mus," said the little boy, after a while, "you know I wasn't
crying just now."

"Dat's so, honey," the old man replied, "but 't wouldn't er bin long
'fo' you would er bin, kaze Mars John bawl out lak a man wa't got a
strop in he han', so wa't de diff'unce?"

When they had finished eating, Uncle Remus busied himself in cutting and
trimming some sole-leather for future use. His knife was so keen, and
the leather fell away from it so smoothly and easily, that the little
boy wanted to trim some himself. But to this Uncle Remus would not
listen.

"'Tain't on'y chilluns w'at got de consate er doin' eve'ything dey see
yuther folks do. Hit's grown folks w'at oughter know better," said the
old man. "Dat's des de way Brer B'ar git his tail broke off
smick-smack-smoove, en down ter dis day he be funnies'-lookin' creetur
w'at wobble on top er dry groun'."

Instantly the little boy forgot all about Uncle Remus's sharp knife.

"Hit seem lak dat in dem days Brer Rabbit en Brer Tarrypin done gone in
cohoots fer ter outdo de t'er creeturs. One time Brer Rabbit tuck'n make
a call on Brer Tarrypin, but w'en he git ter Brer Tarrypin house, he
year talk fum Miss Tarrypin dat her ole man done gone fer ter spen' de
day wid Mr. Mud-Turkle, w'ich dey wuz blood kin. Brer Rabbit he put out
atter Brer Tarrypin, en w'en he got ter Mr. Mud-Turkle house, dey all
sot up, dey did, en tole tales, en den w'en twelf er' clock come dey had
crawfish fer dinner, en dey 'joy deyse'f right erlong. Atter dinner dey
went down ter Mr. Mud-Turkle mill-pon,' en w'en dey git dar Mr.
Mud-Turkle en Brer Tarrypin dey 'muse deyse'f, dey did, wid slidin' fum
de top uv a big slantin' rock down inter de water.

"I'speck you moughter seen rocks in de water 'fo' now, whar dey git
green en slipp'y," said Uncle Remus.

The little boy had not only seen them, but had found them to be very
dangerous to walk upon, and the old man continued:

"Well, den, dish yer rock wuz mighty slick en mighty slantin'. Mr.
Mud-Turkle, he'd crawl ter de top, en tu'n loose, en go a-sailin' down
inter de water--_kersplash!_ Ole Brer Tarrypin, he'd foller atter, en
slide down inter de water--_kersplash!_ Ole Brer Rabbit, he sot off, he
did, en praise um up.

"W'iles dey wuz a-gwine on dis a-way, a-havin' der fun, en 'joyin'
deyse'f, yer come ole Brer B'ar. He year um laffin' en holl'in', en he
hail um.

"'Heyo, folks! W'at all dis? Ef my eye ain't 'ceive me, dish yer's Brer
Rabbit, en Br