“‘Is de dogs all gone, Brer Rabbit?’
“‘Seem like I hear one un um smellin’
roun’ de chimbly-cornder des now.’
“Den Brer Rabbit git de kittle en fill it full
er water, en put it on de fier.
“‘W’at you doin’ now, Brer
Rabbit?’
“‘I’m fixin fer ter make you a nice
cup er tea, Brer Wolf.’
“Den Brer Rabbit went ter de cubberd en git
de gimlet, en commence for ter bo’ little holes
in de chist-lid.
“‘W’at you doin’ now, Brer
Rabbit?’
“‘I’m bo’in’ little
holes so you kin get bref, Brer Wolf.’
“Den Brer Rabbit went out en git some mo’
wood, en fling it on de fier.
“‘W’at you doin’ now, Brer
Rabbit?’
“‘I’m a chunkin’ up de fier
so you won’t git col’, Brer Wolf.’
“Den Brer Rabbit went down inter de cellar en
fotch out all his chilluns.
“‘W’at you doin’ now, Brer
Rabbit?’
“‘I’m a tellin’ my chilluns
w’at a nice man you is, Brer Wolf.’
“En de chilluns, dey had ter put der han’s
on der moufs fer ter keep fum laffin’.
Den Brer Rabbit he got de kittle en commenced fer
to po’ de hot water on de chist-lid.
“‘W’at dat I hear, Brer Rabbit?’
“‘You hear de win’ a blowin’,
Brer Wolf.’
“Den de water begin fer ter sif’ thoo.
“‘W’at dat I feel, Brer Rabbit?’
“‘You feels de fleas a bitin’, Brer
Wolf.’
“‘Dey er bitin’ mighty hard, Brer
Rabbit.’
“‘Tu’n over on de udder side, Brer
Wolf.’
“‘W’at dat I feel now, Brer Rabbit?’
“‘Still you feels de fleas, Brer Wolf.’
“‘Dey er eatin’ me up, Brer Rabbit,’
en dem wuz de las words er Brer Wolf, kase de scaldin’
water done de bizness.
“Den Brer Rabbit call in his neighbors, he did,
en dey hilt a reg’lar juberlee; en ef you go
ter Brer Rabbit’s house right now, I dunno but
w’at you’ll fine Brer Wolfs hide hangin’
in de back-po’ch, en all bekaze he wuz so bizzy
wid udder fo’kses doin’s.”
When the little boy ran in to see Uncle Remus
the night after he had told him of the awful fate
of Brer Wolf, the only response to his greeting was:
“I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker!”
No explanation could convey an adequate idea of the
intonation and pronunciation which Uncle Remus brought
to bear upon this wonderful word. Those who can
recall to mind the peculiar gurgling, jerking, liquid
sound made by pouring water from a large jug, or the
sound produced by throwing several stones in rapid
succession into a pond of deep water, may be able to
form a very faint idea of the sound, but it can not
be reproduced in print. The little boy was astonished.
“What did you say, Uncle Remus?”
“I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! I-doom-er-ker-kum
mer-ker!”
“What is that?”
