Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit | Page 3

plain
fack, des ez dey to!' it unter me. Ef I kin he'p it I never will be deceivin'
you, ner lead you inter no bad habits. Yo' pappy trotted wid me a
mighty long time, an' ef you'll ax him he'll tell you dat de one thing I
never did do wuz ter deceive him whiles he had his eyes open; not ef I
knows myse'f. Well, ol' Brer B'ar had de big house I'm a-tellin' you
about. Ef he y'ever is brag un it, it aint never come down ter me. Yit
dat's des what he had--a big house an' plenty er room fer him an' his
fambly; an' he aint had mo' dan he need, kaze all er his fambly wuz fat
an' had what folks calls heft--de nachal plunkness.
[Illustration]
"He had a son name Simmon, an' a gal name Sue, not countin' his ol'
'oman, an' dey all live wid one an'er day atter day, an' night atter night;
an' when one un um went abroad, dey'd be spected home 'bout
meal-time, ef not befo', an' dey segashuated right along fum day ter day,
washin' der face an' han's in de same wash-pan in de back po'ch, an'

wipin' on de same towel same ez all happy famblies allers does.
[Illustration]
"Well, time went on an' fotched de changes dat might be spected, an'
one day dar come a mighty knockin' on Brer B'ar's do'. Brer B'ar, he
holla out, he did. 'Who dat come a-knockin' dis time er de year, 'fo' de
corn's done planted, er de cotton-crap's pitched?' De one at de do' make
a big noise, an' rattle de hinges. Brer B'ar holla out, he did, 'Don't t'ar
down my house! Who is you, anyhow, an' what you want?' An' de
answer come, 'I'm one an' darfo' not two; ef youer mo' dan one, who is
you an' what you doin' in dar?' Brer B'ar, he say, sezee, 'I'm all er one
an' mighty nigh two, but I'd thank you fer ter tell me yo' full fambly
name.' Den de answer come.
[Illustration]
"'I'm de knocker an' de mover bofe, an' ef I can't clim' over I'll crawl
under ef you do but gi' me de word. Some calls me Brer Polecat, an'
some a big word dat it aint wuff while ter ermember, but I wanter move
in. It's mighty col' out here, an' all I meets tells me it's mighty warm in
dar whar you is.' Den ol' Brer B'ar say, sezee. 'It's warm nuff fer dem
what stays in here, but not nigh so warm fer dem on de outside. What
does you reely want?' Brer Polecat 'spon', he did, 'I wants a heap er
things dat I don't git. I'm a mighty good housekeeper, but I takes notice
dat dar's mighty few folks dat wants me ter keep house fer um.' Brer
B'ar say, sezee, 'I aint got no room fer no housekeeper; we aint skacely
got room fer ter go ter bed. Ef you kin keep my house on de outside,
you er mighty welcome.'
[Illustration]
"Brer Polecat say, 'You may think you aint got no room, but I bet you
got des ez much room ez anybody what I know. Ef you let me in dar
one time, I boun' you I'll make all de room I want.'"
[Illustration]

Uncle Remus paused to see what effect this statement would have on
the little boy. He closed his eyes, as though he were tired, but when he
opened them again, he saw the faint shadow of a smile on the child's
face. "'Taint gwine ter hurt you fer ter laugh a little bit, honey. Brer
Polecat come in Brer B'ar's house, an' he had sech a bad breff dat dey
all hatter git out--an' he stayed an' stayed twel time stopped runnin'
ag'in' him."

BRER RABBIT TREATS THE CREETURS TO A RACE
[Illustration]
One sultry summer day, while the little boy was playing not far from
Uncle Remus's cabin, a heavy black cloud made its appearance in the
west, and quickly obscured the sky. It sent a brisk gale before it, as if to
clear the path of leaves and dust. Presently there was a blinding flash of
lightning, a snap and a crash, and, with that, the child took to his heels,
and ran to Uncle Remus, who was standing in his door. "Dar now!" he
exclaimed, before the echoes of the thunder had rolled away, "Dat dust
an' win', an' rain, puts me in mind er de time when ol' Brer Rabbit got
up a big race fer ter pleasure de yuther creeturs. It wuz de mos' funniest
race you ever hear tell on. Brer Rabbit went 'way off in de woods twel
he come ter