Rabbit!'

"En den dey hilt der han's 'fo' der face en giggle des like gals duz
deze days."

XVII

BRER FOX FIGURES AS AN INCENDIARY

The next night the little boy had been thoughtful enough to save some of
his supper for Uncle Remus, and to this "Miss Sally" had added, on her
own account, a large piece of fruit-cake. The old man appeared to be
highly pleased.

"Ef ders enny kinder cake w'at I likes de mos', hit's dish yer kine
w'at's got reezins strowed 'mongs' it. Wid sick folks, now," he
continued, holding up the cake and subjecting it to a critical
examination, "dish yer hunk 'ud mighty nigh las' a mont', but wid a well
man lak I is, hit won't las' a minnit."

And it did n't. It disappeared so suddenly that the little boy laughed
aloud, and wanted Uncle Remus to have some more cake; but the latter
protested that he did n't come there "fer ter git founder'd," but merely
to see "ef somebody's strenk uz strong 'nuff fer ter stan' 'n'er tale."
The little boy said if Uncle Remus meant him, he was sure his health was
good enough to listen to any number of stories. Whereupon, the old man,
without any tantalizing preliminaries, began:--

"Brer Fox done bin fool so much by Brer Rabbit dat he sorter look 'roun'
fer ter see ef he can't ketch up wid some er de yuther creeturs, en so,
one day, w'iles he gwine long down de big road, who should he strak up
wid but old Brer Tarrypin. Brer Fox sorter lick his chops, en 'low dat
ef he kin fling ennybody en gin um all-under holt, Brer Tarrypin de man,
en he march up, mighty biggity, like he gwine ter make spote un 'im.
W'en he git up nigh 'nuff, Brer Fox hail 'im:--

"'How you 'speck you fine yo'se'f dis mawnin', Brer Tarrypin?' sezee.

"'Slow, Brer Fox--mighty slow,' sez Brer Tarrypin, sezee. 'Day in en day
out I'm mighty slow, en it look lak I'm a-gittin' slower; I'm slow en
po'ly, Brer Fox--how you come on?' sezee.

"'Oh, I'm slanchindickler, same ez I allers is,' sez Brer Fox, sezee.
'W'at make yo' eye so red, Brer Tarrypin?' sezee.

"'Hit's all 'longer de trouble I see, Brer Fox,' sez Brer Tarrypin,
sezee. 'I see trouble en you see none; trouble come en pile up on
trouble,' sezee.

"'Law, Brer Tarrypin!' sez Brer Fox, sezee, 'you ain't see no trouble
yit. Ef you wanter see sho' 'nuff trouble, you des oughter go 'longer
me; I'm de man w'at kin show you trouble,' sezee.

"'Well, den,' sez ole Brer Tarrypin, sezee, 'ef youer de man w'at kin
show me trouble, d