poke sha'p erbout
it.

"W'en dinner-time come, en Hannibal wuz help'n de cook kyar de dinner
f'm de kitchen inter de big house, en wuz gittin' close ter de do' what
he had ter go in, his feet sta'ted ter bu'n en his head begun ter swim,
en he let de big dish er chicken en dumplin's fall right down in de
dirt, in de middle er de ya'd, en de w'ite folks had ter make dey dinner
dat day off'n col' ham en sweet pertaters.

"De nex' mawnin' he overslep' hisse'f, en got inter mo' trouble. Atter
breakfus', Mars' Dugal' sont 'im ober ter Mars' Marrabo Utley's fer ter
borry a monkey wrench. He oughter be'n back in ha'f an hour, but he
come pokin' home 'bout dinner'time wid a screw-driver stidder a monkey
wrench. Mars' Dugal' sont ernudder nigger back wid de screw-driver,
en Hannibal didn' git no dinner. 'Long in de atternoon, ole mis' sot
Hannibal ter weedin' de flowers in de front gyahden, en Hannibal dug up
all de bulbs ole mis' had sont erway fer, en paid a lot er money fer,
en tuk 'em down ter de hawg-pen by de ba'nya'd, en fed 'em ter de hawgs.
W'en ole mis' come out in de cool er de ebenin', en seed w'at Hannibal
had done, she wuz mos' crazy, en she wrote a note en sont Hannibal down
ter de obserseah wid it.

"But w'at Hannibal got fum de oberseah didn' 'pear ter do no good. Ev'y
now en den 'is feet'd 'mence ter torment 'im, en 'is min' 'u'd git all
mix' up, en his conduc' kep' gittin' wusser en wusser, 'tel fin'ly de
w'ite folks couldn' stan' it no longer, en Mars' Dugal' tuk Hannibal
back down ter de qua'ters.

"'Mr. Smif,' sez Mars' Dugal' ter de oberseah, 'dis yer nigger has tu'nt
out so triflin' yer lately, dat we can't keep 'im at de house no mo', en
I's fotch' 'im ter you ter be straighten' up. You's had 'casion ter deal
wid 'im once, so he knows w'at ter expec'. You des take 'im in han', en
lemme know how he tu'ns out. En w'en de han's comes in fum de fiel' dis
ebenin' you kin sen' dat yaller nigger Jeff up ter de house. I'll try
'im, en see ef he's any better'n Hannibal.'

"So Jeff went up ter de big house, en pleas' Mars' Dugal' en ole mis' en
de res' er de fambly so well dat dey all got ter lakin' 'im fus'rate, en
dey'd 'a' fergot all 'bout Hannibal ef it hadn' be'n fer de bad repo'ts
w'at come up fum de qua'ters 'bout 'im fer a mont' er so. Fac' is dat
Chloe en Jeff wuz so int'rusted in one ernudder since Jeff be'n up ter
de house, dat dey fergot all about takin' de baby-doll back ter Aun'
Peggy, en it kep