Uncle Remus made a practical ill.u.s.tration by drawing a cross-mark in the ashes on the hearth.
"Well, but, Uncle Remus, what good does all this do?" the little boy asked.
"Lots er good, honey; bless yo" soul, lots er good. W"en rabbit crosses yo" luck, w"at you gwine do, less"n you sets down en crosses it out, right den en dar? I year talk er folks shootin" rabbit in de big road, yit I notices dat dem w"at does de shootin" aint come ter no good een"--dat w"at I notices."
"Uncle Remus," the little boy asked, after a while, "how did people happen to find out about the rabbit"s foot?"
"Oh, you let folks "lone fer dat, honey! You des let um "lone. W"at de wimmen aint up"n tell bidout anybody axin" un um, folks mighty ap" fer ter fine out fer deyse"f. De wimmen, dey does de talkin" en de flyin", en de mens, dey does de walkin" en de pryin", en betwixt en betweenst um, dey aint much dat don"t come out. Ef it don"t come out one day it do de nex", en so she goes--Ant"ny over, Ant"ny under--up one row en down de udder, en clean acrosst de bolly-patch!"
It may be that the child did n"t understand all this, but he had no doubt of its wisdom, and so he waited patiently for developments.
"Dey"s a tale "bout de rabbit foot," continued Uncle Remus, "but yo" eye look watery, like ole man Nod "bout ter slip up behime you; en let "lone dat, I "speck Miss Sally clock clickin" fer you right now."
"Oh, no, it is n"t, Uncle Remus," said the child, laughing. "Mamma said she"d make "Tildy call me."
"Dar, now!" exclaimed the old man, indignantly, ""Tildy dis en "Tildy dat. I dunner w"at yo" mammy dreamin" "bout fer ter let dat n.i.g.g.e.r gal be a-holl"in" en a-bawlin" atter you all "roun" dish yer plan"ation. She de mos" uppity n.i.g.g.e.r on de hill, en de fus" news you know dey ull all hatter make der bows en call "er Mistiss. Ef ole Miss wuz "live, dey would n"t be no sech gwines on "roun" yer. But nummine.[29] You des let "er come a-cuttin" up front er my do", en I lay you"ll year squallin".
Now, den," continued the old man, settling himself back in his chair, "wharbouts wuz I?"
"You said there was a tale about the rabbit foot," the little boy replied.
"So dey is, honey! so dey is!" Uncle Remus exclaimed, "but she got so many crooks en tu"ns in "er dat I dunner but w"at I aint done gone en fergotted some un um off"n my min"; "kaze ole folks lak me knows lots mo" dan w"at dey kin "member.
"In de days w"ence Brer Rabbit wuz sorter keepin" de neighborhoods stirred up, de yuther creeturs wuz studyin" en studyin" de whole blessid time how dey gwine ter nab "im. Dey aint had no holiday yit, "kaze w"en de holiday come, dey"d go ter wuk, dey would, en juggle wid one er n"er fer ter see how dey gwine ter ketch up wid Brer Rabbit. Bimeby, w"en all der plans, en der traps, en der jugglements aint do no good, dey all "gree, dey did, dat Brer Rabbit got some cunjerment w"at he trick um wid. Brer B"ar, he up"n "low, he did, dat he boun" Brer Rabbit is a nat"al bawn witch; Brer Wolf say, sezee, dat he "speck Brer Rabbit des in cahoots wid a witch; en Brer Fox, he vow dat Brer Rabbit got mo" luck dan smartness. Den Jedge B"ar, he drap he head one side, he did, en he ax how come Brer Rabbit got all de luck on he own side. De mo" dey ax, de mo" dey git pestered, en de mo" dey git pestered, de wuss dey worry.
Day in en day out dey wuk wid dis puzzlement; let "lone dat, dey sot up nights; en bimeby dey "gree "mungs deyse"f dat dey better make up wid Brer Rabbit, en see ef dey can"t fine out how come he so lucky.
"W"iles all dis gwine on, ole Brer Rabbit wuz a-gallopin" "roun" fum Funtown ter Frolicville, a-kickin" up de devilment en terrifyin" de neighborhoods. Hit keep on dis a-way, twel one time, endurin" de odd-come-shorts,[30] ole Jedge B"ar sont wud dat one er his chilluns done bin tooken wid a sickness, en he ax won"t ole Miss Rabbit drap "roun" en set up wid "im. Ole Miss Rabbit, she say, co"se she go, en atter she fill "er satchy full er yerbs en truck, off she put.
