""Mawnin", Sis Wolf, mawnin"! Brer Wolf sont me atter de shavin"-brush, w"ich he keep it in dat ar money-pus w"at I "loant "im."
"Sis Wolf, she fling up "er han"s en let um drap, en she laugh en say, sez she:
""I "clar" ter gracious, Brer Rabbit! You gimme sech a tu"n, dat I aint got room ter be perlite skacely."
"But mos" "fo" she gits de wuds out"n "er mouf, Brer Rabbit done grab de money-pus en gone!"
"Which way did he go, Uncle Remus?" the little boy asked, after a while.
"Well, I tell you dis," Uncle Remus responded emphatically, "Brer Rabbit road aint lay by de spring; I boun" you dat!"
Presently "Tildy put her head in the door to say that it was bedtime, and shortly afterward the child was dreaming that Daddy Jack was Mammy-Bammy Big-Money in disguise.
-- FOOTNOTES:
[27] Disease.
[28] If, as some ethnologists claim, the animal myths are relics of zootheism, there can scarcely be a doubt that the practice here described by Uncle Remus is the survival of some sort of obeisance or genuflexion by which the negroes recognized the presence of the Rabbit, the great central figure and wonder-worker of African mythology.
[29] Never mind.
[30] Sometime, any time, no time. Thus: "Run fetch me de ax, en I"ll wait on you one er deze odd-come-shorts."
[31] a.s.surance.
x.x.xI
"IN SOME LADY"S GARDEN"
When the little boy next visited Uncle Remus the old man was engaged in the somewhat tedious operation of making shoe-pegs. Daddy Jack was a.s.sorting a bundle of sa.s.safras roots, and Aunt Tempy was transforming a meal-sack into shirts for some of the little negroes,--a piece of economy of her own devising. Uncle Remus pretended not to see the child.
"Hit "s des lak I tell you all," he remarked, as if renewing a conversation; "I monst"us glad dey aint no bad chilluns on dis place fer ter be wadin" in de spring-branch, en flingin" mud on de yuther little chilluns, w"ich de goodness knows dey er nasty nuff bidout dat. I monst"us glad dey aint none er dat kinder young uns "roun" yer--I is dat."
"Now, Uncle Remus," exclaimed the little boy, in an injured tone, "somebody"s been telling you something on me."
The old man appeared to be very much astonished.
"Heyo! whar you bin hidin", honey? Yer "t is mos" way atter supper en you aint in de bed yit. Well--well--well! Sit over ag"in in de chimbly jam dar whar you kin dry dem shoes. En de ve"y nex" time w"at I see you wadin" in dat branch, wid de sickly season comin" on, I"m a-gwine ter take you "cross my shoulder en kyar you ter Miss Sally, en ef dat aint do no good, den I"ll kyar you ter Mars John, en ef dat aint do no good, den I"m done wid you, so dar now!"
The little boy sat silent a long time, listening to the casual talk of Uncle Remus and his guests, and watching the vapor rise from his wet shoes. Presently there was a pause in the talk, and the child said:
"Uncle Remus, have I been too bad to hear a story?"
The old man straightened himself up and pushed his spectacles back on his forehead.
"Now, den, folks, you year w"at he say. Shill we pursue on atter de creeturs? Shill er shan"t?"
"Bless yo" soul, Brer Remus, I mos" "shame" myse"f, yit I tell you de Lord"s trufe, I"m des ez bad atter dem ar tales ez dat chile dar."
"Well, den," said Uncle Remus, "a tale hit is. One time dey wuz a man, en dish yer man he had a gyardin. He had a gyardin, en he had a little gal fer ter min" it. I don"t "speck dish yer gyardin wuz wide lak Miss Sally gyardin, but hit "uz lots longer. Hit "uz so long dat it run down side er de big road, "cross by de plum thicket, en back up de lane. Dish yer gyardin wuz so nice en long dat it tuck"n "track de "tention er Brer Rabbit; but de fence wuz built so close en so high, dat he can"t git in nohow he kin fix it."
"Oh, I know about that!" exclaimed the little boy. "The man catches Brother Rabbit and ties him, and the girl lets him loose to see him dance."
