ake up his
mind weder he'll eat or not, when here comes Klein Hahsie, yust
a-hoppin' an' a-skippin', wid a calabas' in his one hand, an' a-beatin'
it wid his toder like a drum. An' all de time he's a-keepin' time wid
singin':--

"Hahsie, Hahsie;
Calabasie;
Dum! Dum! Dam!

"Ou' Sculpat open his eyes at dat. He turn his head, an' on dat Little
Hahsie gives a extry kick an' a stride. `Here you is, Sculpat!' ses he.
`Taste dis!' an' he sticks a long feder into de calabas' an' pulls it
out wid a flouris' an' holds it up. `Open your mouf, an' shut you'
eyes, an' see what comes dat's spiffin' nice,' ses he.

"Ou' Sculpat he wave hisse'f to de side o' de pool like he dunno weder
it's wort while or not; but he comes out an' he stick his head up an'
open his mouf an' shut his eyes--an' dat's why he don't see de grin come
in Little Hahsie's face, nor' de double extry flouris' he give de feder.
Den Hahsie draw de feder troo Ou' Sculpat's mouf an' out agen.

"As soon as he taste dat honey Ou' Sculpat's eyes flew wide open an' his
mouf begun a-workin' all ways at once. `Allah Crachty! but dat's fair
fine-o,' ses he. `Yust gi'e me a little teenty bit more o' dat, won't
you?'

"`Ah, now,' ses Hahsie. `Yestiday when I ax you for some little fis'es
you was mighty snifty. To-day I gi'es you some o' my nice stuff an' you
ses--"Mo." An' I ses--"What for?"'

"`Well, I'll gi'e you a fis' if you gi'es me some more o' dat,' ses
Sculpat.

"`Hoho!' ses Hahsie. `Yestiday I offer' to fetch you garden stuff an'
you ses you's got weeds. S'pose I says now--"What do I want wid
fis'es--I's got honey?"--eh?'

"Ou' Sculpat he try to tink dat over, an' dis time it's Little Hahsie is
a-grinnin'. `Yestiday you laugh' at me,' ses Hahsie. `What price you
laugh at yourse'f to-day? You wouldn't gi'e me what you had, but you
want me to gi'e you what I got. What's de difference, Sculpat?'

"`Honey,' ses Sculpat; `an' you's got it. How many silver fis'es you
want for dat calabas' o' honey?'

"`Ten,' ses Hahsie.

"`Right,' ses Sculpat. `You be here in half an hour an' I'll have de
ten ready.'

"Well, Little Hahsie he hop off wid de same ole drummin' on de calabas',
an' de same ole song, `Hahsie, Hahsie, Calabasie! Dum! Dum! Dum!'
Ou' Sculpat he sets to work to ketch dem fis'es."

"But, Ou' Ta'," interrupted the eldest boy, "how does Ou' Sculpat catch
fish?"

"Ah!" answered the old Hottentot slyly; "dat's yust what Ou'