wear in de dinin' room. Missy, dat little old white coat
made me git de onliest whuppin' Marse Frank ever did give me." Here old
Neal paused for a hearty laugh. "Us had comp'ny for dinner dat day and I
felt so big showin' off 'fore 'em in dat white coat dat I jus' couldn't
make dat turkey wing fan do right. Dem turkey wings was fastened on long
handles and atter Marster had done warned me a time or two to mind what
I was 'bout, the old turkey wing went down in de gravy bowl and when I
jerked it out it splattered all over de preacher's best Sunday suit.
Marse Frank got up and tuk me right out to de kitchen and when he got
through brushin' me off I never did have no more trouble wid dem turkey
wings.

"Evvybody cooked on open fireplaces dem days. Dey had swingin' racks
what dey called cranes to hang de pots on for bilin'. Dere was ovens for
bakin' and de heavy iron skillets had long handles. One of dem old
skillets was so big dat Mammy could cook 30 biscuits in it at one time.
I allus did love biscuits, and I would go out in de yard and trade Aunt
Tama's gingerbread to de other chilluns for deir sheer of biscuits. Den
dey would be skeered to eat de gingerbread 'cause I told 'em I'd tell on
'em. Aunt Tama thought dey was sick and told Marse Frank de chilluns
warn't eatin' nothin'. He axed 'em what was de matter and dey told him
dey had done traded all deir bread to me. Marse Frank den axed me if I
warn't gittin' enough t'eat, 'cause he 'lowed dere was enough dar for
all. Den Aunt Tama had to go and tell on me. She said I was wuss dan a
hog atter biscuits, so our good Marster ordered her to see dat li'l Neal
had enough t'eat.

"I ain't never gwine to forgit dat whuppin' my own daddy give me. He had
jus' sharpened up a fine new axe for hisself, and I traded it off to a
white boy named _Roar_ what lived nigh us when I seed him out tryin' to
cut wood wid a sorry old dull axe. I sold him my daddy's fine new axe
for 5 biscuits. When he found out 'bout dat, he 'lowed he was gwine to
give me somepin to make me think 'fore I done any more tradin' of his
things. Mist'eas, let me tell you, dat beatin' he give me evermore was
a-layin' on of de rod.

"One day Miss Serena put me in de cherry tree to pick cherries for her,
and she told me not to eat none 'til I finished; den I could have all I
wanted, but I didn't mind her and I et so many cherries I got sick and
fell out of de tree. Mist'ess was skeered, but Marse Frank said: 'It's