Clinkalink!_' sez de box; '_Oh, gim me my money!_' sez de 'Oman; '_O
Lordy!_' sez de Man. 'Oman year de money, but look like she aint kin
see, en she grope 'roun', en grope 'roun', en grope 'roun' wid 'er han'
h'ist in de a'r des dis away."
Here 'Tildy stood up, pushed her chair back with her foot, raised her
arms over her head, and leaned forward in the direction of Daddy Jack.
"Win' blow, fier flicker, money rattle, Man shake en shiver, 'Oman grope
'roun' en say, '_Gim me my money! Oh, who got my money?_'"
'Tildy advanced a few steps.
"Money look like it gwine ter t'ar de tin box all ter flinders. 'Oman
grope en cry, grope en cry, tel bimeby she jump on de man en holler:
"'_You got my money!_'"
As she reached this climax, 'Tildy sprang at Daddy Jack and seized him,
and for a few moments there was considerable confusion in the corner.
The little boy was frightened, but the collapsed appearance of Daddy
Jack convulsed him with laughter. The old African was very angry. His
little eyes glistened with momentary malice, and he shook his cane
threateningly at 'Tildy. The latter coolly adjusted her ear-rings, as
she exclaimed:
"Dar, now! I know'd I'd git even wid de ole vilyun. Come a-callin' me
pidjin-toed!"
"Better keep yo' eye on 'im, chile," said Aunt Tempy. "He 'witch you,
sho'."
"'Witch who? Ef he come witchin' roun' me, I lay I break his back. I
tell you dat right pine-blank."
XXX
BROTHER RABBIT AND HIS FAMOUS FOOT
The little boy was very glad, one night shortly after he had heard about
Daddy Jack's ghosts and witches and 'Tildy's "ha'nts," to find Uncle
Remus alone in his cabin. The child liked to have his venerable partner
all to himself. Uncle Remus was engaged in hunting for tobacco crumbs
with which to fill his pipe, and in turning his pockets a rabbit foot
dropped upon the hearth.
"Grab it, honey!" he exclaimed. "Snatch it up off'n de h'a'th. In de
name er goodness, don't let it git in de embers; 'kaze ef dat ar rabbit
foot git singe, I'm a goner, sho'!"
It was the hind foot of a rabbit, and a very large one at that, and the
little boy examined it curiously. He was in thorough sympathy with all
the superstitions of the negroes, and to him the rabbit foot appeared to
be an uncanny affair. He placed it carefully on Uncle Remus's knee, and
after the pipe had been filled, he asked:
"What do you carry that for, Uncle Remus?"
"Well, honey," responded the old man, grimly, "ef
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