r de jig dey calls rack-back-Davy.
[Illustration]
"'I'm ter play de fiddle--sump'n I aint done sence my oldest gal had de
mumps an' de measles, bofe de same day an' hour! Well, dis mornin' I
tuck down de fiddle fum whar she wuz a-hangin' at, an' draw'd de bow
backerds an' forerds a time er two, an' den I shot my eyes an' hit some
er de ol'-time chunes, an' when I come ter myse'f, dar wuz my whole
blessed fambly skippin' an' sasshayin' 'roun' de room, spite er de fack
dat brekkus wuz ter be cooked!'
[Illustration]
"Wid dat, Brer Rabbit bow'd, he did, an' went back down de road like de
dogs wuz atter 'im."
[Illustration]
"But what happened then?" the little boy asked. "Nothin' 't all,"
replied Uncle Remus, taking up the chuckle where he had left off. "De
creeturs aint had no dance, an' when dey went ter Miss Meadows', she put
her head out de winder, an' say ef dey don't go off fum dar she'll have
de law on um!"
BROTHER BEAR'S BIG HOUSE
[Illustration]
"Uv all de creeturs", said Uncle Remus, in response to a questioning
took on the part of the little boy, "ol Brer B'ar had de biggest an' de
warmest house. I dunner why ner wharfo', but I'm a-tellin' you de plain
fack, des ez dey to!' it unter me. Ef I kin he'p it I never will be
deceivin' you, ner lead you inter no bad habits. Yo' pappy trotted wid
me a mighty long time, an' ef you'll ax him he'll tell you dat de one
thing I never did do wuz ter deceive him whiles he had his eyes open;
not ef I knows myse'f. Well, ol' Brer B'ar had de big house I'm
a-tellin' you about. Ef he y'ever is brag un it, it aint never come down
ter me. Yit dat's des what he had--a big house an' plenty er room fer
him an' his fambly; an' he aint had mo' dan he need, kaze all er his
fambly wuz fat an' had what folks calls heft--de nachal plunkness.
[Illustration]
"He had a son name Simmon, an' a gal name Sue, not countin' his ol'
'oman, an' dey all live wid one an'er day atter day, an' night atter
night; an' when one un um went abroad, dey'd be spected home 'bout
meal-time, ef not befo', an' dey segashuated right along fum day ter
day, washin' der face an' han's in de same wash-pan in de back po'ch,
an' wipin' on de same towel same ez all happy famblies allers does.
[Illustration]
"Well, time went on an' fotched de changes dat might be spected, an' one
day dar come a mighty knockin' on Brer B'ar's do'. Brer B'ar, he holla
out, he did. 'Who dat come a-knockin' dis
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