"I done fergit," said Uncle Remus, scratching his head gravely, "w"ich one er dem chilluns wuz ailin". Hit mout er bin Kubs, en hit mout er bin Klibs; but no marter fer dat. W"en ole Miss Rabbit git dar, ole Miss B"ar wuz a-settin" up in de chimbly-cornder des a-dosin" en a-nussin" de young un; en all de wimmin er de neighborhoods wuz dar, a-whispun en a-talkin", des fer all de worl" lak wimmin does deze days. It "uz:
""Come right in, Sis Rabbit! I mighty proud to see you. I mighty glad you fotch yo" knittin", "kaze I"m pow"ful po" comp"ny w"en my chillun sick. Des fling yo" bonnet on de bed dar. I"m dat fl.u.s.trated twel I dunner w"ich een"s up, skacely. Sis Wolf, han" Sis Rabbit dat rickin"-cheer dar, "kaze "t aint no one step fum her house ter mine."
"Dat de way ole Miss B"ar run on," continued Uncle Remus, "en dey set dar en dey chatter en dey clatter. Ole Brer Wolf, he "uz settin" out on de back peazzer smokin" en noddin". He "ud take en draw a long whiff, he would, en den he "ud drap off ter noddin" en let de smoke oozle out thoo he nose. Bimeby ole Sis Rabbit drap "er knittin" in "er lap, en sing out, sez she:
""Law, Sis B"ar! I smells "barker smoke," sez she.
"Ole Sis B"ar, she jolt up de sick baby, en swap it fum one knee ter de yuther, en "low:
""My ole man bin smokin" "roun" yer de whole blessid day, but soon"z dish yer chile tuck sick, I des tuck"n tole "im, sez I, fer ter take hisse"f off in de woods whar he b"long at, sez I. Yessum! I did dat! I pities any "oman w"at "er ole man is fer"verlastin" stuck "roun" de house w"en dey"s any sickness gwine on," sez she.
"Ole Brer Wolf sot out dar on de back peazzer, en he shot one eye, he did, en open um "g"in, en let de smoke oozle out"n he nose. Sis B"ar, she jolt de sick baby en swap it fum one knee ter de yuther. Dey sot dar en talk twel bimeby der confab sorter slack up. Fus" news dey know Sis Rabbit drap "er knittin" en fling up "er han"s en squall out:
""De gracious en de goodness! Ef I aint done come traipsin" off en lef"
my ole man money-pus, en he got sump"n" in dar w"at he won"t take a purty fer, needer! I"m dat fergitful," sez she, "twel hit keep me mizerbul mighty nigh de whole time," sez she.
"Brer Wolf, he lif" up he year en open he eye, en let de smoke oozle out"n he nose. Sis B"ar, she jolt de sick baby wuss en wuss, en bimeby, she up"n say, sez she:
""I mighty glad "t aint me, dat I is," sez she, "bekaze ef I wuz ter lef" my ole man money-pus layin" "roun" dat a-way, he"d des nat"ally rip up de planks in de flo", en t"ar all de bark off"n de trees," sez she.
"Ole Miss Rabbit, she sot dar, she did, en she rock en study, en study en rock, en she dunner w"at ter do. Ole Sis B"ar, she jolt en jolt de baby. Ole Brer Wolf, he let de "barker smoke oozle thoo he nose, he did, en den he open bofe eyes en lay he pipe down. Wid dat, he crope down de back steps en lit out fer Brer Rabbit house. Brer Wolf got gait same lak race-hoss, en it aint take "im long fer ter git whar he gwine. W"en he git ter Brer Rabbit house, he pull de latch-string en open de do", en w"en he do dis, one er de little Rabs wake up, en he holler out:
""Dat you, mammy?"
"Den Brer Wolf wish he kin sing "Bye-O-Baby," but "fo" he kin make answer, de little Rab holler out "g"in:
""Dat you, mammy?"
"Ole Brer Wolf know he got ter do sump"n", so he tuck"n w"isper, he did:
""Sh-sh-sh! Go ter sleep, honey. De boogers"ll git you!" en wid dat de little Rab "gun ter whimple, en he whimple hisse"f off ter sleep.
"Den w"en it seem lak de little Rabs, w"ich dey wuz mighty nigh forty-eleven un um, is all gone ter sleep, Brer Wolf, he crope "roun", he did, en feel on de mantel-shelf, en feel, en feel, twel he come ter ole Brer Rabbit money-pus. Ef he want so light wid he han"," Uncle Remus went on, glancing quizzically at the child, "he"d a knock off de pollygollic vial w"at ole Miss Rabbit put up dar. But nummine! Brer Wolf, he feel, en feel, twel he come ter de money-pus, en he grab dat, he did, en he des flew"d away fum dar.
