“‘Good evenin’, fokes, I wish you
mighty well,’ sezee, en wid dat he make a dash
for Brer Rabbit, but Miss Meadows en de gals dey holler
en squall, dey did, en Brer Tarrypin he got ter scramblin’
roun’ up dar on de shelf, en off he come, en
blip he tuck Brer Fox on de back er de head.
Dis sorter stunted Brer Fox, en w’en he gedder
his ‘membunce de mos’ he seed wuz a pot
er greens turnt over in de fireplace, en a broke cheer.
Brer Rabbit wuz gone, en Brer Tarrypin wuz gone, en
Miss Meadows en de gals wuz gone.
“Where did the Rabbit go, Uncle Remus?”
the little boy asked, after a pause.
“Bless yo’ soul, honey! Brer Rabbit
he skint up de chimbly—dat’s w’at
turnt de pot er greens over. Brer Tarrypin, he
crope under de bed, he did, en got behime de cloze-chist,
en Miss Meadows en de gals, dey run out in de yard.
“Brer Fox, he sorter look roun’ en feel
or de back er his head, whar Brer Tarrypin lit, but
he don’t see no sine er Brer Rabbit. But
de smoke en de ashes gwine up de chimbly got de best
er Brer Rabbit, en bimeby he sneeze—huckychow!
“‘Aha!’ sez Brer Fox, sezee; ‘you
er dar, is you?’ sezee. ’Well, I’m
gwineter smoke you out, ef it takes a mont’.
You er mine dis time,’ sezee. Brer Rabbit
ain’t Sayin’ nuthin’.
“‘Ain’t you comin’ down?’
sez Brer Fox, sezee. Brer Rabbit ain’t
sayin’ nuthin’. Den Brer Fox, he went
out atter some wood, he did, en w’en he come
back he hear Brer Rabbit laughin’.
“‘W’at you laughin’ at, Brer
Rabbit?’ sez Brer Fox, sezee.
“‘Can’t tell you, Brer Fox,’
sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
“‘Better tell, Brer Rabbit,’ sez
Brer Fox, sezee.
“‘Tain’t nuthin’ but a box
er money somebody done gone en lef’ up yer in
de chink er de chimbly,’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
“‘Don’t b’leeve you,’
sez Brer Fox, sezee.
“‘Look up en see,’ sez Brer Rabbit,
sezee, en w’en Brer Fox look up, Brer Rabbit
spit his eyes full er terbacker joose, he did, en
Brer Fox, he make a break fer de branch, en Brer Rabbit
he come down en tole de ladies good-by.
“’How you git ‘im off, Brer Rabbit?’
sez Miss Meadows, sez she.
“‘Who? me?’ sez Brer Rabbit, sezee;
’w’y I des tuck en tole ’im dat
ef he didn’t go ‘long home en stop playin’
his pranks on spectubble fokes, dat I’d take
’im out and th’ash ‘im,’ sezee.”
“And what became of the Terrapin?” asked
the little boy.
“Oh, well den!” exclaimed the old man,
“chilluns can’t speck ter know all ’bout
eve’ything ‘fo’ dey git some res’.
Dem eyelids er yone wanter be propped wid straws dis
minnit.”
“I lay yo’ ma got comp’ny,”
said Uncle Remus, as the little boy entered the old
man’s door with a huge piece of mince-pie in
his hand, ’en ef she ain’t got comp’ny,
den she done gone en drap de cubberd key som’ers
whar you done run up wid it.”
