Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit | Page 2

It seem like dey all got
in front er de dogs, er de dogs got behime um, an' Brer Rabbit sot by de
creek-side laughin' an' hittin' at de snake doctors. An' dem po' creeturs
had ter go clean past de bobbycue--ef dey wuz any bobbycue, which I
don't skacely speck dey wuz. Dat what make me say what I does--when
you git a invite ter a bobbycue, you better fin' out when an' whar it's at,
an' who runnin' it."

BRER RABBIT'S FROLIC
[Illustration]
The little boy, when he next saw Uncle Remus, after hearing how the
animals went to the barbecue, wanted to know what happened to them:
he was anxious to learn if any of them were hurt by the dogs that had
been chasing Brother Rabbit. The old darkey closed his eyes and
chuckled. "You sho is axin' sump'n now, honey. Und' his hat, ef he had
any, Brer Rabbit had a mighty quick thinkin' apple-ratus, an' mos'
inginner'lly, all de time, de pranks he played on de yuther creeturs
pestered um bofe ways a-comin' an' a-gwine. De dogs done mighty well,
'long ez dey had dealin's wid de small fry, like Brer Fox, an' Brer Coon,
an' Brer Wolf, but when dey run ag'in' ol' Brer B'ar, dey sho struck a
snag. De mos' servigrous wuz de identual one dat got de wust hurted.
He got too close ter Brer B'ar, an' when he look at hisse'f in runnin'
water, he tuck notice dat he wuz split wide open fum flank ter dewlap.
[Illustration]

"Atter de rucus wuz over, de creeturs hobbled off home de best dey
could, an' laid 'roun' in sun an' shade fer ter let der cuts an' gashes git
good an' well. When dey got so dey could segashuate, an' pay der party
calls, dey 'gree fer ter insemble some'rs, an' hit on some plan fer ter
outdo Brer Rabbit. Well, dey had der insembly, an' dey jower'd an'
jower'd des like yo' pa do when he aint feelin' right well; but, bimeby,
dey 'greed 'pon a plan dat look like it mought work. Dey 'gree fer ter
make out dat dey gwine ter have a dance. Dey know'd dat ol' Brer
Rabbit wuz allers keen fer dat, an' dey say dey'll gi' him a invite, an'
when he got dar, dey'd ax 'im fer ter play de fiddle, an' ef he 'fuse, dey'll
close in on 'im an' make way wid 'im.
[Illustration]
"So fur, so good! But all de time dey wuz jowerin' an' confabbin', ol'
Brer Rabbit wus settin' in a shady place in de grass, a-hearin' eve'y
word dey say. When de time come, he crope out, he did, an' run 'roun',
an' de fust news dey know'd, here he come down de big
road--bookity-bookity--same ez a hoss dat's broke thoo de pastur' fence.
He say, sezee, 'Why, hello, frien's! an' howdy, too, kaze I aint seed
you-all sence de last time! Whar de name er goodness is you been deze
odd-come-shorts? an' how did you far' at de bobbycue? Ef my two
eyeballs aint gone an' got crooked, dar's ol' Brer B'ar, him er de short
tail an' sharp tush--de ve'y one I'm a-huntin' fer! An' dar's Brer Coon! I
sho is in big luck. Dar's gwineter be a big frolic at Miss Meadows', an'
her an' de gals want Brer B'ar fer ter show um de roas'n'-y'ar shuffle; an'
dey put Brer Coon down fer de jig dey calls rack-back-Davy.
[Illustration]
"'I'm ter play de fiddle--sump'n I aint done sence my oldest gal had de
mumps an' de measles, bofe de same day an' hour! Well, dis mornin' I
tuck down de fiddle fum whar she wuz a-hangin' at, an' draw'd de bow
backerds an' forerds a time er two, an' den I shot my eyes an' hit some
er de ol'-time chunes, an' when I come ter myse'f, dar wuz my whole
blessed fambly skippin' an' sasshayin' 'roun' de room, spite er de fack
dat brekkus wuz ter be cooked!'

[Illustration]
"Wid dat, Brer Rabbit bow'd, he did, an' went back down de road like
de dogs wuz atter 'im."
[Illustration]
"But what happened then?" the little boy asked. "Nothin' 't all," replied
Uncle Remus, taking up the chuckle where he had left off. "De creeturs
aint had no dance, an' when dey went ter Miss Meadows', she put her
head out de winder, an' say ef dey don't go off fum dar she'll have de
law on um!"

BROTHER BEAR'S BIG HOUSE
[Illustration]
"Uv all de creeturs", said Uncle Remus, in response to a questioning
took on the part of the little boy, "ol Brer B'ar had de biggest an' de
warmest house. I dunner why ner wharfo', but I'm a-tellin' you de