One evening recently, the lady whom Uncle Remus calls "Miss
Sally" missed her little seven-year-old. Making search for him
through the house and through the yard, she heard the sound of
voices in the old man's cabin, and, looking through the window,
saw the child sitting by Uncle Remus. His head rested against the
old man's arm, and he was gazing with an expression of the most
intense interest into the rough, weather-beaten face, that beamed
so kindly upon him. This is what "Miss Sally" heard:
"Bimeby, one day, atter Brer Fox bin doin' all dat he could fer
ter ketch Brer Rabbit, en Brer Rabbit bein doin' all he could fer
ter keep 'im fum it, Brer Fox say to hisse'f dat he'd put up a
game on Brer Rabbit, en he ain't mo'n got de wuds out'n his mouf
twel Brer Rabbit came a lopin' up de big road, lookin' des ez
plump, en ez fat, en ez sassy ez a Moggin hoss in a barley-patch.
"'Hol' on dar, Brer Rabbit,' sez Brer Fox, sezee.
"'I ain't got time, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, sorter
mendin' his licks.
"'I wanter have some confab wid you, Brer Rabbit,' sez Brer Fox,
sezee.
"'All right, Brer Fox, but you better holler fum whar you stan'.
I'm monstus full er fleas dis mawnin',' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
"'I seed Brer B'ar yistdiddy, 'sez Brer Fox, sezee, 'en he sorter
rake me over de coals kaze you en me ain't make frens en live
naberly, en I tole 'im dat I'd see you.'
"Den Brer Rabbit scratch one year wid his off hinefoot sorter
jub'usly, en den he ups en sez, sezee:
"'All a settin', Brer Fox. Spose'n you drap roun' ter-morrer en
take dinner wid me. We ain't got no great doin's at our house,
but I speck de ole 'oman en de chilluns kin sorter scramble roun'
en git up sump'n fer ter stay yo' stummick.'
"'I'm 'gree'ble, Brer Rabbit,' sez Brer Fox, sezee.
"'Den I'll 'pen' on you,' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
"Nex' day, Mr. Rabbit an' Miss Rabbit got up soom, 'fo' day, en
raided on a gyarden like Miss Sally's out dar, en got some
cabbiges, en some roas'n--years, en some sparrer-grass, en dey
fix up a smashin' dinner. Bimeby one er de little Rabbits,
playin' out in de back-yard, come runnin' in hollerin', 'Oh, ma!
oh, ma! I seed Mr. Fox a comin'!' En den Brer Rabbit he tuck de
chilluns by der years en make um set down, en den him and Miss
Rabbit sorter dally roun' waitin' for Brer Fox. En dey keep on
waitin' for Brer Fox. En dey keep on waitin', but no Brer Fox
ain't come. Atter 'while Brer Rabbit goes to de do', easy like,
en peep out, en dar, stickin' fum behime de cornder, wuz de
tip-een' er Brer Fox tail. Den Brer Rabbit shot de do' en sot
down, en put his paws behime his years en begin fer ter sing:
"'De place wharbouts you spill de grease,
Right dar you er boun' ter slide,
An' whar you fin' a bunch er ha'r,
You'll sholy fine de hide.'
"Nex' day, Brer Fox sont word by Mr. Mink, en skuze hisse'f kaze
he wuz too sick fer ter come, en he ax Brer Rabbit fer ter come
en take dinner wid him, en Brer Rabbit say he wuz 'gree'ble.
"Bimeby, w'en de shadders wuz at der shortes', Brer Rabbit he
sorter brush up en sa'nter down ter Brer Fox's house, en w'en he
got dar, he hear somebody groanin', en he look in de do' an dar
he see Brer Fox settin' up in a rockin'-cheer all wrop up wid
flannil, en he look mighty weak. Brer Rabbit look all roun', he
did, but he ain't see no dinner. De dish-pan wuz settin' on de
table, en close by wuz a kyarvin' knife.
"'Look like you gwineter have chicken fer dinner, Brer Fox,' sez
Brer Rabbit, sezee.
"'Yes, Brer Rabbit, dey er nice, en fresh, en tender, 'sez Brer
Fox, sezee.
"Den Brer Rabbit sorter pull his mustarsh, en say: 'You ain't got
no calamus root, is you, Brer Fox? I done got so now dat I can't
eat no chicken 'ceppin she's seasoned up wid calamus root.'
En wid dat Brer Rabbit lipt out er de do' and dodge 'mong the
bushes, en sot dar watchin' for Brer Fox; en he ain't watch long,
nudder, kaze Brer Fox flung off de flannil en crope out er de
house en got whar he could cloze in on Brer Rabbit, en bimeby
Brer Rabbit holler out: 'Oh, Brer Fox! I'll des put yo' calamus
root out yer on dish yer stump. Better come git it while hit's
fresh,' and wid dat Brer Rabbit gallop off home. En Brer Fox
ain't never kotch 'im yit, en w'at's mo', honey, he ain't
gwineter."