it'll hol' mo' vittles dan w'at I got ter put
in it.

"I lay," the old man continued, leaning his hand against the chimney and
gazing at the little boy reflectively,--"I lay ef de creeturs had a bin
yer w'iles all dat clatterment gwine on dey'd a lef' bidout tellin'
anybody good-bye. All 'ceppin' Brer Rabbit. Bless yo' soul, he'd er
stayed fer ter see de fun, des lak he did dat t'er time w'en he skeer um
all so. I 'speck I done tole you 'bout dat."

"When he got the honey on him and rolled in the leaves?"

Uncle Remus thought a moment.

"Ef I make no mistakes in my 'membunce, dat wuz de time w'en he call
hisse'f de Wull-er-de-Wust."

The little boy corroborated Uncle Remus's memory.

"Well, den, dish yer wuz n'er time, en he lak ter skeer um plum out'n de
settlement. En it all come 'bout 'kaze dey wanter play smarty."

"Who wanted to play smarty, Uncle Remus?" asked the child.

"Oh, des dem t'er creeturs. Dey wuz allers a-layin' traps fer Brer
Rabbit en gittin' cotch in um deyse'f, en dey wuz allers a-pursooin'
atter 'im day in en day out. I ain't 'nyin' but w'at some er Brer Rabbit
pranks wuz mighty ha'sh, but w'y'n't dey let 'im 'lone deyse'f?"

Naturally, the little boy was not prepared to meet these arguments, even
had their gravity been less impressive, so he said nothing.

"In dem days," Uncle Remus went on, "de creeturs wuz same lak folks. Dey
had der ups en dey had der downs; dey had der hard times, and dey had
der saf' times. Some seasons der craps 'ud be good, en some seasons
dey'd be bad. Brer Rabbit, he far'd lak de res' un um. W'at he'd make,
dat he'd spen'. One season he tuck'n made a fine chance er goobers, en
he 'low, he did, dat ef dey fetch 'im anywhars nigh de money w'at he
'speck dey would, he go ter town en buy de truck w'at needcessity call
fer.

"He ain't no sooner say dat dan ole Miss Rabbit, she vow, she did, dat
it be a scannul en a shame ef he don't whirl in en git sevin tin cups
fer de chilluns fer ter drink out'n, en sevin tin plates fer 'm fer ter
sop out 'n, en a coffee-pot fer de fambly. Brer Rabbit say dat des
zackly w'at he gwine do, en he 'low, he did, dat he gwine ter town de
comin' We'n'sday."

Uncle Remus paused, and indulged in a hearty laugh before he resumed:--

"Brer Rabbit wa'n't mo'n out'n de gate 'fo' Miss Rabbit, she slap on 'er
bonnet, she did, en rush 'cross ter Miss Mink house, en she ain't bin
dar a minnit 'fo' she up'n tell Miss Mink dat Brer Rabbit done