the old man, with an air of considerable importance,
"we er got ter go 'way back behime dish yer yallergater doin's w'at Brer
Jack bin mixin' us up wid. Ef I makes no mistakes wid my 'membunce, de
place wharbouts I lef' off wuz whar Brer Rabbit had so many 'p'intments
fer ter keep out de way er de t'er creeturs dat he 'gun ter feel
monst'us humblyfied. Let um be who dey will, you git folks in a close
place ef you wanter see um shed der proudness. Dey beg mo' samer dan a
nigger w'en de patter-rollers ketch 'im. Brer Rabbit ain't ko no
beggin', 'kaze dey ain't kotch; yit dey come so nigh it, he 'gun ter
feel he weakness.

"W'en Brer Rabbit feel dis a-way, do he set down flat er de groun' en
let de t'er creeturs rush up en grab 'im? He mought do it deze days,
'kaze times done change; but in dem days he des tuck'n sot up wid
hisse'f en study 'bout w'at he gwine do. He study en study, en las' he
up'n tell he ole 'oman, he did, dat he gwine on a journey. Wid dat, ole
Miss Rabbit, she tuck'n fry 'im up a rasher er bacon, en bake 'im a pone
er bread. Brer Rabbit tied dis up in a bag en tuck down he walkin' cane
en put out."

"Where was he going, Uncle Remus?" asked the little boy.

"Lemme 'lone, honey! Lemme sorter git hit up, like. De trail mighty cole
'long yer, sho'; 'kaze dish yer tale ain't come 'cross my min' not sence
yo' gran'pa fotch us all out er Ferginny, en dat's a monst'us long time
ago.

"He put out, Brer Rabbit did, fer ter see ole Mammy-Bammy Big-Money."

"Dat 'uz dat ole Witch-Rabbit," remarked Aunt Tempy, complacently.

"Yasser," continued Uncle Remus, "de ve'y same ole creetur w'at I done
tell you 'bout w'en Brer Rabbit los' he foot. He put out, he did, en
atter so long a time he git dar. He take time fer ter ketch he win', en
den he sorter shake hisse'f up en rustle 'roun' in de grass. Bimeby he
holler:--

"'Mammy-Bammy Big-Money! O Mammy-Bammy Big-Money! I journeyed fur, I
journeyed fas'; I glad I foun' de place at las'.'

"Great big black smoke rise up out er de groun', en ole Mammy-Bammy
Big-Money 'low:--

"'Wharfo', Son Riley Rabbit, Riley? Son Riley Rabbit, wharfo'?'

"Wid dat," continued Uncle Remus, dropping the sing-song tone by means
of which he managed to impart a curious dignity and stateliness to the
dialogue between Brother Rabbit and Mammy-Bammy Big-Money,--"wid dat
Brer Rabbit up'n tell 'er, he did, 'bout how he fear'd he losin' de use
er he min', 'kaze he done come ter dat pass d