ck! Pot-rack!_ Mr. Rooster gone back! _Pot-rack! Pot-rack!_ Mr.
Rooster gone back!'

"Wid dat dey all make a great ter-do. Miss Hen en Miss Pullet, dey
cackle en squall, Mr. Gobbler, he gobble, en Miss Puddle Duck, she shake
'er tail en say, _quickity-quack-quack_. But Mr. Rooster, he ruffle up
he cape, en march on out.

"Dis sorter put a damper on de yuthers, but 'fo' Mr. Rooster git outer
sight en year'n dey went ter wuk on de pile w'at wuz 'pariently
co'n-bread, en, lo en beholes, un'need dem pone er bread wuz a whole
passel er meat en greens, en bake' taters, en bile' turnips. Mr.
Rooster, he year de ladies makin' great 'miration, en he stop en look
thoo de crack, en dar he see all de doin's en fixin's. He feel mighty
bad, Mr. Rooster did, w'en he see all dis, en de yuther fowls dey holler
en ax 'im fer ter come back, en he craw, w'ich it mighty empty,
likewise, it up'n ax 'im, but he mighty biggity en stuck up, en he strut
off, crowin' ez he go; but he 'speunce er dat time done las' him en all
er his fambly down ter dis day. En you neenter take my wud fer't, ne'r,
kaze ef you'll des keep yo' eye open en watch, you'll ketch a glimse er
ole Mr. Rooster folks scratchin' whar dey 'specks ter fine der rations,
en mo' dan dat, dey'll scratch wid der rations in plain sight. Since dat
time, dey aint none er de Mr. Roosters bin fool' by dat w'at dey see on
top. Dey aint res' twel dey see w'at und' dar. Dey'll scratch spite er
all creation."

"Dat 's de Lord's truth!" said 'Tildy, with unction. "I done seed um wid
my own eyes. Dat I is."

This was 'Tildy's method of renewing peaceful relations with Uncle
Remus, but the old man was disposed to resist the attempt.

"You better be up yander washin' up dishes, stidder hoppin' down yer wid
er whole packet er stuff w'at Miss Sally aint dreamp er sayin'."

XII

BROTHER RABBIT BREAKS UP A PARTY

As long as Uncle Remus allowed 'Tildy to remain in the cabin, the little
boy was not particularly interested in preventing the perfunctory abuse
which the old man might feel disposed to bestow upon the complacent
girl. The truth is, the child's mind was occupied with the episode in
the story of Mr. Benjamin Ram which treats of the style in which this
romantic old wag put Mr. and Mrs. Wolf to flight by playing a tune upon
his fiddle. The little boy was particularly struck with this remarkable
feat, as many a youngster before him had been, and he made bold to recur
to it agai