'longside er de gals, en den he'd go out down
de road en grab a 'simmon-bush in he mouf, en nat'ally gnyaw de bark
off'n it. In dem days, honey," continued Uncle Remus, responding to a
look of perplexity on the child's face, "creeturs wuz wuss dan w'at dey
is now. Dey wuz dat--lots wuss.

"Dey went on dis a-way twel, bimeby, Brer Rabbit 'gun ter cas' 'roun',
he did, fer ter see ef he can't bus' inter some er Brer Fox
'rangerments, en, atter w'ile, one day w'en he wer' settin' down by de
side er de road wukkin up de diffunt oggyment w'at strak pun he mine, en
fixin' up he tricks, des 'bout dat time he year a clatter up de long
green lane, en yer come ole Brer
Fox_toobookity--bookity--bookity-book--_lopin' 'long mo' samer dan a
bay colt in de bolly-patch. En he wuz all primp up, too, mon, en he look
slick en shiny lak he des come outen de sto'. Ole man Rab., he sot dar,
he did, en w'en ole Brer Fox come gallopin' 'long, Brer Rabbit, he up'n
hail 'im. Brer Fox, he fotch up, en dey pass de time er day wid one er
nudder monst'us perlite; en den, bimeby atter w'ile, Brer Rabbit, he
up'n say, sezee, dat he got some mighty good news fer Brer Fox; en Brer
Fox, he up'n ax 'im w'at is it. Den Brer Rabbit, he sorter scratch he
year wid his behime foot en say, sezee:--

"'I wuz takin' a walk day 'fo' yistiddy,' sezee, 'w'en de fus' news I
know'd I run up gin de bigges' en de fattes' bunch er grapes dat I ever
lay eyes on. Dey wuz dat fat en dat big,' sezee, 'dat de natal juice wuz
des drappin' fum um, en de bees wuz a-swawmin' atter de honey, en little
ole Jack Sparrer en all er his fambly conneckshun wuz skeetin' 'roun'
dar dippin' in der bills,' sezee.

"Right den en dar," Uncle Remus went on, "Brer Fox mouf 'gun ter water,
en he look outer he eye like he de bes' frien' w'at Brer Rabbit got in
de roun' worl'. He done fergit all 'bout de gals, en he sorter sidle up
ter Brer Rabbit, he did, en he say, sezee:--

"'Come on, Brer Rabbit,' sezee, 'en less you 'n me go git dem ar grapes
'fo' deyer all gone,' sezee. En den ole Brer Rabbit, he laff, he did, en
up'n 'spon', sezee:--

"'I hungry myse'f, Brer Fox,' sezee, 'but I ain't hankerin' atter
grapes, en I'll be in monst'us big luck ef I kin rush 'roun' yer some'rs
en scrape up a bait er pusley time nuff fer ter keep de breff in my
body. En yit,' sezee,' ef you take'n rack off atter deze yer grapes,
w'at Miss Meadows en de gals gwine do? I lay dey got yo' name in de
pot,' sezee.