"FIN' um whar you will en w'en you may," remarked Uncle Remus
with emphasis, "good chilluns allers gits tuck keer on. Dar wuz
Brer Rabbit's chilluns; dey minded der daddy en mammy fum day's
een' ter day's een'. W'en ole man Rabbit say scoot,' dey scooted,
en w'en ole Miss Rabbit say 'scat,' dey scatted. Dey did dat. En
dey kep der cloze clean, en dey ain't had no smut on der nose
nudder."
Involuntarily the hand of the little boy went up to his face, and
he scrubbed the end of his nose with his coat-sleeve.
"Dey wuz good chilluns," continued the old man, heartily, "en ef
dey hadn't er bin, der wuz one time w'en dey wouldn't er bin no
little rabbits--na'er one. Dat's w'at."
"What time was that, Uncle Remus?" the little boy asked.
"De time w'en Brer Fox drapt in at Brer Rabbit house, en didn't
foun' nobody dar ceppin' de little Rabbits. Ole Brer Rabbit, he
wuz off some'rs raiding on a collard patch, en ole Miss Rabbit
she wuz tendin' on a quiltin' in de naberhood, en wiles de little
Rabbits wuz playin' hidin'-switch, in drapt Brer Fox. De little
Rabbits wuz so fat dat dey fa'rly make his mouf water, but he
'member 'bout Brer Wolf, en he skeer'd fer ter gobble urn up
ceppin' he got some skuse. De little Rabbits, dey mighty
skittish, en dey sorter huddle deyse'f up tergedder en watch Brer
Fox motions. Brer Fox, he sot dar en study w'at sorter skuse he
gwineter make up. Bimeby he see a great big stalk er sugar-cane
stan'in' up in de cornder, en he cle'r up his th'oat en talk
biggity:
"'Yer! you young Rabs dar, sail 'roun' yer en broke me a piece er
dat sweetnin'-tree,' sezee, en den he koff.
"De little Rabbits, dey got out de sugar-cane, dey did, en dey
rastle wid it, en sweat over it, but twan't no use. Dey
couldn't broke it. Brer Fox, he make like he ain't watchin', but
he keep on holler'n:
"'Hurry up dar, Rabs! I'm a waitin' on you.'
"En de little Rabbits, dey hustle 'roun' en rastle wid it, but
they couldn't broke it. Bimeby dey hear little bird singin' on
top er de house, en de song w'at de little bird sing wuz dish
yer.
"'Take yo' toofies en gnyaw it,
Take yo' toofies en saw it,
Saw it en yoke it,
En den you kin broke it.'
"Den de little Rabbits, dey git mighty glad, en dey gnyawed de
cane mos' 'fo' 'ole Brer Fox could git his legs oncrosst, en w'en
dey kyard 'im de cane, Brer Fox, he sot dar en study how he
gwineter make some mo' skuse fer nabbin' un um, en bimeby he git
up en git down de sifter w'at wuz hangin' on de wall, en holler
out:
"'Come yer, Rabs! Take dish yer sifter, en run down't de spring
en fetch me some fresh water.'
"De little Rabbits, dey run down't de spring, en try ter dip up
de water wid de sifter, but co'se hit all run out, en hit keep on
runnin' out, twel bimeby de little Rabbits sot down en 'gun ter
cry. Den de little bird settin' up in de tree he begin fer ter
sing, en dish yer's de song w'at he sing:
"'Sifter hol' water same ez a tray,
Ef you fill it wid moss en dob it wid clay;
De Fox git madder de longer you stay--
Fill it wid moss en dob it wid clay.'
"Up dey jump, de little Rabbits did, en dey fix de sifter so
'twon't leak, en den dey kyar de water ter ole Brer Fox. Den Brer
Fox he git mighty mad, en p'int out a great big stick er wood, en
tell de little Rabbits fer ter put dat on de fier. De little
chaps dey got 'roun' de wood, dey did, en dey lif' at it so hard
twel dey could see der own sins, but de wood ain't budge. Den dey
hear de little bird singin', en dish yer's de song w'at he sing:
"'Spit in yo' han's en tug it en toll it,
En git behime it, en push it, en pole it;
Spit in yo' han's en r'ar back en roll it.'
"En des 'bout de time dey got de wood on de fier, der daddy, he
come skippin' in, en de little bird, he flew'd away. Brer Fox, he
seed his game wuz up, en 'twan't long 'fo' he make his skuse en
start fer ter go.
"'You better Stay en take a snack wid me, Brer Fox,' sez Brer
Rabbit, sezee. 'Sence Brer Wolf done quite comin' en settin' up
wid me, I gittin' so I feels right lonesome dese long nights,'
sezee.
"But Brer Fox, he button up his coat-collar tight en des put out
fer home. En dat w'at you better do, honey, kaze I see Miss
Sally's shadder sailin' backerds en forerds 'fo' de winder, en de
fus' news you know she'll be spectin' un you."