Uncle Remus dropped his chin upon his bosom. He seemed to be humbled.
"Sis Tempy," he said, with a sigh, "you"ll hatter come in some time w"en we aint so crowded, en I"ll up en tell "bout Billy Malone en Miss Janey."
"_That_ wasn"t the story I heard, Uncle Remus," said the little boy.
"_Please_ tell me about Billy Malone and Miss Janey."
"Ah-yi!" exclaimed Uncle Remus, with a triumphant smile; "I "low"d maybe I wa"n"t losin" de use er my "membunce, en sho" nuff I aint. Now, den, we"ll des wuk our way back en start fa"r en squar". One time dey wuz a man, en dish yer man he had a gyardin en a little gal. De gyardin wuz chock full er truck, en in de mawnin"s, w"en de man hatter go off, he call up de little gal, he did, en tell "er dat she mus" be sho" en keep ole Brer Rabbit outer de gyardin. He tell "er dis eve"y mawnin"; but one mawnin" he tuck en forgit it twel he git ter de front gate, en den he stop en holler back:
""O Janey! You Janey! Min" w"at I tell you "bout ole Brer Rabbit. Don"t you let "im get my nice green peas."
"Little gal, she holler back: "Yes, daddy."
"All dis time, Brer Rabbit he "uz settin" out dar in de bushes dozin".
Yit, w"en he year he name call out so loud, he c.o.c.k up one year en lissen, en he "low ter hisse"f dat he bleedz ter outdo Mr. Man. Bimeby, Brer Rabbit, he went "roun" en come down de big road des ez natchul ez ef he bin trafflin" some"rs. He see de little gal settin" by de gate, en he up"n "low:
""Aint dish yer Miss Janey?"
"Little gal say: "My daddy call me Janey."" Uncle Remus mimicked the voice and manner of a little girl. He hung his head, looked excessively modest, and spoke in a shrill tone. The effect was so comical that even Daddy Jack seemed to enjoy it.
""My daddy call me Janey; w"at yo" daddy call you?"
"Brer Rabbit look on de groun", en sorter study lak folks does w"en dey feels bad. Den he look up en "low:
"I bin lose my daddy dis many long year, but w"en he "live he call me Billy Malone." Den he look at de little gal hard en "low: "Well, well, well! I aint seed you sence you "uz a little bit er baby, en now yer you is mighty nigh a grown "oman. I pa.s.s yo" daddy in de road des now, en he say I mus" come en tell you fer ter gimme a mess er sparrer-gra.s.s."
"Little gal, she fling de gate wide open, en let Mr. Billy Malone git de sparrer-gra.s.s.
"Man come back en see whar somebody done bin tromplin" on de gyardin truck, en den he call up de little gal, en up"n ax "er who bin dar since he bin gone; en de little gal, she "low, she did, dat Mr. Billy Malone bin dar. Man ax who in de name er goodness is Mr. Billy Malone. Little gal "low hit "s des a man w"at say "er daddy sont "im fer ter git some sparrer-gra.s.s on account er ole acquaintance. Man got his "spicions, but he aint say nothin".
"Nex" day, w"en he start off, he holler en tell de little gal fer ter keep one eye on ole Brer Rabbit, en don"t let n.o.body git no mo"
sparrer-gra.s.s. Brer Rabbit, he settin" off dar in de bushes, en he year w"at de man say, en he see "im w"en he go off. Bimeby, he sorter run "roun", ole Brer Rabbit did, en he come hoppin" down de road, twel he git close up by de little gal at de gyardin gate. Brer Rabbit drapt "er his biggest bow, en ax "er how she come on. Den, atter dat, he "low, he did:
""I see yo" daddy gwine "long down de road des now, en he gimme a rakin"
down "kaze I make "way wid de sparrer-gra.s.s, yit he say dat bein" "s how I sech a good fr"en" er de fambly I kin come en ax you fer ter gimme a mess er Inglish peas."
"Little gal, she tuck"n fling de gate wide open, en ole Brer Rabbit, he march in, he did, en he git de peas in a hurry. Man come back atter w"ile, en he "low:
""Who bin tromplin" down my pea-vines?"