akin' a nap.

"Brer Rabbit, he tuck'n peep at um, he did, en he lick he foot en roach
back he h'ar, en den hol' his han's 'cross he mouf en laff lak some
chilluns does w'en dey t'ink dey er foolin' der ma."

"Not me, Uncle Remus--not me!" exclaimed the little boy promptly.

"Heyo dar! don't kick 'fo' you er spurred, honey! Brer Rabbit, he seed
um all dar, en he tuck'n grin, he did, en den he lit out ter whar he
done lef he truck, en w'en he git dar he dance 'roun' en slap hisse'f on
de leg, en make all sorts er kuse motions. Den he go ter wuk en tu'n de
coffee-pot upside down en stick it on he head; den he run he gallus thoo
de han'les er de cups, en sling um crosst he shoulder; den he 'vide de
platters, some in one han' en some in de yuther. Atter he git good en
ready, he crope ter de top er de hill, he did, en tuck a runnin' start,
en flew down like a harrycane--_rickety, rackety, slambang!_"

The little boy clapped his hands enthusiastically.

"Bless yo' soul, dem creeturs aint year no fuss lak dat, en dey aint
seed no man w'at look lak Brer Rabbit do, wid de coffee-pot on he head,
en de cups a-rattlin' on he gallus, en de platters a-wavin' en a-shinin'
in de a'r.

"Now, mine you, ole Brer B'ar wuz layin' off up de gully takin' a nap,
en de fuss skeer 'im so bad dat he make a break en run over Brer Fox. He
rush out in de road, he did, en w'en he see de sight, he whirl 'roun' en
run over Brer Wolf. Wid der scramblin' en der scufflin', Brer Rabbit got
right on um 'fo' dey kin git away. He holler out, he did:

"'Gimme room! Tu'n me loose! I'm ole man Spewter-Splutter wid long
claws, en scales on my back! I'm snaggle-toofed en double-j'inted! Gimme
room!'

"Eve'y time he'd fetch a whoop, he'd rattle de cups en slap de platters
tergedder--_rickety, rackety, slambang!_ En I let you know w'en dem
creeturs got dey lim's tergedder dey split de win', dey did dat. Ole
Brer B'ar, he struck a stump w'at stan' in de way, en I aint gwine tell
you how he to' it up 'kaze you won't b'leeve me, but de nex' mawnin'
Brer Rabbit en his chilluns went back dar, dey did, en dey got nuff
splinters fer ter make um kin'lin' wood all de winter. Yasser! Des ez
sho' ez I'm a-settin' by dish yer h'ath."

XXIII

MR. MAN HAS SOME MEAT

The little boy sat watching Uncle Remus sharpen his shoe-knife. The old
man's head moved in sympathy with his hands, and he mumbled fragments of
a song. Occasionally he would feel of the edge of th