Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit | Page 4

de Rainmaker's house. He knocked an' went in, an' he ax de
Rainmaker ef he can't fix it up so dey kin have a race 'tween Brer Dust
an' Cousin Rain, fer ter see which kin run de fastes'. De Rainmaker
growled an' jowered, but bimeby he 'gree, but he say that ef 'twuz
anybody but Brer Rabbit, he wouldn't gi' it but one thunk.
[Illustration]
"Well, dey fix de day, dey did, an' den Brer Rabbit put out ter whar de
creeturs wuz stayin' at, an' tol' um de news. Dey dunner how Brer
Rabbit know, but dey all wanter see de race. Now, him an' de
Rainmaker had fixt it up so dat de race would be right down de middle
er de big road, an' when de day come, dar's whar he made de creeturs
stan'--Brer B'ar at de bend er de road, Brer Wolf a leetle furder off, an'

Brer Fox at a p'int whar de cross-roads wuz. Brer Coon an' Brer
Possum an' de yuthers be scattered about up an' down de Road.
[Illustration]
"Ter dem what has ter wait, it seem like de sun stops an' all de clocks
wid 'im. Brer B'ar done some growlin'; Brer Wolf some howlin' an'
Brer Possum some laughin'; but atter while a cloud come up fum
some'rs. 'Twant sech a big cloud, but Brer Rabbit know'd dat Cousin
Rain wuz in dar 'long wid Uncle Win'. De cloud crope up, it did, twel it
got right over de big road, an' den it kinder drapped down a leetle
closer ter de groun'. It look like it kinder stop, like a buggy, fer Cousin
Rain ter git out, so der'd be a fa'r start. Well, he got out, kaze de
creeturs kin see 'im, an' den Uncle Win', he got out.
[Illustration]
"An' den, gentermens! de race begun fer ter commence. Uncle Win'
hep'd um bofe; he had his bellows wid 'im, an' he blow'd it! Brer Dust
got up fum whar he wuz a-layin' at, an' come down de road des
a-whirlin'. He stricken ol' Brer B'ar fust, den Brer Wolf, an' den Brer
Fox, an' atter dat, all de yuther creeturs, an' it come mighty nigh
smifflicatin' um! Not never in all yo' born days is you y'ever heern sech
coughin' an' sneezin', sech snortin' an' wheezin'! An' dey all look like
dey wuz painted red. Brer B'ar sneeze so hard dat he hatter lay down in
de road, an' Brer Dust come mighty nigh buryin' 'im, an' 'twuz de same
wid de yuther creeturs--dey got der y'ears, der noses, an' der eyeses full.
[Illustration]
"An' den Cousin Rain come 'long, a-pursuin' Brer Dust, an' he come
mighty nigh drownin' um. He left um kivver'd wid mud, an' dey wuz
wuss off dan befo'. It wuz de longest 'fo' dey kin git de mud out 'n der
eyes an' y'ears, an' when dey git so dey kin see a leetle bit, dey tuck
notice dat Brer Rabbit, stidder bein' full er mud, wuz ez dry ez a chip,
ef not dryer.
[Illustration]

"It make um so mad, dat dey all put out atter 'im, an' try der level best
fer ter ketch, but ef dey wuz anything in de roun' worl' dat Brer Rabbit's
got, it's soople foots, an' 'twant no time 'fo' de yuther creeturs can't see
ha'r ner hide un 'im! All de same Brer Rabbit aint bargain fer ter have
two races de same day."
"But, Uncle Remus," said the little boy, "which beat, Brother Dust or
Cousin Rain?" The old man stirred uneasily in his chair, and rubbed his
chin with his hand. "Dey tells me," he responded cautiously, "dat when
Cousin Rain can't see nothin' er Brother Dust, he thunk he am beat, but
he holla out, 'Brer Dust, wharbouts is you?' an' Brer Dust he holla back,
'You'll hatter scuzen me; I fell down in de mud an' can't run no mo'!'"

BRER RABBIT'S FLYING TRIP
[Illustration]
Dar once wuz a time when most er de creeturs Got mighty tired er Brer
Rabbit's capers, An' dey 'semble', dey did, grass an' meat eaters.
Browsers an' grazers, an' likewiss de bone-scrapers, Fer ter see what
dey kin do.
Brer B'ar wuz dar, wid his bid fur suit on, An' ol' Brer Wolf fetched his
big howl along, An' when eve'ything wuz ready, wid a long, loud hoot
on, Here come ol' Simon Swamp Owl along, A-tootin' of his too-whoo.
Dar wuz ol' Brer Fox, suh, wid his black socks, suh, An' a heap er
creeturs dat I don't hatter mention; Some bow-legged an' some
knock-kneed in de hocks, suh. An' dey all agree fer ter hol' a
convention Fer ter stop Brer Rabbit's pranks.
[Illustration]
Brer Fox, he 'low he'll gi' a