in my
house 'w'ile ergo, w'en, bless gracious! fus' news I know, I year dat
chile talkin' in the yuther room. I 'low ter myse'f, she ain't talkin'
ter Riah, 'kaze Riah ain't come yit, un den I crope up, dar wuz de
chile settin' right flat in de middle er de flo', laffin' un talkin' un
makin' motions like she see somebody in de cornder. I des stood dar un
watch 'er, un I ain't a livin' human ef she don't do like dey 'uz
somebody er n'er in dar wid 'er. She ax um fer ter stay on dey own side,
un den, w'en it seem like dey come todes 'er, den she say she gwine git
a switch un drive um back. Hit make me feel so cole un kuse dat I des
tuck'n come 'way fum dar, un ef dey's sump'n' n'er dar, hit'll be dem un
Riah fer't."

"'E do talk wid ghos'; 'e is bin larf wit' harnt," exclaimed Daddy Jack.

"I 'speck dat's 'bout de upshot un it," said Uncle Remus. "Dey tells me
dat w'ence you year chilluns talkin' en gwine on periently wid deyse'f,
der er bleedz ter see ha'nts."

The little boy moved his stool closer to his venerable partner. Daddy
Jack roused himself.

"Oona no bin-a see dem ghos'? Oona no bin-a see dem harnt? Hi! I is
bin-a see plenty ghos'; I no 'fraid dem; I is bin-a punch dem 'way wit'
me cane. I is bin-a shoo dem 'pon dey own sied da' road. Dem is bin walk
w'en da' moon stan' low; den I is bin shum. Oona no walk wit' me dun. 'E
berry bahd. Oona call, dey no answer. Wun dey call, hol' you' mout'
shet. 'E berry bahd fer mek answer, wun da' harnt holler. Dem call-a you
'way fum dis lan'. I yeddy dem call; I shetty me y-eye, I shekkey me
head.

"Wun I is bin noung mahn, me der go fer git water, un wun I der dip
piggin 'neat' da' crik, I yeddy v'ice fer call me--'_Jahck! O Jahck!_' I
stan', I lissen, I yeddy de v'ice--'_Jahck! Jahck! O Jahck!_' I t'ink 'e
bin Titty Ann;[26] I ahx um:--

"Wey you bin call-a me, Titty Ann?' Titty Ann 'tretch 'e y-eye big:--

"'I no bin-a call. Dead ghos' is bin-a call. Dem harnt do call-a you.'

"Dun I rise me y-eye, un I is bin shum gwan by sundown; 'e is bin gwan
bahckwud. I tell Titty Ann fer look at we nuncle, gwan bahckwud by
sundown. Titty Ann pit 'e two han' 'pon me y-eyes, en 'e do bline me. 'E
say I bin-a see one dead ghos'."

"What then, Daddy Jack?" asked the little boy, as the old African
paused.

"Ki! nuff dun. 'Kaze bumbye, so long tam, folks come fetch-a we nuncle
'tretch out. 'E is bin-a tek wit' da' _he_cup; 'e t'row 'e head dis way;
'e t'row 'e head dat way."