"HIT look like ter me dat I let on de udder night dat in dem days
w'en de creeturs wuz santer'n 'roun' same like fokes, none un um
wuz brash nuff fer ter ketch up wid Brer Rabbit," remarked Uncle
Remus, reflectively.
"Yes," replied the little boy, "that's what you said."
"Well, den," continued the old man with unction, "dar's whar my
'membunce gin out, kaze Brer Rabbit did git kotched up wid, en
hit cool 'im off like po'in' spring water on one er deze yer
biggity fices."
"How was that, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.
"One day w'en Brer Rabbit wuz gwine lippity-clippitin' down de
road, he meet up wid ole Brer Tarrypin, en atter dey pass de time
er day wid wunner nudder, Brer Rabbit, he 'low dat he wuz much
'blije ter Brer Tarrypin fer de han' he tuck in de rumpus dat day
down at Miss Meadows's."
"When he dropped off of the water-shelf on the Fox's head,"
suggested the little boy.
"Dat's de same time, honey. Den Brer Tarrypin 'low dat Brer Fox
run mighty fas' dat day, but dat ef he'd er bin atter 'im stidder
Brer Rabbit, he'd er kotch 'im. Brer Rabbit say he could er kotch
'im hisse'f but he didn't keer 'bout leavin' de ladies. Dey keep
on talkin', dey did, twel bimeby dey gotter 'sputin' 'bout w'ich
wuz de swif'es'. Brer Rabbit, he say he kin outrun Brer Tarrypin,
en Brer Tarrypin, he des vow dat he kin outrun Brer Rabbit. Up en
down dey had it, twel fus news you know Brer Tarrypin say he got
a fifty-dollar bill in de chink er de chimbly at home, en dat
bill done tole 'im dat he could beat Brer Rabbit in a fa'r race.
Den Brer Rabbit say he got a fifty-dollar bill w'at say dat he
kin leave Brer Tarrypin so fur behime, dat he could sow barley ez
he went long en hit 'ud be ripe nuff fer ter cut by de time Brer
Tarrypin pass dat way.
"Enny how dey make de bet en put up de money, en old Brer Tukkey
Buzzard, he wuz summonzd fer ter be de jedge, en de stakeholder;
en 'twan't long 'fo' all de 'rangements wuz made. De race wuz a
five-mile heat, en de groun' wuz medjud off, en at de een' er
eve'y mile a pos' wuz stuck up. Brer Rabbit wuz ter run down de
big road, en Brer Tarrypin, he say he'd gallup thoo de woods.
Fokes tole 'im he could git long faster in de road, but ole Brer
Tarrypin, he know w'at he doin'. Miss Meadows en de gals en mos'
all de nabers got win' er de fun, en wen de day wuz sot dey
'termin' fer ter be on han'. Brer Rabbit he train hisse'f eve'y
day, en he skip over de groun' des ez gayly ez a June cricket.
Ole Brer Tarrypin, he lay low in de swamp. He had a wife en th'ee
chilluns, old Brer Tarrypin did, en dey wuz all de ve'y spit en
image er de ole man. Ennybody w'at know one fum de udder gotter
take a spy-glass, en den dey er li'ble fer ter git fooled.
"Dat's de way marters stan' twel de day er de race, en on dat
day, ole Brer Tarrypin, en his ole 'oman, en his th'ee chilluns,
dey got up 'fo' sun-up, en went ter de place. De ole 'oman, she
tuck 'er stan' nigh de fus' mile-pos', she did, en de chilluns
nigh de udders, up ter de las', en dar old Brer Tarrypin, he tuck
his stan'. Bimeby, here come de fokes: Jedge Buzzard, he come, en
Miss Meadows en de gals, dey come, en den yer come Brer Rabbit
wid ribbons tied 'roun' his neck en streamin' fum his years. De
fokes all went ter de udder een' er de track fer ter see how dey
come out. W'en de time come Jedge Buzzard strut 'roun' en pull
out his watch, en holler out:
"'Gents, is you ready?'
"Brer Rabbit, he say 'yes,' en old Miss Tarrypin holler 'go' fum
de aidge er de woods. Brer Rabbit, he lit out on de race, en old
Miss Tarrypin, she put out for home. Jedge Buzzard, he riz en
skimmed long fer ter see dat de race wuz runned fa'r. W'en Brer
Rabbit got ter de fus' mile-pos' wunner de Tarrypin chilluns
crawl out de woods, he did, en make fer de place. Brer Rabbit, he
holler out:
"'Whar is you, Brer Tarrypin?'
"'Yer I come a bulgin',' sez de Tarrypin, sezee.
"Brer Rabbit so glad he's ahead dat he put out harder dan ever,
en de Tarrypin, he make fer home. W'en he come ter de nex' pos',
nudder Tarrypin crawl out er de woods.
"'Whar is you, Brer Tarrypin?' sez Brer Rabbit, sezee.
"'Yer I come a bilin',' sez de Tarrypin, sezee.
"Brer Rabbit, he lit out, he did, en come ter nex' pos', en dar
wuz de Tarrypin. Den he come ter nex', en dar wuz de Tarrypin.
Den he had one mo' mile fer ter run, en he feel like he gittin'
bellust. Bimeby, ole Brer Tarrypin look way off down de road en
he see Jedge Buzzard sailin' long en he know hit's time fer 'im
fer ter be up. So he scramble outen de woods, en roll 'cross de
ditch, en shuffle thoo de crowd er folks en git ter de mile-pos'
en crawl behime it. Bimeby, fus' news you know, yer come Brer
Rabbit. He look 'roun' en he don't see Brer Tarrypin, en den he
squall out:
"'Gimme de money, Brer Buzzard, Gimme de money!'
"Den Miss Meadows en de gals, dey holler and laff fit ter kill
deyse'f, en ole Brer Tarrypin, he raise up fum behime de
pos' en sez, sezee:
"'Ef you'll gimme time fer ter ketch my breff, gents en ladies,
one en all, I speck I'll finger dat money myse'f,' sezee, en sho
nuff, Brer Tarrypin tie de pu's 'roun' his neck en skaddle*1 off
home."
"But, Uncle Remus," said the little boy, dolefully, "that was
cheating."
"Co'se, honey. De creeturs 'gun ter cheat, en den fokes tuck it
up, en hit keep on spreadin'. Hit mighty ketchin', en you mine
yo' eye, honey, dat somebody don't cheat you 'fo' yo' ha'r git
gray ez de ole nigger's."
*1 It may he interesting to note here that in all probability the
word "skedaddle," about which there was some controversy during
the war, came from the Virginia negro's use of "skaddle," which
is a corruption of "scatter." The matter, however, is hardly
worth referring to.