to drop me dat egg?' shouts Ou'
Jackalse.

"`Yes, yes. Here it is! Take it, take it!' squeak de little missis,
an' she drop out de one egg to him.

"Ou' Jackalse he ketch dat egg an' he gulp it down an' off he go agen.
`Nex' time I come you better drop one quicker. I ain't a-gun' to ax
twice no more,' ses he.

"Well, as soon as he go, little Missis Tinky she cry like her heart
break, an' she cahnt sit dere on de dest at all. Anyhow she's feared to
wait till Young Tinky comes home, 'cause she don't know what he'll say
when he finds anoder egg gone, an' she's in dat misery dat she don't
know what to do. Den she tink of her Aunt, Ou' Reyer, de Blue Crane,
an' she fly off to her where she's a-fis'in' in de reeds, an' she yust
up an' tell her de hull tale of it.

"`So darie Ou' Jackalse's up to his tricks agen, is he?' ses Ou' Reyer.
`Well, he's meddle wid de birds before, an' dis time we'll teach him to
don't do it no more. Now you yust go home an' sit on de nest agen, an'
I'll come in a minute or two--den well be ready for him.'

"Little missis she go back, an' in a minute or two Ou' Reyer follows,
an' she hide herse'f in de top o' de willow-tree over de nest. `Now for
Ou' Jackalse,' ses she.

"Well, it ain't but a little while rill here come Ou' Jackalse agen, wid
de same ole scratch! scratch! scratch! an' de same ole terr'fyin'
words--`Drop me down anoder egg or I'll come up an' eat you,' ses he.

"`Make like you's a-gun' to drop him one,' whispers Ou' Reyer; an'
little Missis Tinky she make like she's a-doin' it.

"Ou' Jackalse he rise up on his hine legs, an' he put his paws agen de
tree, an' he open his mouf an' shut his eyes, an' he fair feel de taste
o' dat egg a'ready. An' den, yust den, Ou' Reyer she lean out over
Missis Tinky an' she open her big long beak, an', swock! she drop a
great big bull-frog right into Ou' Jackalse's froat.

"Wow! but dere was a chokin' an' a squeal-in' den. Ou' Jackalse he yump
an' he roll, an' he fling hisse'f along de ground a-tryin' to cough up
darie fat bull-frog, an' darie ou' bull-frog he puff an' he wiggle an'
he slip down an' down till dere he is in Ou' Jackalse's tummy, a-hoppin'
an' a-floppin' an' a-croakin' an' a-gloakin' till Ou' Jackalse is yust
dat scared dat he light out f'm dere plump across de scenery. An' he go
dat fast he yust hit de high places as he went an' never touch' de low.
I tell you Ou' Jackalse was scared.

"He don't stop nudder till he