e, en look up; en no sooner
is he do dis dan Brer Rabbit fill he eyes full er san', en w'iles he
gone ter de branch fer ter wash it out, Brer Rabbit he come down outer
de holler, en went back ter whar de cow wuz; en mo' dan dat, Brer Rabbit
got de ballunce un de beef."

----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE:

[63] As if.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

XLVIII

BROTHER RABBIT AND MR. WILDCAT

"Uncle Remus," said the little boy, after a pause, "where did Brother
Rabbit go when he got out of the hollow tree?"

"Well, sir," exclaimed Uncle Remus, "you aint gwine ter b'leeve me,
skacely, but dat owdashus creetur aint no sooner git out er dat ar tree
dan he go en git hisse'f mix up wid some mo' trouble, w'ich he git
mighty nigh skeer'd out'n he skin.

"W'en Brer Rabbit git out'n de holler tree, he tuck'n fling some sass
back at ole Brer Buzzard, he did, en den he put out down de big road,
stidder gwine 'long back home en see 'bout he fambly. He 'uz gwine
'long--_lickety-clickety, clickety-lickety_--w'en fus' news you know he
feel sump'n' 'n'er drap down 'pun 'im, en dar he wuz. Bless yo' soul,
w'en Brer Rabbit kin git he 'membunce terge'er, he feel ole Mr. Wildcat
a-huggin' 'im fum behime, en w'ispun in he year."

"What did he whisper, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"Dis, dat, en de udder, one thing en a nudder."

"But what did he say?"

"De way un it wuz dis," said Uncle Remus, ignoring the child's question,
"Brer Rabbit, he 'uz gallin'-up down de road, en ole Mr. Wildcat, he 'uz
layin' stretch' out takin' a nap on a tree-lim' hangin' 'crosst de road.
He year Brer Rabbit come a-lickity-clickitin' down de road, en he des
sorter fix hisse'f, en w'en Brer Rabbit come a-dancin' und' de lim', all
Mr. Wildcat got ter do is ter drap right down on 'im, en dar he wuz. Mr.
Wildcat hug 'im right up at 'im, en laugh en w'isper in he year."

"Well, Uncle Remus, what did he _say_?" persisted the little boy.

The old man made a sweeping gesture with his left hand that might mean
everything or nothing, and proceeded to tell the story in his own way.

"Ole Mr. Wildcat hug Brer Rabbit up close en w'isper in he year. Brer
Rabbit, he kick, he squall. Bimeby he ketch he breff en 'low:

"'Ow! O Lordy-lordy! W'at I done gone en done now?'

"Mr. Wildcat, he rub he wet nose on Brer Rabbit year, en make cole chill
run up he ba