er'd an' skeer'd
eve'ybody fur miles aroun'.
[Illustration]
"An when he come out, all de wool drap't out, 'cep' de bunch you see on
his neck, an' de leetle bit you'll fin' on de een' er his tail--an'
dat'd 'a' come off ef de tail hadn't 'a' slipped thoo de bung-hole er de
barrel." With that, Uncle Remus closed his eyes, but not so tightly that
he couldn't watch the little boy. For a moment the child said nothing,
and then, "I must tell that tale to mother before I forget it!" So
saying, he ran out of the cabin as fast as his feet could carry him,
leaving Uncle Remus shaking with laughter.
HOW BRER RABBIT GOT A HOUSE
[Illustration]
Oh, once 'pon a time, all de creeturs, all de creeturs,
Tuck a notion dat dey'd build a house,
An' fix it so ez ter keep out de skeeters,
An' fix it up nix cummy rous!
Dey all wuz dar fum de B'ar ter de Possum,
Brer Wolf, Brer Fox, Brer Coon,
Wid ol' Brer Rabbit fer ter stan' 'roun' an' boss um,
Kaze dey hatter have de' house right soon.
[Illustration]
Brer Rabbit, he wuz busy, oh, yes, mighty busy,
Not doin' uv a blessed thing;
Ef he clim' de scaffle, he say he'll git dizzy,
So he medjur an' mark an' sing.
Dey buil' de house, an' it sho wuz a fine un,
Made er poplar, oak an' pine;
De littlest room wuz a sev'm-by-nine un,
Whar de sick could go an' whine!
[Illustration]
Brer Rabbit, he wait, an' when de time come
He choosened a upsta's room,
An' dar he sot (ef I kin make de rhyme come)
A-singin' "Hark fum de Toom"!
An' den he got what he aint had oughter,
Ez all de creeturs said,
A gun, a cannon, an' a tub er water,
An' hid um under his bed!
[Illustration]
When de creeturs come home, Brer Rabbit wuz ready,
An' he tell um he gwineter set down;
"Well, set," sez dey, "an' we'll try ter be ste'dy,"
An' wid dat, Brer Rabbit kinder frown;
Bang-bang! went de gun--de barrels wuz double--
An' de creeturs wuz still ez mice;
Brer B'ar he say, "Dy must be some trouble,
But I hope heedon't loosen de j'is!"
[Illustration]
Brer Rabbit, he say, "Wharbouts mus' I spit at?"
An' Brer Wolf answer, wid a grin,
"Des wharsomever you kin make it hit at!"
Brer Fox, he rub his chin;
Brer Rabbit, he tuck de tub er water,
An' empt
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