Sally readin' 'bout. He done hide his hawns,
en his tail, en his hoof, en he come dress up like w'ite fokes.
He tuck off his hat en he bow, en den he tell de blacksmif who he
is, en dat he done come atter 'im. Den de black-smif, he gun ter
cry en beg, en he beg so hard en he cry so loud dat de Bad Man
say he make a trade wid 'im. At de een' er one year de sperit er
de blacksmif wuz to be his'n en endurin' er dat time de blacksmif
mus' put in his hottes' licks in de intruss er de Bad Man, en den
he put a spell on de cheer de blacksmif was settin' in, en on his
sludge-hammer. De man w'at sot in de cheer couldn't git up less'n
de blacksmif let 'im, en de man w'at pick up de sludge 'ud hatter
keep on knockin' wid it twel de blacksmif say quit; en den he gun
'im money plenty, en off he put.
"De blacksmif, he sail in fer ter have his fun, en he have so
much dat he done clean forgot 'bout his contrack, but bimeby, one
day he look down de road, en dar he see de Bad Man comin', en den
he know'd de year wuz out. W'en de Bad Man got in de do', de
blacksmif wuz poundin' 'way at a hoss-shoe, but he wa'n't so
bizzy dat he didn't ax 'im in. De Bad Man sorter do like he ain't
got no time fer ter tarry, but de blacksmif say he got some
little jobs dat he bleedzd ter finish up, en den he ax de Bad Man
fer ter set down a minnit; en de Bad Man, he tuck'n sot down, en
he sot in dat cheer w'at he done conju'd en, co'se, dar he wuz.
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