ome nigh de grapes, en den
he sorter ballunce hisse'f on a lim' en gun um a swipe wid his big bushy
tail, fer ter bresh off de bugs. But, bless yo' soul, honey! no sooner
is he done dat dan he fetch a squall w'ich Miss Meadows vow atterwards
she year plum ter her house, en down he come--_kerblim_!"

"What was the matter, Uncle Remus?" the little boy asked.

"Law, honey! dat seetful Brer Rabbit done fool ole Brer Fox. Dem ar
grapes all so fine wuz needer mo' ner less dan a great big was'-nes', en
dem bugs wuz deze yer red wassies--deze yer speeshy w'at's rank pizen
fum cen' ter cen'. W'en Brer Fox drap fum de tree de wassies dey drap
wid 'im, en de way dey wom ole Brer Fox up wuz sinful. Dey ain't mo'n
tetch' im 'fo' dey had 'im het up ter de b'ilin' p'int. Brer Fox, he
run, en he kick, en he scratch, en he bite, en he scramble, en he
holler, en he howl, but look lak dey git wuss en wuss. One time, hit
seem lak Brer Fox en his new 'quaintance wuz makin' todes Brer Rabbit,
but dey ain't no sooner p'int dat way, dan ole Brer Rabbit, he up'n make
a break, en he went sailin' thoo de woods wuss'n wunner dese
whully-win's, en he ain't stop twel he fetch up at Miss Meadows.

"Miss Meadows en de gals, dey ax 'im, dey did, wharbouts wuz Brer Fox,
en Brer Rabbit, he up'n 'spon' dat he done gone a-grape-huntin', en den
Miss Meadows, she 'low, she did:--

"'Law, gals! is you ever year de beat er dat? En dat, too, w'en Brer Fox
done say he comin' ter dinner,' sez she. 'I lay I done wid Brer Fox,
kaze you can't put no pennunce in deze yer men-folks,' sez she. 'Yer de
dinner bin done dis long time, en we bin a-waitin' lak de quality. But
now I'm done wid Brer Fox,' sez she.

"Wid dat, Miss Meadows en de gals dey ax Brer Rabbit fer ter stay ter
dinner, en Brer Rabbit, he sorter make like he wanter be skuze, but
bimeby he tuck a cheer en sot um out. He tuck a cheer," continued Uncle
Remus, "en he ain't bin dar long twel he look out en spy ole Brer Fox
gwine 'long by, en w'at do Brer Rabbit do but call Miss Meadows en de
gals en p'int 'im out? Soon's dey seed 'im dey sot up a monst'us
gigglement, kaze Brer Fox wuz dat swell up twel little mo'n he'd a bus'.
He head wuz swell up, en down ter he legs, dey wuz swell up. Miss
Meadows, she up'n say dat Brer Fox look like he done gone en got all de
grapes dey wuz in de neighborhoods, en one er de yuther gals, she
squeal, she did, en say:--

"'Law, ain't you 'shame', en right yer 'fo' Brer