"W"en he git out er sight en year"n", Brer Wolf look at de money-pus, en see w"at in it. Hit "uz one er deze yer kinder money-pus wid tossle on de een" en shiny rings in de middle. Brer Wolf look in dar fer ter see w"at he kin see. In one een" dey wuz a piece er calamus-root en some collard-seeds, en in de t"er een" dey wuz a great big rabbit foot. Dis make Brer Wolf feel mighty good, en he gallop off home wid de shorance[31] un a man w"at done foun" a gol" mine."
Here Uncle Remus paused and betrayed a disposition to drop off to sleep.
The little boy, however, touched him upon the knee, and asked him what Brother Rabbit did when he found his foot was gone. Uncle Remus laughed and rubbed his eyes.
"Hit "s mighty kuse "bout Brer Rabbit, honey. He aint miss dat money-pus fer mighty long time, yit w"en he do miss it, he miss it mighty bad. He miss it so bad dat he git right-down sick, "kaze he know he bleedz ter fine dat ar foot let go w"at may, let come w"at will. He study en he study, yit "t aint do no good, en he go all "roun" "lowin" ter hisse"f:
""I know whar I put dat foot, yit I dunner whar I lef" um; I know whar I put dat foot, yit I dunner whar I lef" um."
"He mope en he mope "roun". Look lak Brer Wolf got all de luck en Brer Rabbit aint got none. Brer Wolf git fat, Brer Rabbit git lean; Brer Wolf run fas", Brer Rabbit lope heavy lak ole Sis Cow; Brer Wolf feel funny, Brer Rabbit feel po"ly. Hit keep on dis a-way, twel bimeby Brer Rabbit know sump"n" n"er bleedz ter be done. Las" he make up he min" fer ter take a journey, en he fix up he tricks, he do, en he go en see ole Aunt Mammy-Bammy Big-Money."
"And who was old Aunt Mammy-Bammy Big-Money, Uncle Remus?" the little boy inquired.
"Ah-yi!" exclaimed Uncle Remus, in a tone of triumph, "I know"d w"en I fotch dat ole creetur name up, dey wa"n"t gwine ter be no noddin" "roun"
dish yer h"a"th. In dem days," he continued, "dey wuz a Witch-Rabbit, en dat wuz her ent.i.tlements--ole Aunt Mammy-Bammy Big-Money. She live way off in a deep, dark swamp, en ef you go dar you hatter ride some, slide some; jump some, hump some; hop some, flop some; walk some, balk some; creep some, sleep some; fly some, cry some; foller some, holler some; wade some, spade some; en ef you aint monst"us keerful you aint git dar den. Yit Brer Rabbit he git dar atter so long a time, en he mighty nigh wo" out.
"He sot down, he did, fer ter res" hisse"f, en bimeby he see black smoke comin" outer de hole in de groun" whar de ole Witch-Rabbit stay. Smoke git blacker en blacker, en atter w"ile Brer Rabbit know de time done come fer "im ter open up en tell w"at he want."
As Uncle Remus interpreted the dialogue, Brother Rabbit spoke in a shrill, frightened tone, while the voice of the Rabbit-Witch was hoa.r.s.e and oracular:
""Mammy-Bammy Big-Money, I needs yo" he"p."
""Son Riley Rabbit, why so? Son Riley Rabbit, why so?"
""Mammy-Bammy Big-Money, I los" de foot you gim me."
""O Riley Rabbit, why so? Son Riley Rabbit, why so?"
""Mammy-Bammy Big-Money, my luck done gone. I put dat foot down "pon de groun". I lef um dar I know not whar."
""De Wolf done tuck en stole yo" luck, Son Riley Rabbit, Riley. Go fine de track, go git hit back, Son Riley Rabbit, Riley."
"Wid dat," continued Uncle Remus, "ole Aunt Mammy-Bammy Big-Money sucked all de black smoke back in de hole in de groun", and Brer Rabbit des put out fer home. W"en he git dar, w"at do he do? Do he go off in a cornder by hisse"f, en wipe he weepin" eye? Dat he don"t--dat he don"t. He des tuck"n wait he chance. He wait en he wait; he wait all day, he wait all night; he wait mighty nigh a mont". He hang "roun" Brer Wolf house; he watch en he wait.
"Bimeby, one day, Brer Rabbit git de news dat Brer Wolf des come back fum a big frolic. Brer Rabbit know he time comin", en he keep bofe eye open en bofe years h"ist up. Nex" mawnin" atter Brer Wolf git back fum de big frolic, Brer Rabbit see "im come outer de house en go down de spring atter bucket water. Brer Rabbit, he slip up, he did, en he look in. Ole Miss Wolf, she "uz sailin" "roun" fryin" meat en gittin"
brekkus, en dar hangin" "cross er cheer wuz Brer Wolf wes"cut where he keep he money-pus. Brer Rabbit rush up ter do" en pant lak he mighty nigh f.a.g out. He rush up, he did, en he sing out: