vittles," Uncle Remus went on, adopting a more conciliatory tone, "dat I
ain't, 'kaze folks is got ter eat; but, gentermens! you be 'stonish'
w'en you see Brer Jack 'pesterin' 'long er he dinner."

The little boy sat quiet awhile, and then reminded Uncle Remus of the
guinea-fowls.

"Tooby sho', honey, tooby sho'! W'at I doin' runnin' on dis-a-way 'bout
ole Brer Jack? W'at he done ter me? Yer I is gwine on 'bout ole Brer
Jack, en dem ar Guinny-hins out dar waitin'. Well, den, one day Sis Cow
wuz a-grazin' 'bout in de ole fiel' en lookin' atter her calf. De wedder
wuz kinder hot, en de calf, he tuck'n stan', he did, in he mammy
shadder, so he kin keep cool, en so dat one flip un he mammy tail kin
keep the flies off'n bofe un um. Atter w'ile, 'long come a drove er
Guinnies. De Guinnies, dey howdied, en Sis Cow, she howdied, en de
Guinnies, dey sorter picked 'roun' en sun deyse'f; en Sis Cow, she crap
de grass en ax um de news er de neighborhoods. Dey went on dis a-way
twel 't wa'n't long 'fo' dey year mighty kuse noise out dar t'er side
er de ole fiel'. De Guinnies, dey make great 'miration, des lak dey does
deze days, en ole Sis Cow fling up 'er head en look all 'roun'. She
ain't see nothin'.

"Atter w'ile dey year de kuse fuss 'g'in, en dey look 'roun', en bless
gracious! stan'in' right dar, 'twix' dem en sundown, wuz a great big
Lion!"

"A Lion, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy, in amazement.

"Des ez sho' ez you er settin' dar, honey,--a great big Lion. You better
b'leeve dey wuz a monst'us flutterment 'mungs de Guinnies, en ole Sis
Cow, she looked mighty skeer'd. De Lion love cow meat mos' better dan he
do any yuther kinder meat, en he shake he head en 'low ter hisse'f dat
he'll des about ketch ole Sis Cow en eat 'er up, en take en kyar de calf
ter he fambly.

"Den he tuck'n shuck he head, de Lion did, en make straight at Sis Cow.
De Guinnies dey run dis a-way, en dey run t'er way, en dey run all
'roun' en 'roun'; but ole Sis Cow, she des know she got ter stan' 'er
groun', en w'en she see de Lion makin' todes 'er, she des tuck'n drapt
'er head down en pawed de dirt. De Lion, he crope up, he did, en crope
'roun', watchin' fer good chance fer ter make a jump. He crope 'roun',
he did, but no diffunce which a-way he creep, dar wuz ole Sis Cow hawns
p'intin' right straight at 'im. Ole Sis Cow, she paw de dirt, she did,
en show de white er her eyes, en beller way down in 'er stomach.

"Dey went on dis a-way, dey