des a-passin'--a-passin' 'long--en Miss Sally ax me ef I kin come
fur ez de do' wid dat chile dar, but bless you, 't ain't in my manners
ter tu'n back at de do'. How you come on, Brer Remus?"

"Po'ly, Sis Tempy; en yit I ain't complainin'. Pain yer, en a ketch
yander, wid de cramps th'ow'd in, ain't no mo' dan ole folks kin 'speck.
How you is, Sis Tempy?"

"I thank de Lord I'm able to crawl, Brer Remus, en dat's 'bout all. Ef I
wa'n't so sot in my ways, deze yer niggers would er run me 'stracted
d'reckly."

Daddy Jack was sitting in the corner laughing and talking to himself,
and the little boy watched him not without a feeling of awe. After a
while he said:--

"Uncle Remus, won't Daddy Jack tell us a story to-night?"

"Now, den, honey," responded the old man, "we ain't got ter push Brer
Jack too closte; we ull des hatter creep up on 'im en ketch 'im fer er
tale wence he in de humors. Sometimes hoss pull, sometime he ain't pull.
You ain't bin down yer so long, hit sorter look lak it my tu'n; 'kaze it
done come 'cross my 'membunce dat dey wuz one time w'en Brer Wolf kotch
Brer Rabbit, w'ich I ain't never gun it out ter you yit."

"Brother Wolf caught Brother Rabbit, Uncle Remus?" exclaimed the little
boy, incredulously.

"Yasser! dat's de up en down un it, sho'," responded the old man with
emphasis, "en I be mighty glad ef Sis Tempy yer will 'scuze me w'iles I
runs over de tale 'long wid you."

"Bless yo' soul, Brer Remus, don't pay no 'tention ter me," said Aunt
Tempy, folding her fat arms upon her ample bosom, and assuming an
attitude of rest and contentment. "I'm bad ez de chillun 'bout dem ole
tales, 'kaze I kin des set up yer un lissen at um de whole blessid
night, un a good part er de day. Yass, Lord!"

"Well, den," said Uncle Remus, "we ull des huddle up yer en see w'at
'come er Brer Rabbit, w'en ole Brer Wolf kotch 'im. In dem days," he
continued, looking at Daddy Jack and smiling broadly, "de creeturs wuz
constant gwine a-courtin'. Ef 't wa'n't Miss Meadows en de gals dey wuz
flyin' 'roun', hit 'uz Miss Motts. Dey wuz constant a-courtin'. En 't
wa'n't none er dish yer 'Howdy-do-ma'm-I-'speck-I-better-be-gwine,'
n'er. Hit 'uz go atter brekkus en stay twel atter supper. Brer Rabbit,
he got tuk wid a-likin' fer Miss Motts, en soon one mawnin', he tuck'n
slick hisse'f up, he did, en put out ter call on 'er. W'en Brer Rabbit
git ter whar Miss Motts live, she done gone off some'rs.

"Some folks 'ud er sot