""Youer my pardner, Brer Rabbit!" sez Brer Wolf, sezee; "youer my honey-pardner!"
"Dey all "gree ter dis plan, mo" "speshually ole Brer Wolf, so den dey tuck"n tie "im onter Big-Money. Dey tie "im on dar, dey did, en den ole Brer Wolf look all "roun" en wunk at de yuthers. Brer Rabbit, he tuck"n wunk back, en den Brer Wolf retch down en bite Big-Money on de back er de neck. Co"se, w"en he do dis, Big-Money bleedz ter flinch; let "lone dat, she bleedz ter jump. Brer Wolf holler out:
""Ow! Run yer somebody! Take me off! She aint dead! O Lordy! I feel "er move!"
Brer Rabbit holler back:
""Nummine de flinchin", Brer Wolf. She done dead; I done year "er sesso[39] "erse"f. She dead, sho". Bite er ag"in, Brer Wolf, bite "er ag"in!"
"Brer Rabbit talk so stiff, hit sorter tuck de chill off"n Brer Wolf, en he dipt down en bit ole Big-Money ag"in. Wid dat, she "gun ter move off, en Brer Wolf he holler des lak de woods done kotch a-fier:
""Ow! O Lordy! Ontie me, Brer Rabbit, ontie me! She aint dead! Ow! Run yer, Brer Rabbit, en ontie me!"
"Brer Rabbit, he holler back:
""She er sho"ly dead, Brer Wolf! Nail "er, Brer Wolf! Bite "er! gnyaw "er!"
"Brer Wolf keep on bitin", en Big-Money keep on movin" off. Bimeby, she git ter de bank er de river, en she fall in--_c.u.mberjoom!_--en dat "uz de las" er Brer Wolf."
"What did Brother Rabbit do?" the little boy asked, after a while.
"Well," responded Uncle Remus, in the tone of one anxious to dispose of a disagreeable matter as pleasantly as possible, "you know w"at kinder man Brer Rabbit is. He des went off some"rs by he own-alone se"f en tuck a big laugh."
-- FOOTNOTES:
[36] Let us; let"s; less.
[37] G hard.
[38] Feeble.
[39] Say so.
x.x.xVII
BROTHER RABBIT AND THE MOSQUITOES
The next night Daddy Jack was still away when the little boy went to see Uncle Remus, and the child asked about him.
"Bless yo" soul, honey! don"t ax me "bout Brer Jack. He look lak he mighty ole en trimbly, but he mighty peart n.i.g.g.e.r, mon. He look lak he shufflin" "long, but dat ole n.i.g.g.e.r gits over groun", sho". Forty year ergo, maybe I mought er kep" up wid "im, but I let you know Brer Jack is away "head er me. He mos" sho"ly is."
"Why, he"s older than you are, Uncle Remus!" the child exclaimed.
"Dat w"at I year tell. Seem lak hit mighty kuse, but sho" ez youer bawn Brer Jack is a heap mo" pearter n.i.g.g.e.r dan w"at ole Remus is. He little, yit he mighty hard. Dat "s Brer Jack, up en down."
Uncle Remus paused and reflected a moment. Then he went on:
"Talkin" "bout Brer Jack put me in min" "bout a tale w"ich she sho"ly mus" er happen down dar in dat ar country whar Brer Jack come fum, en it sorter ketch me in de neighborhoods er de "stonishment "kaze he aint done up"n tell it. I "speck it done wuk loose fum Brer Jack "membunce."
"What tale was that, Uncle Remus?"
"Seem lak dat one time w"en eve"ything en eve"ybody was runnin" "long des lak dey bin had waggin grease "pun um, ole Brer Wolf"--
The little boy laughed incredulously and Uncle Remus paused and frowned heavily.
"Why, Uncle Remus! how did Brother Wolf get away from Mammy-Bammy Big-Money?"
The old man"s frown deepened and his voice was full of anger as he replied:
"Now, den, is I"m de tale, er is de tale me? Tell me dat! Is I"m de tale, er is de tale me? Well, den, ef I aint de tale en de tale aint me, den how come you wanter take"n rake me over de coals fer?"
"Well, Uncle Remus, you know what you said. You said that was the end of Brother Wolf."
"I bleedz ter "spute dat," exclaimed Uncle Remus, with the air of one performing a painful duty; "I bleedz ter "spute it. Dat w"at de tale say. Ole Remus is one n.i.g.g.e.r en de tale, hit "s a n"er n.i.g.g.e.r. Yit I aint got no time fer ter set back yer en fetch out de oggyments."
Here the old man paused, closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and sighed. After a while he said, in a gentle tone:
"So den, Brer Wolf done dead, en yer I wuz runnin" on des same lak he wuz done "live. Well! well! well!"
Uncle Remus stole a glance at the little boy, and immediately relented.
"Yit," he went on, "ef I"m aint de tale en de tale aint me, hit aint skacely make no diffunce whe"er Brer Wolf dead er whe"er he"s a high-primin" "roun" bodder"n "longer de yuther creeturs. Dead er no dead, dey wuz one time w"en Brer Wolf live in de swamp down dar in dat ar country whar Brer Jack come fum, en, mo"n dat, he had a mighty likely gal. Look lak all de yuther creeturs wuz atter "er. Dey "ud go down dar ter Brer Wolf house, dey would, en dey "ud set up en court de gal, en "joy deyse"f.
"Hit went on dis a-way twel atter w"ile de skeeters "gun ter git monst"us bad. Brer Fox, he went flyin" "roun" Miss Wolf, en he sot dar, he did, en run on wid "er en fight skeeters des es big ez life en twice-t ez natchul. Las" Brer Wolf, he tuck"n kotch Brer Fox slappin" en fightin" at he skeeters. Wid dat he tuck"n tuck Brer Fox by de off year en led "im out ter de front gate, en w"en he git dar, he "low, he did, dat no man w"at can"t put up wid skeeters aint gwine ter come a-courtin" his gal.
[Ill.u.s.tration: BROTHER RABBIT AND THE MOSQUITOES]
"Den Brer c.o.o.n, he come flyin" "roun" de gal, but he aint bin dar no time skacely "fo" he "gun ter knock at de skeeters; en no sooner is he done dis dan Brer Wolf show "im de do". Brer Mink, he come en try he han", yit he bleedz ter fight de skeeters, en Brer Wolf ax "im out.
"Hit went on dis a-way twel bimeby all de creeturs bin flyin" "roun"
Brer Wolf"s gal "ceppin" it"s ole Brer Rabbit, en w"en he year w"at kinder treatments de yuther creeturs bin ketchin" he "low ter hisse"f dat he b"leeve in he soul he mus" go down ter Brer Wolf house en set de gal out one whet ef it"s de las" ack.
"No sooner say, no sooner do. Off he put, en "t wa"n"t long "fo" he fine hisse"f knockin" at Brer Wolf front do". Ole Sis Wolf, she tuck"n put down "er knittin" en she up"n low, she did:
""Who dat?"
"De gal, she "uz stannin" up "fo" de lookin"-gla.s.s sorter primpin", en she choke back a giggle, she did, en "low:
""Sh-h-h! My goodness, mammy! dat "s Mr. Rabbit. I year de gals say he"s a mighty prop-en-tickler[40] gentermun, en I des hope you aint gwine ter set dar en run on lak you mos" allers does w"en I got comp"ny "bout how much soap-grease you done save up en how many kitten de ole cat got. I gits right "shame" sometimes, dat I does!""
The little boy looked astonished.
"Did she talk that way to her mamma?" he asked.